Family Tech Blog

Tag: mature

  • Call of Duty Modern Warfare | A Parent’s Guide

    Call of Duty Modern Warfare | A Parent’s Guide

    Call of Duty Modern Warfare Parent’s Guide

    The rating below is based on the game content. Online interactions will always increase the risk of unwanted content.

    Violence – 1
    Language – 1
    Sexual Content – 4
    Positive Message – 1

    Total Score – 7  out of 20
    (The higher the rating, the safer the game is for kids.)

    ESRB Rating – M for Mature [for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, and Use of Drugs]

    The Game

    Call of Duty has set the standard for realistic first person shooter gaming for more than 15 years. 2019’s Modern Warfare seems to be a  tribute to the original games in that the story of the latest release is as good as any in every other CoD game to date. The campaign mode takes you through the story through the eyes of British, American, and Middle Eastern soldiers and insurgents who are fighting to free a country from a Russian general and his armies. The story is rich and the characters include soldiers you’ve fought with in different games, giving an instant buy in and causing you to care about these characters from early in the story. While the game does ask you to make some pretty difficult decisions, the realism is unlike any other FPS game I’ve ever played, mostly because of the gruesome situations you are put in during the campaign. Overall, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, as much as the campaign is concerned, is one of the best games of 2019. I recommend it for those mature enough to play as long as you have a strong constitution.

    Violence [1]

    Violence is intense in this game. Explosions blow people apart, every bullet hit causes a spray of blood that can be seen from far away. The rag doll effect is used to increase realism causing enemies to fall limply to the ground and fly through the sky when an explosion takes place nearby. Like many of the most recent Call of Duty games there is an option to disable gore effects but this option is in the settings and not password protected. If you set the gore settings to off they can be easily turned back on without any trouble.

    Language [1]

    CoD Modern Warfare is full of profanity. Every mature word in the book is used in the game and in every mode of the game. Commentary from non-player characters contains extreme language and obviously online multiplayer modes is likely to contain adult language from other users as well. The gore/content filter will turn off language from characters in the game but, again, it isn’t password protection and online play is not affected by these settings. 

    Sexual Content [4]

    There isn’t any obvious sexual content in CoD Modern Warfare. Early in the campaign you interrupt a man who is abusing a woman, it is hinted that he was possibly going to abuse her sexually. You kill him before anything happens. There are some character models/outfits that could be considered revealing, especially with cleavage in the multiplayer modes.

    Positive Message [1]

    Modern Warfare is honest about the cruelty and awful things that happen in modern war. It sets up the Russians as enemies and the US and the UK as the heroes. The campaign story is very dark in places and, while intriguing and well performed, is intended for adult audiences. This game puts players through situations that those who experience PTSD from actual combat often describe as what gave them their condition. Kids who experience anxiety and anxiousness could be seriously harmed by the extreme situations in Call of Duty Modern Warfare.

    You could argue that the cruelty shown in this game can be a commentary on how awful war can be but the fact that you spend 99% of your time in the game participating in combat would likely overshadow any lesson the game is trying to teach.

    What Parents Should Know

    The most important information about this specific game is already mentioned above. I would like to address something I see often when discussing violent video games and first person shooters. There are different schools of thought on the dangers of violent first and third person shooter video games. Obviously there are some who think they are bad for everyone, decreasing sensitivity to violence, and causing people to act out. There is little actual evidence to back up this opinion but there are those who will always feel this way. Another group feels that these games are no big deal. They believe that playing games with violence and blood and gore can help kids understand the true danger of gun violence and lower the risk they they themselves become violent. Many will compare games like Call of Duty to other shooters like Fortnite by saying that Fortnite is too tongue in cheek and puts our kids at risk because it doesn’t take combat seriously enough. As the first opinion there is little to no evidence supporting these ideas either.

    The only statements about violent video games that can be backed up by viable research is that they can cause increased anxiety and adrenaline in children, can exacerbate attention problems in children who already have those issues,  and that there is far too little research to outline the true effects these games have on our children. It may be difficult for parents to be alright with the fact that there is no obvious bad or good answer for video games like Modern Warfare. The truth is that you have to know your child and their maturity level. You should watch their behavior and pay attention to signs like grades, relationships, diet, and exercise to be sure your child has a healthy balance between life and time on their screens.

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  • Call of Duty’s Battle Royale is NOT like Fortnite

    Call of Duty’s Battle Royale is NOT like Fortnite

    The game that you could say “started it all” when it comes to multiplayer first person shooter games is joining the Battle Royale fray. Call of Duty Blackout will be released next month with the newest installment of the franchise, Black Ops 4. Blackout will follow all of the typical Battle Royale tropes and include parachuting onto an island, finding weapons, and killing everyone there to be the last man standing, and thus, the victor!

    The most significant difference between Blackout and Fortnite is going to be realism. The Call of Duty games are known for their realism and more intense warfare simulation. Where Fortnite is silly and feels a bit like a cartoon, Call of Duty is made to feel more like combat. The blood spray when a character is shot, the flailing of bodies when killed, and the sounds of vehicles, explosions, and weapons are likened to more realistic battle simulation than an entertaining game. 

    What Parents Should Know

    I won’t tell you what to do as a parent. I will, however, caution you to be suspicious when your child asks you for Call of Duty because it’s “Basically like Fortnite.” It is not like Fortnite, it is very different and it is rated M for Mature. Mature games are intended for those over the age of 17 and usually obtain that rating for violence and language or nudity and sexual content. In the case of Call of Duty games it is nearly always because of the blood, gore, violence, and language.

