Parenting Gamers

Let’s Play Super Meat Boy

This is my next “Let’s Play” video of Super Meat Boy.

This series highlights high quality games I recommend to you as a parent. These are games that your gamer may enjoy with content you will approve.

Transcript:

Hello, my name is Eric Rogers from parentinggamers.com and this is my “Let’s Play” video of Super Meat Boy. In this series of videos, I am playing different games that I recommend to you as a parent. These are high quality games your gamer will enjoy with content you will approve.

So let’s play Super Meat Boy.

Super Meat Boy is a hard-as-nails platformer. The player plays as Meat Boy, a red square of meat trying to save his girlfriend Bandage Girl from Dr. Fetus. He runs and jumps to avoid obstacles like pits, spikes, spinning blades, and other things trying to kill him.

Here you get an idea of the gameplay. As you can see, Meat Boy can jump off and slide down walls. This mechanic, while seemingly simple, allows the developers to create some extremely difficult level. The levels you see here are purposefully simple to help the player learn the controls.

The thing that makes Super Meat Boy great even though it is difficult is how quickly the player can try again when he fails. As you can see here, I died several times on this level. Each time, I was back up and playing again extremely quickly. This helps keep the frustration level down because failure does not set you back that far.

Another cool thing this games does is give you a replay of all the attempts you made when you complete a level. It is not uncommon to try 50 times or more on later levels, which can make this replay pretty cool to watch.

Super Meat Boy is one of my favorite games. It is currently sitting at the top of my Steam library as the game I have played the most. That being said, it is not for everyone. It’s difficulty can make it more frustrating than fun for some. But, if you gamer likes hard games and likes a challenge, it is a great one.

Super Meat Boy is rated T, which is the equivalent of a PG-13 movie rating. It is available on the PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita.

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.

Let’s Play Costume Quest 2

This is my next “Let’s Play” video of Costume Quest 2.

This series highlights high quality games I recommend to you as a parent. These are games that your gamer may enjoy with content you will approve.

Transcript:

Hello, my name is Eric Rogers from parentinggamers.com and, in the spirit of October and Halloween, this is my “Let’s Play” video of Costume Quest 2. In this series of videos, I am playing different games that I recommend to you as a parent. These are high quality games your gamer will enjoy with content you will approve.

So let’s play Costume Quest 2.

Costume Quest 2 is a turn-based role-playing game, or RPG. The player controls a group of kids who just want to trick-or-treat on Halloween. Their plans are thwarted by an evil dentist, Dr. Orel Write, who is set on ending Halloween forever. The kids collect candy and costumes in their efforts to stop him.

The hook to Costume Quest 2 is it’s costume/combat system. The player unlocks new abilities by gathering materials for different costumes. In this fight, you can see I am using a Pterodactyl, a candy corn, and a super hero costume. Normally, the player would replace the candy corn costume because the character using it can’t help in the fight, thus putting the player at a disadvantage. However, there is an achievement for finishing the game using the candy corn costume in every fight, which is why I am using it here.

As you can see, the combat is turn-based. Each character gets a chance to perform different moves on their turn. The player tries to time button presses to the prompt on the screen. The closer she gets to perfect, the more damage the character will do. This also works when the enemy attacks. The closer the player gets to being perfect with those prompts, the less damage she takes.

Costume Quest 2 is a fun game I use to help me get in the holiday spirit. I love pulling it out at the beginning of October to help me get the Halloween juices flowing. It is rated E10+, which is the equivalent of a PG movie rating. It is available on the PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Wii U.

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.

Parenting Gamers Review – Ryse: Son of Rome

Here is my next video review. In this video, I give you a quick overview of Ryse: Son of Rome, go over the rating and content, and let you know if I think it is good for your gamer.

If you enjoyed this video, please sign-up for my email list to receive notifications when I release new ones.

Transcript:

Hello, my name is Eric Rogers from parentinggamers.com and this is Parenting Gamers Review of Ryse: Son of Rome. 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 Ryse: Son of Rome?

