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  • Parent Guide: Farcry 5

    Parent Guide: Farcry 5

    Farcry 5 S.A.F.E. Rating

    Violence: 1 out of 5
    Language: 1 out of 5
    Sexual Content: 3 out of 5 (so far)
    Positive Message: 2 out of 5

    Total: 7 out of 20 = Adults Only!

    The Game

    The Farcry series is known to feature regular people type characters who are put in extraordinary situations and forced to fight their way out. Players try their hand at fighting crime lords, warlords, and drug cartels. In Farcry 5 you’re a sheriff deputy who is trying to overthrow a cult in the mountains of Montana. You team up with locals, wildlife, and even secret agents to eliminate the influence of “The Father,” a man who considers himself the spiritual leader of an entire group of religious followers.

    This game is set in an open world. There is a storyline but it isn’t linear, it unfolds as you explore different areas of the game. You can go around doing whatever you want, liberating outposts, saving citizens, hunting and fishing, all the while increasing your influence over the region through something called “resistance points.” These points allow you to unlock new areas and items and eventually lead you to your final showdown with the leader of the cult. The story of Farcry 5 is very interesting and well told. It is, however, a bit on the anti-religious side, albeit so extreme that it is hard to view it as a serious commentary on religion. The cult is very extreme and a caricature of anything it may be trying to actually represent. I wouldn’t take seriously any complaints about this game being anti-christian or anti-religion.

    Violence: (1)

    This game features extreme violence right from the start. You are attacking enemies with a large collection of different weapons. Melee, explosives, firearms, vehicles, and even animals can be used to take out your enemies. You can choose to use stealth to eliminate your enemies or you can go in guns and dynamite blazing and take ’em all out that way. The worst violence in the game takes place during the cinematic cut scenes. There are executions, eye gouging, and self harm/mutilation featured in the cinematic scenes that drive the story. The violence is used to show the extremity of the cult you are up against and it begins with the first cut scene at the beginning of the game.

    Farcry 5 scores a 1 for violence meaning it’s meant for Adults.

    Language: (1)

    Farcry 5 has multiple uses of every word imaginable right from the very beginning. It is rated M for Mature because of language and it is obvious early on in the game play.

    Farcry 5 scores a 1 for Language meaning it’s meant for Adults.

    Sexual:

    So far in my current, incomplete, walkthrough of Farcry 5 there isn’t any sexual content. The rating of the games mentions sexual themes but I haven’t seen it yet. I will update this post on this topic once my walkthrough has completed.

    Farcry 5 scores a 3 (so far) for sexual content meaning it depends on your child. 

    Message:

    Like most 1st person shooter games, Farcry 5 puts you in a position where your only option is to pick up a machine gun and start mowing people over. As mentioned before, this game is full of scripture and even some reimagining of some old church songs. They are used in a context that features the cult in a negative way. There is no positive message in this game, except maybe that you shouldn’t join a violent cult. The themes of this game are very grown up and explore what happens when people give themselves blindly to someone like “The Father.”

    Farcry 5 scores a 2 for message meaning it contains very mature themes. 

    Final Thoughts

    Farcry 5 isn’t meant for your 15 year old son. It’s a game made by adults for adults. It features very adult themes and content and doesn’t apologize for the gruesomeness of the violence or the complexity of the story. While there isn’t any sexual content that I’m aware of, it still ranks very low as far as its playability for even some older teens. I recommend keeping informed on the content of this game and know if your kids are playing it. Many kids will ask for it and some will get to buy it because their parents don’t know what the game consists of. My advice is that you share this review with other parents and let them know what content the game their kid is asking for contains. 

  • Parent Guide: StarWars Battlefront 2 (Story Mode)

    Parent Guide: StarWars Battlefront 2 (Story Mode)

    StarWars Battlefront 2 S.A.F.E. Rating

    Violence: 3 out of 5
    Language: 4 out of 5
    Sexual Content: 5 out of 5
    Positive Message: 4 out of 5

    Total: 16 out of 20 = Older Kid Friendly!

    **This review is for the story mode of StarWars Battlefront 2. Multiplayer content can vary due to downloadable, upgradable, and user-generated content. 