    Most kids won’t be able to get past the $60 price tag (Fortnite is free to play with premium in app purchases) and the fact that it has to be purchased through a console or PC. Not being on mobile devices and tablets will also deter many children from getting ahold of Call of Duty Black Ops 4. My overall advice is simple: if you wouldn’t buy a Call of Duty Black Ops game for your child under the age of 17 before Blackout was released, I don’t recommend you buy it for them afterward either. 

  • 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.

  • Parent Guide: Call of Duty World War 2

    Parent Guide: Call of Duty World War 2

     

    
Call of Duty World War 2 S.A.F.E. Rating

Violence: 1 out of 5
Language: 2 out of 5
Sexual Content: 4 out of 5
Positive Message: 5 out of 5

    The Game

    Call of Duty has been the “Belle” of the FPS (first person shooter) ball since day Halo. COD games are created with extremely high budgets and make intense amounts of money for the developers. These games are released on nearly every gaming platforms and each version seems to outsell the previous. Needless to say, many parents are being asked by their young teen or even pre-teen kids if they can go out and get the game for Christmas. Be sure to read this post before you decide to stuff their stocking with this Rated-M game. Here’s my breakdown.

    Violence/Gore (1)

    Call of Duty is a war game. You’d expect a fair amount of pew pew pew gun action and bloody gore and that’s exactly what you will get. In the first few minutes you see someones face blown off, arms and legs missing, and a explosions blowing people and pieces of people into the air. When you have a chance to fire back you see the brute force of your weapon as people’s faces and bodies become covered in blood when you shoot them. The level of gore is dependent on the weapon you are using but it never truly lets up. There is continuous shooting, explosions, stabbing (bayonets and knives), and hand to hand combat. Some of the violence isn’t just to soldiers, there’s discussion about how prisoners are handled, as well as civilians being killed.

    Zombies

    The gore does pick up, however, when you play the Zombie portions of the game. So does the language. Imagine half decomposed, limbless bodies coming after you over and over again in increasing numbers. Then imagine you have nothing but a shovel to defend yourself. The gore STARTS there and just gets more brutal as the game continues. In the Zombie levels you have to get past puzzle like obstacles while fighting off these waves of the undead. You get stronger weapons and unlock traps and boosts to kill the onslaught in more affective, yet, gruesome ways. The Zombie section isn’t a separate purchase or something you can lock or unlock, it’s a part of the game.

    Language (2)

    The language is rated R from the very beginning. You’ll hear F—, Sh–, D—, H—, G–D—, and D— throughout the game. It’s your basic FPS, war game vocabulary. While I can’t guarantee I’d be saying gosh and golly gee during hardcore WWII combat, that doesn’t change the fact that we have to look out for our younger kids and young teens and decide if the language in games like Call of Duty World War 2 is something we want them to take in.

    Sexual Content (4)

    No sexual content besides a bit of “locker room” talk between a few of the soldiers. There is discussion of girlfriends and fiancé as well as some chatter about meeting women when they get to Paris. Any sexual content or conversation pretty much ends at jokes and innuendo.

    Positive Message (5)

    This was the most surprising part of Call of Duty World War 2 for me. I wasn’t expecting such positive vibes from the game. The focus on the heroism, the discussion on PTSD, commitment, sacrifice, and what you must withstand to face combat. It was all very very interesting and quite emotional at times. If you play the story mode you will get a sense of belonging to the unit you fight with during the game. You play as a soldier named Red Daniels, and live a bit of his history, future, and present day life in combat. This story takes you from D-Day until you secure the bridge across the Reign, the river that you must cross to get into Germany and eventually Berlin. The epilogue takes you a bit beyond that even. (Don’t want to spoil it.)

    The generation of men and women who fought in WW2 are looked upon with honor in this game. There are speeches given by some characters in the game that really emphasize the sacrifice the young (and old) people of that day had to face as they fought the evil that was the Nazi regime. I was impressed by the attention given to the human sacrifice during the time of WWII and feel like, if a teenager or adult is old enough to handle the content, the message will be a good one for many of us to hear.

    MULTIPLAYER

    I didn’t test multiplayer in this game but I will say simply that there are no ratings listed for multiplayer on any video game. The reason for that is that the conversations had while you play online with other people can and will turn ADULT very and very quickly. My recommendation is that online, multiplayer, gaming be something is only approved for your older teenage kids that you trust can handle the onslaught of adult language and innuendo.

    Final Thoughts

    This game is rated M for Mature. That means it was CREATED for people aged 17 and older. No doubt, your younger teen will be asking permission to play this game. Hopefully you will take all the information in this article into account before blindly allowing them to play a game with content that’s intended for users up to five years older than they are. There’s a big difference in the mental maturity of at 12 year old and an 18 year old.

    I absolutely wouldn’t recommend games like this for kids with any kind of attention problems or anxiety. The game is very stressful and barely lets up for cut scenes and story elements. Shortly after any kind of break in the action, though, you’re right back into it and the fighting is very intense. This action includes explosives going on all around you, being shot at, meeting objectives before you lose members of your squad. It’s all very high impact and the “fight or flight” response would be very very extreme during this game. The drama during some of the cut scenes could even be a bit much for some kids and teens because it deals with heavy and dark topics like PTSD, losing friends in combat, and the mistreatment of civilians and prisoners.

    Be wise with games that have an M rating. Know what your kids are getting into and don’t buy them the game just because they wear you down and you give in. Be smart enough to protect them from content they may not be ready to see. It will definitely be worth it.