Ryse: Son of Rome is a third-person action game. A third-person game is a game where the character the player controls is visible on the screen. This view is popular is story driven games because it helps the player connect more with the main character of the story. You can see what I mean in this clip here.

Ryse also feature sections where the player controls more than just the main character. The main character is a Roman soldier. In some sections, the player is tasked with moving a group of soldiers through a given area, as you can see in this clip here.

There are two other things I want to mention about Ryse’s gameplay.

First, Ryse is a heavily story-driven game. There are a lot of cut scenes that take control away from the player to move the story forward. The gameplay is very linear and has very little freedom for the player to leave the given path.

The second thing I want to mention is the execution system. Whenever an enemy reaches a certain threshold of health, a skull icon appears above his head. The player then has the opportunity to perform an execution, which finishes the enemy off in a very brutal fashion. Performing an execution will give the player different bonuses, such as filling the health bar up or awarding more experience. So the player is encouraged to perform these executions whenever possible.

The next question is, what about the content?

A quick warning, I am about to show you some clips explaining the rating Ryse received. These clips are graphic and contain some sexual content.

Ryse: Son of War received an M rating, which is the equivalent of an R rating in the movies. The rating includes these 5 descriptors:

“Intense Violence” and “Blood and Gore”

“Strong Language”

and “Partial Nudity” and “Sexual Content”

The other thing to keep in mind is Ryse contains a multiplayer component that allows players to team up to kill enemies. You need to be aware of this because you will have no control over who your gamer might play with in a public game.

So what’s the verdict? Is Ryse: Son of Rome a game you should allow your gamer to play?

I have to say I cannot recommend this game to parents. The executions are pretty brutal and happen very frequently throughout the game. That in and of itself is enough to make me say hold off.

But then the nudity takes Ryse into the definite no category. The ESRB gave it the “Partial Nudity” descriptor saying, “female characters are sometimes depicted topless (e.g., pasties over breasts; covered in body paint)”. However, the clip I showed you was much more graphic than “Partial Nudity” implies, in my opinion. Yes, the nipples of the female characters are covered but that makes the scene only slightly better than what you would see in the strip club in Grand Theft Auto 5.

With the violence and sexual content in this game, I have to say give it a pass.

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.

Parenting Gamers Review – Borderlands: The Handsome Collection

Here is my next video review. In this video, I give you a quick overview of Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, go over the rating and content, and let you know if I think it is good for your gamer.

If you enjoyed this video, please sign-up for my email list to receive notifications when I release new ones.

Transcript:

Hello, my name is Eric Rogers from parentinggamers.com and this is Parenting Gamers Review of Borderlands: The Handsome Collection. 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 Borderlands: The Handsome Collection?

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is a collection of two games, Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. In this review, I will be showing you clips from Borderlands 2. The content of the pre-sequel is comparable.

Borderlands 2 is a loot-based, first-person shooter with role-playing game elements. Let’s break these terms down.

First off, a first-person shooter (or FPS) is a game where the player experiences the action from the first person perspective, as if she was actually in the game. You can see what I mean in this clip here.

Next is the term role-playing game, or RPG. An RPG is a game where the player selects a character that performs a specific role. In Borderlands 2, there are 6 different classes the player can select when starting a new character. The one she selects will determine the way she plays the game. For example, Maya, the siren, has a special ability that allows her to control enemies, which makes her play much differently than Salvador, the gunzerker, who’s special ability is to it duel wield weapons and do major damage.

Once the player selects a character, she makes it stronger by defeating enemies and completing quests to gain experience. That experience then translates into a higher level and points she can spend on abilities to tweak her character even more.

Here you see Salvador’s skill trees. The skills I select will affect the way my character plays, allowing me to customize my character to be more in my style of play.

The last term I used is the hook of the Borderlands series. Borderlands 2 is a loot-based game. When an enemy is defeated, it has the chance to drop randomized loot based on that enemies level and strength. This loot includes health, money, guns, and shields.

