In 2008, James Cameron released his ambitious sci-fi blockbuster Avatar. The film was a huge hit and would have a big impact on how 3D and Imax technology was used in later Hollywood films. Over a decade later, Cameron finally released the sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water. Now Ubisoft has revealed their own entry to James Cameron's popular franchise, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. This upcoming game promises players the opportunity to explore Cameron's alien world, this time as a Na'vi rather than one of the titular avatars.
While information about the game is limited, it has been confirmed that it will be bringing back a major part of the original movie. The plot of Avatar centered around the conflict between human colonizers to Pandora and its indigenous species, a race of giant blue humanoids called Na'vi. Most of the film's human presence comes through a major faction known as the RDA, a powerful institution with a vested interest in taking control of Pandora, whatever it takes. But what exactly is the RDA?
6 They Are The Ultimate Megacorporation
Even before it got anywhere near Pandora, the RDA held significant power. The simplest way to describe them is as a corporation that specializes in exploiting resources from outer space. They already held most of the Solar Sytem under their control. They are powerful enough to dwarf most of Earth's existing governments and even outmatch them in terms of financial or military resources, effectively becoming a government in their own right. Such an iron grip allowed them to gain, so far as Earth laws were concerned, a total monopoly of Pandora and all products produced from it.
As far as the RDA is concerned, Pandora is rightfully theirs to do with as they see fit and the Na'vi are overstepping boundaries, a lot like historical colonialism. Like many real-life corporations, the RDA has a history of over-valuing profits at the expense of others. They were already causing mass pollution on Earth with their lunar factories, and they aren't opposed to destroying Pandora's ecosystems for the sake of money.
5 Operations on Pandora
Interest in Pandora was initially motivated by the RDA's interest in unobtainium, a mineral that was extremely valuable on Earth. Acquiring unobtainium in sufficient quantities to profit required extensive mining operations. This drove a lot of their conflict with the Na'vi, who were not particularly fond of the RDA claiming Pandora as their own and ruining its ecosystem.
The conflict really escalated with the destruction of Hometree, a massive tree big enough to house an entire Na'vi clan, which was motivated by a desire to mine an unobtanium deposit underneath. The company would later begin exploiting another resource called amrita, a substance thought to be capable of halting the aging process.
4 Equipment
The RDA has a variety of tools at their disposal to accomplish their goals. Their entire security division is practically an army capable of outmatching most countries. In terms of weapons, they can access just about anything short of nuclear bombs (the one thing they're prohibited from using off of Earth). Assault rifles, flamethrowers, machine guns, and explosives are all fair game. Their forces range from ground infantry to mechsuits. One of their most dangerous weapons is the SA-2 Samson, a rotorwing aircraft with concerning amounts of firepower.
The RDA also has an extensive range of non-military equipment, a lot of which could be described as bigger, more advanced versions of machines used in modern construction and mining such as excavators, bulldozers, and dumptrucks. Both automated and manually-operated vehicles are used in the goal of mining unobtanium.
Ubisoft has confirmed that a lot RDA's military vehicles to be appearing in Frontiers of Pandora. The gameplay overview showed the protagonist destroying several of them, including a mech suit and an SA-2 Samson. Whether the player will be limited to destroying them, or if they can in fact operate the RDA's vehicles, is not yet clear.
3 Known Members
Technically, just about every human character is or has been a member of the RDA. Even Jake Sully begins the original movie in their employ. But the two major players one really has to know are Parker Selfridge, the official administrator; and Colonel Miles Quartich, the head of security responsible for many of the RDA's worst atrocities.
Additionally, Ubisoft's gameplay video for Frontiers of Pandora introduces a new member, John Mercer, who appears to be filling an executive position.
2 Role in Avatar
Although they are used as a vehicle through which Jake Sully (and, by extension, the audience) are introduced to the world of Pandora, the RDA ultimately act as the primary antagonist. Most of its more sympathetic members like Jake, Grace Augustine, and Trudy Chacon end up renouncing it sooner or later and siding with the Na'vi.
Over the course of the first movie, the RDA becomes increasingly aggressive, initially attempting diplomacy with the Na'vi before becoming increasingly violent. They are finally defeated in the climactic battle, with their remants being forced off-world.
1 Role in Frontiers of Pandora
Despite the Na'vi's initial victory, the RDA has returned in full force and expanded their operations across Pandora. Gamers also learn about another crime committed against the Na'vi, as if attempted genocide wasn't enough. One operation the RDA attempted involved kidnapping Na'vi children and then raising them to become soldiers who fight against their own people - sadly not an unusual tactic for colonizers.
This is where the player character enters, as one such Na'vi who has to explore Pandora with zero understanding of her cultural roots. Interestingly, this does put the player in a similar position to Jake sully in the original film: beginning as a member of the RDA only to end up renouncing them. The RDA appear to make up a lot of the game's enemies. It is currently unclear if, like the original film, there will be any human characters who also renounce their association with the RDA and side with the player.
One member of the RDA has been identified thanks to Ubisoft's gameplay reveal: John Mercer, the man responsible for the player character's predicament. Information about Mercer is currently scarce, but it is known that he oversaw the Na'vi kidnapping operation. He seems to be a high-level executive, possibly taking over from Selfridge. Although his exact role in the story is hard to ascertain, it is a fair assumption that he will be a major antagonist.