    The Game

    Battlefront 2 is the first in the series to have a story mode. The game contains story elements that are considered “canon” for the overall StarWars story. This makes it an even more appealing feature for this game and the good news is that the story is actually pretty interesting. You follow a couple of characters who were raised and trained in the Empire and have some second thoughts about their loyalty to the Emperor and his followers after events following the battle of Endor. The story takes you through playing as several characters including a Jedi and a Sith Lord. You also get to fly several ships and pilot a few vehicles. The game is still obviously designed for the massively multiplayer online battles and the campaign is designed to highlight all of the online features. If feels very much like a Battlefront game and seems to have a lot of replayability.

    Violence/Gore (3)

    This is ultimately a war game so you find yourself in constant combat. The violence is everpresent with shooting, lightsaber battling, electrocuting, and explosions. There is, however, very little to no gore in the game. Lazer bolts and lightsabers don’t cause you to bleed and if you use grenades, rockets, or vehicles to blow up your enemies they just fly around from the shock of the explosion. There is no loss of limbs or severe damage shown. You can’t go into a StarWars title and not expect to see some violence but this game contains combat of the PG to PG-13 variety, no more than any StarWars film.

    Language (4)

    There is no adult language in Battlefront 2. I will repeat here, however, that that fact changes greatly when you join multiplayer battles and those you’re playing with have microphones. Then, though, the language isn’t coming from the game, but from the people you are playing with.

    Sexual Content (5)

    The story mode of Battlefront 2 had no sexual innuendo or content at all. There is one kiss but it isn’t graphic or adult oriented in any way.

    Positive Message (4)

    As with any StarWars story, the message of Battlefront 2 one is hope and redemption. The rebellion is trying to bring freedom to the galaxy and the Empire is doing everything they can to keep their grip around the galaxy. The main characters are trying to be redeemed from a lifetime of fighting for an Empire they no longer believe in. The reason this game doesn’t get a 5 for Message is that, again, just as in many StarWars titles, the bad guys are super cool in BattleFront 2. It is fun to wield the red lightsabers and the dark side force powers. I obviously don’t believe playing StarWars Battlefront 2 will cause kids to want to turn to the “dark” side but I will say that there is a bit of glory given to those who are on the “bad” side of this story. Good vs Evil can get complicated, especially in real life, StarWars has always kept it pretty clear who is who. Battlefront 2 keeps that tradition alive.

    Final Thoughts

    I have played the Battlefront games for years. It is pretty cool to see them adding a story to the game since StarWars stories tend to be so interesting and inspiring. If your kid(s) has asked you for Battlefront 2 for Christmas it’s important to keep a couple things in mind. First of all, this game, while the violence isn’t brutal and gory, is still a first-person shooter. The risk of attention and anxiety problems in young men increases with more time spend playing FPS games. Secondly, this game has been marred by a bad reputation for getting players to spend money in order to excel in the game. EA, the publisher of Battlefront 2, has had to revamp a lot about how they do microtransactions and upgradable content and characters because players have been complaining and boycotting the game. No matter which side of the fence you or I sit on spending money to buy things in a game you already paid $60 to play in the first place, your children are being marketed to within this game. You, as a parent, need to be aware of that.

  • Parents Guide: Assassin’s Creed Origins

    Parents Guide: Assassin’s Creed Origins

    Assassin’s Creed Origins S.A.F.E. Rating

    Violence: 2 out of 5
    Language: 3 out of 5
    Sexual Content: 2 out of 5
    Positive Message: 2 out of 5

    Total: 9 out of 20 = Recommended for Adults Only!

    The Game

    Assassin’s Creed Origins is the 11th game in the Assassin’s creed series. The game is set in ancient Egypt around the time of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. Like other Assassin’s Creed games, Origins is set in a historical alternate timeline in which your character is changing the course of history by completing your missions. The story is complicated because it is also set in modern/near future timeline. In this timeline, you are a researcher who is using the DNA of a historical figure to move into the past and become an assassin. The multiple timelines and characters make for an interesting, while at times confusing, story. In Origin’s you’re working to take out a secret society who is behind the dark times your country is experiencing. Eventually, you make your way to Rome and take part in one of the largest Assassinations in history. If you’re a fan of history, Assassin’s Creed games are interesting even though they’re obviously based in fiction. The setting and politics of the story are well crafted and keep your attention well. Origins is an open world game which means you have multiple missions all over the game world that you can complete outside of the main story. This lends itself to replayability beyond “beating” the game.

    Assassin’s Creed isn’t the best game I’ve seen, the controls seem heavy and the combat is a bit “clunky” but it is interesting and seems to be what Assassin’s Creed fans want out of a game in the series.