The hook comes from the random nature of the guns that are dropped. The gun could have a random enchantment, like a fire ability that burns the target for a while after it is hit. So the hook is getting stronger to kill more powerful enemies to get better guns to then kill even more powerful enemies to get even better guns, etc.

The next question is, what about the content?

Borderlands 2 is rated M, which is the equivalent of an R rating in the movies. The rating includes these 5 descriptors:

“Blood and Gore” and “Intense Violence”

“Language”

“Sexual Themes”

and “Use of Alcohol”

One other thing to keep in mind is that Borderlands 2 was designed to be a co-op games. Players can join a game with up to 3 other people to play through the story. The more players in the game, the stronger the enemies and the better loot they drop, which encourages players to play together. You need to be aware of this because you will have no control over who your gamer might play with in a public game.

So what’s the verdict? Is Borderlands 2 something you should allow your gamer to play?

As I gamer, I really enjoy Borderlands 2. It melds two of my favorite genres (first-person shooters and loot-based role-playing games) better than any other game that has tried. And it’s definitely fun to play with friends.

However, as a parent, my recommendation, as it is with most M rated games, is to hold off until your gamer is older. 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 action movie, you probably shouldn’t allow them to play Borderlands 2.

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.

Game Spotlight – Bastion

This is my next “Let’s Play” video of Bastion.

This series highlights high quality games I recommend to you as a parent. These are games that your gamer may enjoy with content you will approve.

Transcript:

Hello, my name is Eric Rogers from parentinggamers.com and this is my “Let’s Play” video of Bastion. In this series of videos, I am playing different games that I recommend to you as a parent. These are high quality games your gamer will enjoy with content you will approve.

So let’s play Bastion.

Bastion is an action adventure game where you play as a young kid who has survived a catastrophic event. You can get an idea of the gameplay in this clip.

There are a few reasons I recommend Bastion. Besides being a fun game (which it is), I really love both the art style and the music. This game looks and sounds beautiful, in my opinion.

And then there is the narrator. The way they use him to tell the story and comment on what you are doing brings a wrinkle to this game I have not seen in any other. It’s a cool little twist.

Bastion is rated E10+, which is the equivalent of a PG movie rating. It is available on the PC, Xbox 360, PS4, and iOS devices.

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.

Parenting Gamers Review – Mortal Kombat X

If you are reading this in an email, please click this link to view the video on my site.

Here is my next video review. In this video, I give you a quick overview of Mortal Kombat X, go over the rating and content, and let you know if I think it is good for your gamer.

If you enjoyed this video, please sign-up for my email list to receive notifications when I release new ones.

Transcript:

Hello, my name is Eric Rogers from parentinggamers.com and this is Parenting Gamers Review of Mortal Kombat X. 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 Mortal Kombat X?

Mortal Kombat X is a fighting game. The player selects a character from large list. Each character has their own set of moves which the player uses to try to damage the other character. You can get an idea of what I mean through this clip.

The appeal of fighting games like Mortal Kombat comes from learning the intricacies of a character and then fighting against other people. There is a story mode but the game is mainly about the fights.

So what about the content?

A quick warning. I am about to show you some clips explaining the rating Mortal Kombat X received. These clips are extremely graphic. If you are at all squeamish, you probably do not want to watch.

Mortal Kombat X is rated M, which is the equivalent of an R rating in the movies. The rating includes the descriptors “Strong Language”, “Intense Violence”, and “Blood and Gore”.

Mortal Kombat has made a name for itself among fighting games by being extremely brutal. During the fight, the player is able to perform x-ray moves which are powerful moves that show an x-ray of the opponent with bones breaking and organs being crushed.

Once one player is defeated, the announcer says “Finish Him!” which gives the winning player the opportunity to execute a special move for their character. The player can execute either a “Fatality” or “Brutality”, both of which result in the losing player being killed in the most brutal fashion.

One other thing to keep in mind is that Mortal Kombat X includes a multi-player feature. This allows the player to fight against other people instead of just computer controlled opponents. The issue is that you have no control over who your gamer plays. For the most part, this won’t be an problem but it is something to be aware of.

