Avatar Legends: Realms Collide review - "True fan service, for better or for worse"

• Master the elements and unite the nations
• Discover a new narrative with both shows involved
• Might only appeal to fans and no one else

Life was simple before my Avatar obsession began. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, but - as Katara eloquently puts it with every episode intro - everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.

Now, I find myself waterbending in the shower and thinking every cloud is a flying bison named Appa, all thanks to Nickelodeon's hit show that's coincidentally celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. This is exactly why Avatar Legends: Realms Collide immediately caught my eye when it was first announced - but can this 4X strategy truly restore balance to the world much like Avatar Aang himself did?

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Table of contents:

• Avatar Legends: Realms Collide visuals
• Avatar Legends: Realms Collide gameplay
• Avatar Legends: Realms Collide verdict

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Avatar Legends: Realms Collide visuals

There's no doubt that Avatar Legends: Realms Collide perfectly captures the vibes of Avatar: The Last Airbender when it comes to how it looks and feels, with the vibrant colours and the light humour the show is known and loved for.

Characters talk like they should and act like they should, with my beloved Zuko immediately introducing himself with his iconic and meme-worthy "Hello, Zuko here" line right from the get-go.

Even the loading screen itself brings back all the nostalgia of the OG TV series, particularly memories of Aang going all glowy-eyed with the epic Avatar theme sending goosebumps down any fan's spine. 

As soon as I started my journey, I was pleasantly surprised to hear an instrumental version of Uncle Iroh's emotional Leaves From The Vine serenading me in the background while I was in my town. Isn't this supposed to be a kid's show? Where are all these ninjas coming from, and why are there chopped onions everywhere? 

It could just be for the Fire Nation, though, as I immediately picked Zuko as my starting character. You can, of course, choose from the other three nations as you begin your adventure, but regardless of your chosen nation, you'll need to go up against one common enemy - Chanyu and the followers of Father Glowworm. 

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It's a new tale penned by Avatar Studios along with Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra writer Tim Hedrick, with characters from both the original series and the sequel popping up as recruitable characters you can add to your army.

Avatar Legends: Realms Collide gameplay

What hits right in the feels is that the timeline here seems to be after the events of The Legend of Aang - or, at the very least, when Zuko isn't hell-bent on chasing after the Avatar anymore to regain his elusive "honour".

This means you can summon all kinds of characters from the gacha (like Thanos, it's inevitable), from valuable fighters like Kyoshi Warrior Suki to less obvious ones like Earth King Kuei (with a Basco-themed special skill).

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As you might expect from the genre, you'll build your territories, manage efficient production of resources, and boost your army with unlockable talent trees from your summoned heroes. You can go on expeditions to gain more resources, or duke it out using your heroes in endless combat to see whose overall combat power will reign supreme. 

Animations look fabulous - you can really see your heroes bending the elements in combat whenever they unleash special skills. Scouting ahead means Aang using his Airbender staff to glide to the location in question, while your Farm grows cabbages for you as your main food source. And we all know how valuable those things are - it's quite possibly the most awesome Easter egg out of all Easter eggs in existence.

The gameplay is nothing special here - it's the Avatar-themed coat of paint that makes it interesting, especially since Tilting Point has done a fantastic job of staying true to the source material while giving it a fresh twist at the same time.

What's the appeal?

Here lies the problem with something like this, as it's mostly catering to fans of the franchise and no one else, I would think. There's nothing special about the mechanics, no cool new feature (except maybe unlocking the Avatar) that someone who doesn't know anything about the Nickelodeon cartoon would appreciate.

It's fan service all the way, in my opinion, which, depending on the target market, can either be a good or a bad thing.

For me, I enjoy the fact that it's got Avatar written all over it - but that's not necessarily something someone else might care as deeply about.

And while I would love to see the Gaang get together further down the line, Uncle Iroh play Pai Sho, or even Cabbage Man finally get the justice he deserves, the experience will be widely different for someone who might mistake this as a game about blue-skinned aliens and their Cameron-crafted world.