     

    Violence/Gore (2)

    You take the role of an assassin in this game so obviously, violence is a major part of the gameplay. You kill people in multiple ways including bows, swords, axes, blunt force weapons, and even ships. There is a stealth element to the game that is meant to reward the player by giving them multiple ways to kill their foe quietly. There is a lot of blood involved in every assassination and some beheadings and slit throats as well during cinematics. Your violence is celebrated and is, in fact, considered the goal of every mission of the game. Killing is, after all, the job of an assassin.

    Language (3)

    The language is interesting in this game. Words that would be considered “adult” are used in some of the dialog but they are often (not always) spoken in Egyptian or Latin. The translation is shown in the subtitles, however. In the modern day/near future timeline there is adult language throughout including F—, Sh–, D—, and H—.

    Sexual Content (2)

    While the main characters’ sexual encounters are treated as PG or PG-13 there are multiple instances of nudity and even sexual situations. Many of the village women are topless and bare breasts are shown while you’re just riding your horse around the game map. One mission takes you to a brothel in which you see many topless women and even a couple in a sexual situation. They are in the background and not the focus of the mission but what they are doing is very obvious. Cleopatra has women dancing for her, some are topless, and she speaks to men about spending the night with her and being killed the next day telling them that it would be “well worth it.”

    Positive Message (2)

    Assassination is literally the name of the game here. The goal is to kill and do it creatively and effectively. Murdering person after person in a video game has a way of getting satisfying. I believe this is a cause for concern. Especially for younger audiences.

    The only reason this doesn’t receive a 1 out of 5 for the positive message is that there isn’t much question that those you’re killing are the worst of the worst and those who work for them. Also, there is a focus on a couple of female characters in this game that I am glad to see. They are portrayed as powerful and passionate and even their costumes are tasteful and make sense. They aren’t just in the game to be eye candy. They play major roles in the story and they are fun to play as.

    Final Thoughts

    I recommend that this game is reserved for those over the age of 17, just like the rating says. Blood and gore, drugs/alcohol, violence, nudity, language, and sexual content all make the highlights list and for good reason. The playthrough I watched exhibited multiple examples of each of these themes and they are presented in ways that are very much geared towards an adult audience. When your 13-year-old asks for an Assassin’s Creed game for Christmas, this is what he is wanting. Maybe redirect him to something a bit more age appropriate.

  • Snap INC and NBC are Working on Snapchat Scripted Shows

    Snap INC and NBC are Working on Snapchat Scripted Shows

    While our TVs are getting more and more similar to our computers and our Computers are being used to watch TV, Snapchat is taking steps to make their Social Media platform another major purveyor of original video content. Snap INC announced today that they’re joining with NBC to turn your phone into another TV. Since everyone’s eyes are always on their phones, NBC sees an opportunity to put their content on what people are already viewing.

    Snap Inc, the company that owns Snapchat is launching its first scripted series with NBCUniversal and the Duplass Brothers’ Production company, Donut. Not only are they working on scripted shows, they’re also building a studio to be ready to film content made to fit the vertical format of a Snapchat story. 

    What Parents Should Know

    There was a time when we were super careful what we allowed our kids to watch. If the shows are on the Social Media apps they are already using for hours every day, it’s going to get more difficult to keep tabs on what content they’re watching. Moms and dads should be aware of what shows are being produced for Snapchat, Musical.ly, Facebook, YouTube, and any other video streaming service.

    The Duplass’ brothers are known for producing more mature content so the fact that their company is working on this shows provides evidence that Snap INC is trying to appeal to a more adult audience. This could pose a problem for those with younger teens who use Snapchat. My advice is to keep your eyes on the shows that are being released and talk to your kids about what they’re watching on their phones. Screen or WiFi/Data bedtimes are a good idea, as are time limits. Whether you use something like Circle or GoogleWiFi to set your bedtimes or use the more manual, “phones in the basket” approach, you should be aware of how much time is spent watching shows, and what shows are being watched.

  • Musical.ly’s New Original Shows Could Undermine Your Internet Safety Goals

    Musical.ly’s New Original Shows Could Undermine Your Internet Safety Goals

    Musical.ly has joined the ranks of the social media apps that are bringing original show content to user’s feeds. The lip sync music video producing platform launched a couple of shows today. One of the shows is from MTV/Viacom and one is from Seventeen Magazine, with two more from the same companies coming out on Saturday.  New shows are also coming from NBC, E!, and Telemundo. Musical.ly isn’t charging networks for this content or even selling ads for it, they’re really just using it as a test for future network deals. Whether or not this programming will provide value to the social media platform is yet to be seen. What is very apparent, however, is that there will be more content for your kid to watch than just the lip sync videos they’ve enjoyed thus far.