So, what’s the verdict? Is Mortal Kombat X a game you should allow your gamer to play?

If I am being completely honest, the Mortal Kombat series holds a special place in my heart. The original came out when I was 14 in 1992. I remember hearing about this game at the arcade that allowed you to rip out someone’s heart or pull their head and spine off and being completely intrigued. It was one of the first games to take violence to the next level and the teenage me thought that was really cool.

However, with the advances in technology, the graphics in these games are so much more realistic. Mortal Kombat X takes things to a level that makes it hard for me to play anymore. With that in mind, I cannot recommend this game to you as a parent.

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.

Let’s Play – Portal 2

This is my next “Let’s Play” video of Portal 2.

This series highlights high quality games I recommend to you as a parent. These are games that your gamer may enjoy with content you will approve.

Portal 2 is one of my favorites. It is a puzzle game that will engage your gamer’s brain. It is also a great game for you if you are interested in learning to play with your gamer.

Transcript

Hello, my name is Eric Rogers from parentinggamers.com and this is my “Let’s Play” video of Portal 2. In this series of videos, I am playing different games that I recommend to you as a parent. These are high quality games your gamer will enjoy with content you will approve.

So let’s play one of my favorites, Portal 2.

Portal 2 is a first-person shooter but not in the traditional sense. It is played from the first-person perspective, like games like Call of Duty or Halo. However, instead of carrying a weapon used for destruction, the character carries a “portal gun”. This gun shoots orange and blue portals, which the player uses to solve puzzles. The portals allow the player to reach areas she would not be able to otherwise or manipulate objects in the environment.

Here is an example of the types of puzzle the player is trying to solve. The objective is to open the door and get through it. This is done by manipulating the light bridge and laser while avoiding the turret in the back of the room.

Watching me play this, you can see why I recommend Portal 2 as a great starter game for parents who want to start playing with their gamer. If you have ever watched your gamer play something like Call of Duty, you know how fast paced and frenetic it is. It can be very intimidating if you are just starting out and trying to learn the controls. Portal 2, however, is much slower paced so you can learn the mechanics and controls without the pressure.

The other reason I recommend you start learning with Portal 2 is the co-op feature. While I am solving this puzzle on my own, there are also puzzles that require 2 people to finish. Sitting down and playing through them with your gamer is a great way to connect.

There is one last benefit of Portal 2 that I want to mention. This game is a very cerebral game. Some of the puzzles can get pretty challenging. If you gamer is playing this, she is definitely exercising her brain muscle.

Portal 2 is available on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. The regular price right now is $20 but it is frequently on sale on Steam for the PC for less than $5. At that price, it is definitely worth it.

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.

Parenting Gamers Review – Wolfenstein: The New Order

Here is my next video review. In this video, I give you a quick overview of Wolfenstein: The New Order, go over the rating and content, and let you know if I think it is good for your gamer.

If you enjoyed this video, please sign-up for my email list to receive notifications when I release new ones.

Transcript:

Hello, my name is Eric Rogers from parentinggamers.com and this is Parenting Gamers Review of Wolfenstein: The New Order. 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 Wolfenstein: The New Order?

Wolfenstein: The New Order is a first-person shooter. This means the player experiences the game from the first-person perspective, as if she was actually in the game. You can get an idea of what I mean from this clip here.

The story line of Wolfenstein is that the player plays as B.J. Blazkowicz, a U.S. solder fighting the Nazis in World War 2. It then follows an alternate time line where B.J. fights the Nazis in 1960 after they won the war.

Looking at this clip, you may start to make the comparison to Call of Duty. While it is similar, Wolfenstein uses the alternate time line as a license to add some fantastical elements, like dueling welding machine guns or laser weapons.

So what about the content?

A quick warning. I am about to show you some clips explaining the rating Wolfenstein: The New Order received. These clips are graphic and contain strong language and sexual content.

Wolfenstein: The New Order is rated M, which is the equivalent of an R rating in the movies. The rating includes these 5 descriptors:

“Blood and Gore” and “Intense Violence”

“Strong Language”

“Strong Sexual Content”

and “Use of Drugs”

The last thing I want to mention with the content is that Wolfenstein is single player only so you do not have to worry about a multiplayer component.

