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Here is my next video review. In this video, I give you a quick overview of Diablo III, go over the rating and content, and let you know if I think it is good for your gamer.
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Transcript:
Hello, my name is Eric Rogers from parentinggamers.com and this is Parenting Gamers Review of Diablo 3. In this video, I am going to give you a quick overview of the game, go over the rating and content, and let you know if I think it is good for your gamer.
So the first question is, what is Diablo 3?
Diablo 3 is an action-RPG with a heavy emphasis on loot. The player begins the game by selecting from 6 different character types. The type selected will affect the way the player plays the game. For example, a barbarian or crusader fights from close range and is able to take a lot of damage while a wizard fights from farther away.
Once the player selects a character, he jump into the core game. The action is viewed from an isometric angle, which you can see in this clip here. The player kills monsters to gain experience, which then translate into a higher level and more powerful character. As the character gains levels, he unlocks more abilities and is able to defeat stronger monsters.
The other aspect of the game is the loot system. When a monster dies, it has a chance to drop both gold and loot. The gold is used to upgrade different aspects of the game while the loot is used to increase the power of the character. In this clip, I kill one of the boss monsters. Because it is a boss, it drops a lot of loot.
Once I pick up all the loot, I spend some time looking through it to decide if it is better than what I already have.
This loot system is the hook of Diablo 3. It is what keeps players coming back again and again. There is a thrill that comes from seeing that loot drop as you are looking for the perfect piece, and it can be very addicting.
The next question is, what about the content?
Diablo 3 is rated M, which is the equivalent of an R rating in the movies. The rating includes these 3 descriptors:
“Violence”
“Blood and Gore”
and “Partial Nudity” The character you see here is topless. It is a little hard to see on the console versions but the PC version does allow the player to zoom in to get a better view.
There are a couple other things you need to keep in mind with Diablo 3. First of all, the game includes a multiplayer component. This allows the player to team up with up to 3 other people. The more players in the game, the more difficult the monsters but the more experience and the better loot the player receives. This encourages people to play together.
The console version of Diablo 3 has 4 restrictions on who can join a multiplayer game, as you can see here. “Local Only” allows only those players playing on the same console and TV. “Invite Only” requires the player to explicitly invite someone. “Friends Only” allows only those people on the players friends list. And “Open To Public” opens the game up for anyone to join. This is where you want to be careful. You will have no control over who joins your gamers game when it is set to public.
The other thing to be aware of is the storyline. The story in Diablo 3 sees humanity caught in the middle of a war between the angels of heaven and the demons of hell. Given that the player is fighting demons, there is demonic imagery throughout the game.
So what’s the verdict? Is Diablo 3 a game you should allow your gamer to play?
My recommendation for you as a parent is to avoid this game until your gamer is older, at least in high school. The M rating carries with it a “17 and up” qualifier. Most stores won’t even sell an M rated game to anyone under the age of 17. So I would say, use that as your gage. If you wouldn’t allow your gamer to watch an R rated movie, you probably shouldn’t allow them to play Diablo 3.
The good news is, if your gamer plays on PC, there are other games he can play that are very similar to Diablo 3 without the M rating. My favorite is Torchlight 2. It plays basically the same as Diablo 3 but has a much more cartoony look, giving it a T rating, or the equivalent of a PG-13 movie. Unfortunately, if he plays on console, he is out of luck for other options.
If you enjoyed this video, please visit me at parentinggamers.com and sign-up for my email list. Signing up with get you notifications when I release new videos and give you a free copy of my e-book, Connecting with Your Teenager Through Video Games. Thanks for watching.