    What Parents Should Know

    Musical.ly is on my uninstall list because there is no age verification. Users can log in and watch other people’s videos without telling Musical.ly how old they are. This means you don’t know who’s watching you or sending you private messages. Most of the trending video sections are filled with tween and teen girls and boys acting out the different challenges or songs. The lack of age verification has brought some criticism to Musical.ly and many didn’t like their CEO’s response to such criticism. It seems they’re happy to allow people of any age to use the service without proving their age.

    My advice is pretty obvious. I recommend you uninstall Musical.ly. Mostly because I wouldn’t allow my kids to use an app where they can be contacted by anyone and everyone regardless of age and gender. The addition of these new shows just strengthens my belief that Musical.ly can undermine your internet safety goals. Content on these shows can reach outside the boundaries of what is allowed on TV. Unless you’re watching every episode of the original shows Musical.ly puts on their trending feed, you have no real way of knowing what your kids are consuming. Musical.ly will stay on my uninstall list and if I had the list in any particular order it would probably move up the rankings as well.

  • Android’s New Instant Apps Can Undermine Your Monitoring Software

    Android’s New Instant Apps Can Undermine Your Monitoring Software

    If you follow my recommendations on this site you’ve got some sort of monitoring software installed to allow you to see what your kids are doing on their devices. This is important because you can’t help you children navigate the digital world they’re growing up in if you don’t know what they’re doing online. Every now and then, though, a super cool new update comes out for our phones, computers, or tablets that will undermine the goals you have for monitoring your kid’s devices. Android’s “Instant Apps” is one such update.

    Instant apps is a great idea. It’s a really cool way to share new apps and a great way for app developers to give brief access for someone who wants to see something that’s been shared but doesn’t want to download an app to see it. Usually when you see a cool post on social media or someone sends you a link in a direct message you have to use a browser to see the mobile website version of what they’re sharing, Instant Apps makes it easier to see the what’s being shared. For example if I’m creeping Amazon and see the Blu Ray for that super cool movie we saw together and want to share it with you. I can text you a link and when you open it the product will open in the “instant” version of the Amazon app. This will provide you with a much easier and smoother transition to possibly purchasing that product. The instant app permissions won’t allow it to run in the background and will disable some features that would be available if you downloaded the full app but it’s a cool intro to software you haven’t installed yet. Cool idea, yes, but maybe not for our kids.

    What Parents Should Know

    Being able to see content from an app that isn’t even installed could be troublesome for parents who are trying to monitor their kids online activity. If you have uninstalled apps from your kids’ devices to keep them from seeing what is shared in that app you aren’t going to want them to be able to see the content in instant apps. I recommend disabling Instant Apps in on your kids’ devices if they have it. If you can’t find anything about Instant Apps in the settings of their phone or tablet then it isn’t available for their device and you don’t have to worry about it. If you do see it, follow the steps below to turn it off.

     

     

    Whether you’re using an accountability software like Accountable2You, a filter like NetNanny, or monitoring the entire device with something like Mobicip, the Instant App feature could give your child access to the very content you are trying to keep away from them. Be sure to give yourself opportunity to look over their phone or tablet whenever possible and check for the Instant App option. There aren’t very many apps developed with the feature yet but it has been opened up to most developers. More and more apps will be using Instant Apps to allow folks to share content in the near future. Turn it off now and get ahead of the game.

     

  • These Games Let Your Tween Play Out Their Own Soap Opera

    These Games Let Your Tween Play Out Their Own Soap Opera

    I was doing research for an app to write about when an ad came up. The ad was for a game called Episode and it featured cartoon animated teen girls in situations that would only come from some mid-day television show. For example there was one girl deciding whether or not to perform CPR on her shirtless and handsome male companion. He winks at the “camera” and she thinks he may be faking so the player gets to chose her next move. “Perform CPR” or “Kiss him to find out.” This scenario is one of thousand available on these games that are developed by a company called Episode Interactive.

    Their apps are all interactive story games that put the player in control of the choices of the main characters. Each app features thousands of stories to play out. The scenarios feature romance, mystery, comedy, family, and a bunch more. The situations that the character is placed in during the stories can often be very adult oriented. Decisions whether or not to have sex. A choice to run away from a potential mugger or try to attack them back. There are some very dramatic and grown up themes in these games. A look at the description will tell you that the games are rated for ages twelve and over for various reasons including, sexual themes, drugs and alcohol, violence, and nudity.