So, what’s the verdict? Is Wolfenstein: The New Order a game you should allow your gamer to play?

When I first started playing Wolfenstein, I expected to be able to give it a similar recommendation as I did for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. I expected to be able to say that you should treat it like you would any rated R war movie. If you are ok with your gamer watching something like Saving Private Ryan, this game would be ok for you. However, the sexual content in the game makes me take a step back.

In my review of Grand Theft Auto 5, I talked about how allowing your gamer to play that game is the same as bring pornography into your home. While the content in Wolfenstein in tame by comparison, I feel the analogy holds.

I have to admit, I am frustrated. Here is what the ESRB says about the sexual content in this game:

“During the course of the game, characters sometimes engage in sexual activity (e.g., a man thrusting against a woman on a table; a woman gyrating on top of a man in bed—camera angles largely obscure the sex act and no nudity is depicted.).”

The last part of that (that the “camera angles largely obscure the sex act and no nudity is depicted”) made me think this game would be ok. However, when I got to the scene I showed you, it was a lot more graphic than I expected. More over, there is no way to avoid it or skip it.

It is with this in mind that I cannot recommend Wolfenstein: The New Order.

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.

Let’s Play – Rogue Legacy

Today I am starting a new series of videos called “Let’s Play”. In this series, I will be playing a game I recommend to you as a parent. These are high quality games your gamer may enjoy with content you will find acceptable.

The first game I am recommending is Rogue Legacy.

If you enjoyed this video, please sign-up for my email list to receive notifications when I release new ones.

Parenting Gamers Review – Dying Light

If you are reading this in an email, please click this link to view the video on my site.

Here is my next video review. In this video, I give you a quick overview of Dying Light, go over the rating and content, and let you know if I think it is good for your gamer.

If you enjoyed this video, please sign-up for my email list to receive notifications when I release new ones.

Transcript:

Hello, my name is Eric Rogers from parentinggamers.com and this is Parenting Gamers Review of Dying Light. 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 Dying Light?

Dying Light is an open-world, first-person, survival horror game with parkour elements. Let’s unpack these terms.

First off, a first-person shooter (or FPS) is a game where the player experiences the action in the first-person perspective, as if he was actually in the game, as you can see in this clip here. This clip also shows you the parkour elements, which includes jumping, grabbing ledges, and running across buildings to navigate the world.

Next, is the term “open-world”. An open-world game is a game that allows the player a measure of freedom to determine where to go and what to do. There is normally a main story-line but the player is free to ignore it and just explore the world if they choose.

For example, in this clip, my next mission location is marked by the orange dot on the map in the top right and my objective is given in the wording underneath. However, I can choose to ignore those for now and run off an explore the world.

The survival horror aspects of the game come from the setting. The game takes place in a city that has been overrun by a virus which turns most of the population into zombies. This is a pretty popular theme right now. What sets Dying Light apart is it’s day/night cycle.

As you can see in this clip, these zombies do not give me much trouble. That is because it is day time and they are much more subdued. At night, however, the zombies become much more aggressive and harder to deal with.

The next question is, what about the content?

A quick warning. I am about to show you some quick clips explaining the rating Dying Light received. These clips are graphic and contain strong language.

Dying Light is rated M, which is the equivalent of an R rating in the movies. The rating includes these 3 descriptors:

“Blood and Gore” and “Intense Violence”

and “Strong Language”

The other thing to keep in mind is that Dying Light includes a multi-player co-op feature. This allows the player to join a mission with up to 3 other people. These could be 3 of his friends or 3 random people. The issue is that you have no control over who joins his game. For the most part, this won’t be an problem but it is something to keep in mind.

So, what’s the verdict? Is Dying Light a game you should allow your gamer to play?

My recommendation is holding off on this game until your gamer is older. 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, specifically horror movies, you probably don’t want to allow them to play Dying Light.

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.