New PlayStation Plus Free Open-World Game Hailed As Best Looking Of This Console Generation

Published Jul 27, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT Jared is a writer, editor, and Communications Studies graduate who loves popular nerd culture (almost anything to do with Marvel, DC, Star Wars, or The Lord of the Rings) and the interactive storytelling medium. Jared's first console was the PS1, wherein he fell for Spider-Man, Spyro the Dragon, and Crash Bandicoot. PlayStation Plus may not always include a game to its dynamic Game Catalog roster every month that everyone is ecstatic about. That said, more likely than not, there’ll be a game added that someone missed out on when it originally launched, or that they might never have known about at all if it wasn’t for it now suddenly being available on PS Plus’ Game Catalog. Announced earlier this month, the July batch of PS Plus Game Catalog titles includes heavy hitters like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Rise of the Ronin, and Dying Light. And, thanks to the PS Plus Extra and Premium tiers’ Game Catalog additions, many fans are only now learning how stunning Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora’s open world and breathtaking visuals are. On Reddit, user Pylicrye believes that Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is “one of the most visually impressive games of this generation.” Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a prequel chapter inspired by James Cameron’s overwhelmingly successful Avatar franchise, and with that influence in mind, it’s a wonder how Ubisoft was able to actually achieve what it has and live up to the phenomenal visuals of the movies. However, not everyone thinks the graphics are special compared to other games that were released this generation (a tall order in any case). User thecheerygamer appreciates Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora’s “foliage density and detail,” but has a bone to pick with how water/waterfalls look throughout the game. User Rags2Rickius writes: “In typical Ubisoft fashion - it’s a gorgeous-looking painting. Stunning to look at but as thin as the frame it’s put in.” This is a problem that a lot of fans are discussing in terms of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, where the game may look great aside from some common hiccups here and there, but the veneer of it all is only one element of a much larger game, and visuals alone aren’t enough for many players to be interested in playing it, even on PS Plus. Indeed, whether or not fans adore Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora’s gameplay, much less the highly divisive Ubisoft gameplay formula, is another thing altogether. For instance, user ravinderHiem doesn’t think that graphics/visuals have ever been Ubisoft’s problem: “Only thing they lack is going beyond graphical presentation” and delivering on a “deep storyline,” “memorable quests,” and avoiding open-world bloat. User Imaginary_Dig_5014 argues that “if you’ve played any Ubisoft game from the past 10 years, you’ve played them all pretty much.” True or not, nobody is denying that Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has wonderful graphical fidelity, even if it isn’t a technical knockout, and will be worthwhile for any Avatar movie fans, especially while it’s available for free on PlayStation Plus. Brand Sony Original Release Date June 29, 2010 Original MSRP (USD) $59.99 (Essential), $99.99 (Extra), $119.99 (Premium) - Per Year App Store PlayStation Store PlayStation Plus is a subscription service from Sony that gives players access to additional PlayStation features for subscribers, such as full online game access, free games, and exclusive discounts. The program was initially released in 2010 with the PlayStation 3 and since has grown to be a larger platform for the brand, allowing Sony to extend the service to include game streaming via console or apps from different providers.