    These games are a choose your own adventure of sorts for the new generations. They target young tweens with the glam of what it’s like to be a teenager or what High School life is like. It’s all obviously very fictitious but our kids buy these messages hook, line, and sinker. Think of apps like this as romance novels that are targeting your ten to twelve year old daughter. I say it’s targeting tweens because the app I was reviewing when I saw the ad for Episode was one that is obviously mostly populated with young girls. Your daughters will believe a message about who they are and what gives them value. Apps like this are speaking to a certain version of that message. We as parents must play defence against the wrong message to successfully teach the correct message.

    What Parents Can Do

    My advice is to make sure your child is far older than the recommended age for these games before you let them play. They are obviously meant to mimic the soap operas of our parent’s days and they feature exactly the same types of themes. The maturity of your child is best understood by you, their parent. It is usually not a good idea to take the age recommendation of an app, game, or other form of entertainment as the law and gospel. You have to use your own judgement. Unfortunately for some kids these themes are mild compared to things they’ve dealt with in real life. But for many of our ten, eleven, and twelve year olds, these games can introduce topics that they may not be mature enough yet to navigate. That’s why it’s so important for you as a parent to step in and see what they’re doing on their phone or tablet.

    Apps like Episode are easy to spot because they don’t hide their themes in the ads on the app store. It’s pretty obvious what they feature in your game. My advice is to use something like Google Play’s parental settings, or Apple’s Family Sharing to ensure you’re seeing every app being installed by your kids. If you see something that looks like it could be a choose your own adventure style of soap opera game then think seriously about the potential questions your child will be asked while they play it.

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  • YouTube Kids Adding Original Shows and SmartTV Support

    YouTube Kids Adding Original Shows and SmartTV Support

    YouTube Kids has now been around for over two years. I’m still amazed how many parents don’t know about the curated kids streaming app. It is a pretty good safe alternative to YouTube’s more open and unsecure content. An announcement today could make YouTube Kids an even better option for your family.

    Today YouTube announced that they are going to launch four new original shows on the kids app. The shows will use people who already have a strong YouTube presence and be available only to YouTube RED subscribers. Shows like “Fruit Ninja; Frenzy Force” will be designed for younger kids while there will be a couple of shows, such as “Hyperlinked” (starring tween YouTube Music stars L2M) that are geared for children a bit older. There are more shows scheduled for the lineup and they range from animated cartoons to unscripted reality shows.

    Along with this announcement, YouTube has said they will soon be rolling out support for YouTube Kids to be viewed on SmartTVs from Samsung and LG. This will mean that content from YouTube Kids can come to life on a larger screen and be viewed more easily by more of the family at the same time. It seems that YouTube is really working to become a major player in the streaming entertainment world. New YouTube Red shows are coming out all the time and you can see many YouTube stars being interviewed on more mainstream media talk shows like Jimmy Fallon to promote YouTube’s original content. We are entering a new age in digital entertainment so be ready and pay attention.

    What Parents Should Know

    YouTube Kids is a good option for parents whose children enjoy watching videos on the streaming service. It’s a lot better than the YouTube app in which they can be as few as two clicks away from some type of violent or inappropriate adult content. While YouTube Kids is better, it isn’t without it’s faults. You will still want to put your eyes on what your children are watching every now and then. The original content means that, if you’re a RED subscriber, you will have a bit more than the clips from PBS shows, lets play, toy unboxing, and science videos. That’s a good thing but you’ll want to be aware of which shows are designed for what age audience. The trend is for messages in kids entertainment to lean towards kids a few years older than the target age of the shows.  That means you young daughter could be watching a show by music sensation L2M about what it’s like to be in High School. This could lead to eventual trouble if you aren’t aware of the message they are getting from the show.

    I always recommend parents having a total knowledge of what their children are spending their time doing. These original content shows may be designed for children but it’s important to remember that only you can decide if they were designed for your children. Nobody knows your kids like you do so only you can make the right entertainment decision for them. You should just allow unsupervised viewing of anything you’ve never seen, even if it is meant for children. Should your kids watch streaming content on YouTube Kids? If they are already using YouTube then absolutely yes. Should they watch the original content and use your tv to view it like other shows? That’s entirely up to you, just be sure your decision is based on knowledge, not a trust that the term “KIDS” always means safe.