Following a multi-million dollar Ad campaign, Halo 3 (the last installment in the Halo trilogy) has finally arrived. The game received overwhelmingly positive reviews, even from mainstream media outlets. Never before has a video game generated this much hype.
As a parent and gamer I often wonder how much of this hype and buzz effected the opinions of video game critics and journalists. I am not suggesting that Halo doesn’t deserve praise, however some of the reviews read a little too much like love confessions from Halo “Fan-Boys”. But then again reviews are only opinions –and who’s to say Halo 3 is not the best game on the market today. The Halo hype has also arrived at our local elementary school. Students from all grades will confirm that Halo 3 has the best graphics ever and is the biggest, longest and best video game in the world. However, only a handful of students could actually tell us what platform (Xbox360) the game is running on. And even fewer students have actually played the game. My point is that your kids will probably want Halo 3 (and an Xbox360), simply because of the “cool” factor. If they are into Sci-Fi action, then chances are that they will truly like the game, aside from all the hype.
Halo 3 is rated “M” for Mature, which suggests that the game is “only” suited for player’s ages 17 years and older. Needless to say, this brings up the hot topic and controversy regarding age-appropriate content, and whether children should be allowed to play certain games, all over again. My personal take on this issue is that, we’re all different with our kids, and we all have different ideas about what our children can or should be exposed to. Watch our video review to see Halo3 gameplay footage or even better rent or play the game first without your children. In my opinion Halo 3 is on the lower end of the “M” scale, meaning that the game is not as brutal, gory and bloody as other titles with an “M” rating. However, being a Sci-Fi First Person Shooter, Halo does have its moments of intense action and violence. The game features moderately creepy looking creatures and a variety of destructive weapons ranging from simple handguns to tanks and airborne assault vehicles. Halo’s violence is comparable to action found in Star Wars Movies. Halo 3 is best enjoyed with friends via Microsoft’s exceptional Xbox Live service. In other words, add another $60 for a one year Xbox Live Gold membership to the purchase of the game. The game offers the ability to play campaign mode co-operatively with up to 4 friends in split-screen mode or via Xbox Live. The Campaign mode offers 4 different levels of difficulty. The easy setting may not earn the player any Achievement points, put it let’s even that most casual, un-experienced or in my case, un-talented shooter play through the game without being killed every 2 seconds. Halo’s strongest selling point is the multiplayer gaming. A new “Forge” mode lets players create custom games, which can be uploaded, shared and played online by up to 16 other people. Playing online with or against other people can be great fun. If you have children under the age of 12, I highly recommend limiting online play to friends and family. Joining “open” Multiplayer games may expose your kids to insulting and foul language.
Overall, Halo 3 delivers exactly what it promised – a great Sci-Fi First Person Shooter with mass-market appeal, that is best enjoyed in Multiplayer.
Visit our Halo 3 Review Page for Screenshots, Member Reviews, Tips and more.
|
 |
on February 21st, 2008 at 12:15 pm
i have two children( 13, 12) both boys. they bugged me so much for halo they were beginnning to hate me. I finally read some reviews online and decided to buy it for them. Me and my wife watched as they played it and saw that the game is perfectly fine. there is barely any gore green and blue blood, and you are shooting aliens. the graphics are cartoonish but the game is really fun to play. my wife and i play with are boys all the time. the esrb ratings should be screwd. I believe it has barely any language and it is not even as bad as the average pg 13 movie. I recommed is game for 12 and up.
on August 16th, 2008 at 7:09 am
Halo 3 is the best game in the world and parents shouldnt hold there kids back from it. It shouldnt be rated M it should be rated T. I say it is suitable for ages 8 and up. There is little to no blood and cursing and has no violence compared to most other M games. Everbody should buy Halo 3.
on August 25th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
I think it’s actually good that it’s M, but it’s really not that violent, and the storyline is great either way so why wouldn’t anyone not like it
on October 28th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Well, this game is intense at times, but it is not fair to rate it so harshly. Online play should be monitored by parents, because of foul language, racist or sexist themes, and overall rudeness. I think if your child’s friends have the game, it’s okay to let them have it, under the condition that they ONLY play with those friends until you feel okay about them playing with forty-year-old creeps. Of course, it’s all about your family’s values and beliefs. Extreme caution should be taken with children under twelve. Overall it’s a GREAT GAME, but the purpose of this review is not to say if it’s good, but if it’s appropriate. Note: I you buy this game, expect to spend an additional sixty dollars within about a year. Bungie, (the maker of Halo) puts out several expansions, add-ons, etc. that cost money. Xbox Live also costs money.
