War! What is it good for?  Fun times online.  Battlefield 3 is the main competition for the Call of Duty series (heard of it?), which means realistic and exaggerated modern warfare. There’s blood, intense violence and if shooting gets dull, punching and knifing are available. That said, it’s hard to keep teens away from this game and the fact is, war is in the zeitgeist. It’s happening and for the most part our culture is ignoring it – or at least the more gruesome aspects of it (not meant to be a partisan statement).  Playing games like this can let kids address their fears. Think of games like this as playing “War” only with graphics. Since it’s primarily a multiplayer game, expect things to get intense.

The game is very good, but the nature and content are clearly not for children. For my own son I’d probably cave in to the pressure and let him play it at 13 or so because I think the intensity is appropriate and because I don’t believe that these games harm teens.

Our official recommendation is 15+, simply because the game’s violence is in a context that’s revelent to today’s existential dread and fear of terrorism.

We recommend this M-rated title for grown-ups and some teens, just beware the online players. Some of them can be more offensive than the game itself. War, what is it good for? Fun with friends, a constant challenge and the controversy inherent making a game about war a fun thing to do. Whether you want your kids playing depends on how you see war play. Is it a fun cathartic way to deal with horror and dread? Is it fun challenging times with friends? Or is it offensive to the boys and girls out there risking life and sadly, more often, limb? The true answer is probably all three.

Tags: Game Reviews