There are few cartoons that I will actually admit to watching, but Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the exceptions. It' s a smart show that takes ancient myth of the Orient and transposes it to a Saturday morning kids' show. Incredible! That's why it hurts extra deep to review a below-average next-gen port of a PS2 game. Fans of the series will love the writing, but there are too many holes in this game to stay afloat.

Avatar is in search of an Earth Bending teacher, and it's up to you to get him there. You will go through ruined cities, swamps, and temples, button-mashing your way through hoards of nefarious creatures and deranged warriors. While most of the game is just straight-up button-mashing, there is the occassional deviation, like a Star Fox-esque level where you pilot your big elephant creature through the swamp.

The game is centered around button-mashing arcade-style combat. You and another character will move through the levels together solving basic puzzles, killing braindead enemies, and fighting generic bosses. The combo system, however, is relatively slim. As you play, you will slowly unlock new moves; but the moves are really just more combos, and they really don't do anything. They're actually too complicated (like X, B, X, X) for the relatively lackluster result. Your best bet is to just hit the basic attack over and over - forget the puny ranged attack - and occasionally pull the right trigger for a special move.

You are always in control of two characters, so you can switch between the two. It works Ok, but better if you have a friend to join in with you. Sometimes, the computer-controlled character will get stuck, maybe after falling off a bridge, and you'll have to battle a hoard of goons on your own. There are puzzles that require both characters and they help to deviate the levels, but they're generally uninspired.

One of the worst implemented mechanics is the quicktime events. While they are not the same quicktime events that you were used in Shenmue, they are relatively the same. During some boss fights or during co-op puzzles, you'll be required to hit buttons to complete the action. The problem with it, like those used to perform a super move during a Boss fight, is that it isn't responsive. The buttons are just randomly inserted into the action and give nothing in the way of a sense of performance or control.

"Avatar, seriously... Chill dude"

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of Avatar: The Burning Earth is the graphics. While the cartoony look suits the game and resembles the animated series, the in-game visuals rival an early PS2 game. The strangest thing about Avatar is how the cinematic scenes switch from really great animation and voice-acting to abysmally static in-game scenes. You'll watch what appears to be in-game cinematics (It's actually the FMV) and see all of your favorite characters come to life; but suddenly those brief, beautiful scenes will vanish, and it will switch to the actual in-game cinematic scenes, the ones you'll watch most of the time. I'll just say it as plainly as possible: They are the worst attempts at visual story telling I've ever seen on a recent system. The characters' mouths do not open, but they can still talk. Instead, the characters will use sign language to convey emotion (Next Gen??). If someone is using sarcasm, maybe his mouth will smirk. If he's angry, his eyebrows will scrunch. During the game, when you come across NPC's that you are not attacking, like bystanders on a street, they literally will just be frozen like statues in one position. If they're supposed to portray being scared, maybe their arms will be frozen up in the air. If they're casual, their faces will be frozen with a smile. My face was frozen with laughter.

Contrasting against utter the blandness of this title is a pretty well-written script - even on par with the TV show. The characters make funny quips during cut-scenes and the story hums along at a reasonable pace. But again, as I mentioned, the horrendous cinematics (the in-game ones) deflate the potential of this script.

The boss fights are generic and predictable and nothing near what games in this genre are doing these days. Have the developers played God of War? In the same regard, nothing in this game is the least bit new or exciting. If you can get a friend to join up with you, and you are both fans of the series, the writing will grip you for a while - even if the game mechanics destroy your love of video games. This game is for only the truest of Avatar fans. Even then, beware...

Gameplay: 4.0
Button-mashing is strictly generic and offers nothing new for next-gen gamers. The attempts at quick-time events fall flat.

Graphics: 4.5
The cartoon style is Ok, and the FMV sequences are good. But the in-game cinematics - what you'll be watching most of the time - are absolutely horrible.

Sound: 5.5
The music ranges from decent Eastern strings to just bland filler. The voice acting is sufficient.

Difficulty: Easy
Occasionally the difficulty will get harder during boss fights, but the puzzles are for babies.

Concept: 6.0
The writing is terrific, but the implementation is very weak.

Multiplayer: 6.5
This game is best with a friend. At the very least you can make fun of it together.

Overall: 4.5
This game fails more than it succeeds. Only the truest Avatar fan could enjoy one of the most bland and lackluster games on the 360.