Overall rating: 13 and up
on November 24th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I was a little nervous to let my 12 year old boy play an M rated game, but when i saw the game at his friends house i bought it for him and it was not bad. It was like a T rated alien shooting game with very mild language and very small amounts of blood. I would say that this game is appropriate for ages 10 and up.
on January 2nd, 2009 at 6:34 pm
To all moms and dads out there trying to raise children -
get a clue!!! lets start doing our jobs and expose our children to age appropriate material - do you wonder why children talk the way they do and have no respect………………..I want my children to be shocked when they see a dead body. My children sometimes feel left out because all the 8 year olds have halo, but they feel more loved and are proud that their parents care. They actually brag that they are not allowed to play yet.
on February 8th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
I was nervous at first, but I rented it for my kids and I thought it was okay. the blood is green, and is alot like the Metroid Prime games on the gamecube
on March 3rd, 2009 at 11:48 am
This is a billiant game
on March 9th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
I was very unsure about this at first but then when I was picking my 12-year-old son up at hid freind’s house and he was telling me all about it. I was unsure at first but after he begged me for it for almost 2 month’s I looked it up. I saw that it was rated M but most of the other parents said that it wasnt that bad and suitable for about 11 years old and up. I decided to rent it for my son and found that it was not a bad game at all. There is a few swear words such as basterd, damn and hell. It IS violent but there is very little blood and it is not that violent at all. It is basically star wars exept with marines and guns. Theres your average violence but over all I think this game is okay for kids 12 and up
on March 18th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
This Game Should Be Rated T. They Really Toned Down The Violence If You Look At Halo One. This Game Is Alot Like Star Wars But You Fight Aliens Instead Of Humans. So In a Way this is Less Bad Than Games Like Star Wars BattleFront. When There Is Blood You Cant See It Becaus Of The Electric Sheild That Appears When You Shoot Things. Multiplayer Is Really Good Too. You Can Play Through The Entire Campaign On Two Player. On X box live on on the same tv. I wont even let my kids play some T rated games like call of duty because I’m really strict with what they play. But I do let them play this. Its thier only M rated game in thier collection and expect it to stay that way.
on March 23rd, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Well i read what you said “to all moms and dads out there trying to raise children -
get a clue!!! lets start doing our jobs and expose our children to age appropriate material - do you wonder why children talk the way they do and have no respect………………..I want my children to be shocked when they see a dead body. My children sometimes feel left out because all the 8 year olds have halo, but they feel more loved and are proud that their parents care. They actually brag that they are not allowed to play yet.” And I simply laughed and mocked your poor choices. You obviously are a physcopathic freak who’s kids must be like mormons. You really should think about what you are teaching your kids.
on April 14th, 2009 at 4:44 am
I started playing halo when it came out, i was about 10. My friend owned it but i didnt even have a xbox, and my mom wouldnt let me have either. I played 1 and 2 at his house for years and i dont think this game has had any influence on me being violent. but if i was like 8, i prolly wouldnt have had a total grasp on life yet and taken shooting stuff for fun as a way of life
so id go with 10-12+ depending on maturity
on July 4th, 2009 at 6:06 am
I read these reviews because my son feels isolated from his friends by not being able to play this game. It’s nice to know that another mom out there is concerned that parents are allowing their kids to be exposed to violence at such a young age. We tried to justify it for a while since most boys from our generation (I grew up in the 70s) played with toy guns. But, this is different. This is having a child sit in front of a screen viewing intense violent scenes combined with rude dialogue and no respect for life (I heard one scene has one of the victims begging for mercy and the shooter laughs). This was the last straw for me. I overheard a 10 year old CHILD laughing about this. I’ve also heard that there are cheat codes that show some really inappropriate stuff. Have we all gone mad? Would we allow our kids to watch violent movies all day? Are we justifying these video games just because other kids have them and we don’t want to offend anyone or make our child feel left out? It’s not o.k. just because it’s mainstream. We all need to wake up and parent more, so this generation we’re raising knows how to interact with other kids beyond video games and to actually care about life. Why are we letting our kids sit for hours at a time in front of a tv or texting on a phone? No wonder most our kids are overweight. From one mom to another, if you are letting your kids play video games, please limit the exposure and know what they are playing at your home and at their friends’ houses. As I’ve found out, not every parent cares. And, if you have a problem with my comments, you should get out there and get a life instead of defending a video game. We’re making our kids grow up way to fast.