Disagreement about Left4Dead
I’m using this letter as a stand-in really, for anyone who has emailed me with some sort of “How could you recommend Mature Game X to a teenage audience!” This one is a pretty good example, and it features my favorite zombie/monster action game.
A kid shouldnt be playing this kind of game. Period. You take shotguns and blow heads off in a spattering display of blood and chunks of brains. Im quite disturbed at how MANY parents will let their kids play games with this much violence in them.
Also most kids dont like the social ability to take consequence for their actions. Example earlier i was in a public match and there was a kid on my team. Many times he would run off alone, even after being told to stop doing so. He was request to be healed because he “already used his med kit” BECAUSE he wouldnt stop running off alone.
Parents do yourself and the rest of the adult gaming community a favor and get your kids something else to play. -VAM
Thanks for the letter. I agree with you, except where I disagree with you. My main point about Left4Dead is that for any TEEN steeped in R-rated horror movies – which means “most of them” – who also wants to play online with strangers, Left4Dead is an ideal choice.
Yes, I agree that most kids ruin every online game they touch. I too have found it very difficult recently to find a good group for Left4Dead’s Survival mode as most of the more serious players have probably moved on to other games – leaving behind board loners who’d rather ruin someone’s game.
But my note was to Teens and Parents who want to play or allow a game like Left4Dead – the ones whom horror doesn’t bother – and I correctly point out that the content in Left4Dead can be found on Basic Cable rated 13+. I’m not kidding about that, check your Sci-Fi – excuse me, SyFy – listings.
So, to parents who don’t mind horror imagery and violence (“at least they’re killing monsters” is the refrain I most often hear) then Left4Dead is probably your best choice outside of Resident Evil, Silent Hill, etc., especially given that the online component is co-operative rather than competitive.
To parents who are horrified by horror and concerned about their Teenager being a jerk online – or dealing with jerks online – then I don’t recommend it. Now, I’m going to go rent the first Alien vs. Predator movie. It’s rated PG-13 after all, despite the gore.
September 15th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Hi Gamerdad,
My dad will not let me play C.O.R.E. on my new DSi. I’m 11 years old and i will be 12 next month. It only says Blood Gore and Language my Dad says “No because it is rated “M”) But yet he bought me inFAMOUS for my PS3 and that has Blood Gore Drugs Alchohol EXCESSIVE swearing and more violence than you could imagine. I have played games like starcraft which are just as bad if not worse. I also am allowed to watch any PG-13 movies.
Do you think i should be allowed to play C.O.R.E?
December 30th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
hey,
just wanted to tell you that C.O.R.E. is an extremely lousy game anyways. Keep your inFAMOUS. Much better than C.O.R.E. In my opinion, C.O.R.E. is a 3 out of 10 and is not worth the argument with your dad.
March 18th, 2010 at 5:01 am
If you think that inFAMOUS and starcraft are bad and that your allowed to watch pg-13 movies which makes you mature at that time you were obviously not ready to play any rated m game also C.O.R.E. is definately not worth the argument. IT’s an (original) Doom rip-off and fromm the sound of you, you’ll find it boring and not worth it. However the “blood and gore” in that game is a joke.