Ingress Prime

App review by Chris Morris, Common Sense Media
Ingress Prime Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 12+

Changes to augmented reality game aren't fully for the best.

iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android Free Social Networking
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Parents say

age 10+

Based on 4 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this app.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Ingress Prime is a massively multiplayer alternate-reality game for iOS and Android devices that requires players to explore the world around them and check in to locations -- kind of a Pokemon Go meets Foursquare. Players "fight" for one of two sides in the game, though there's no violence to speak of. But because players are checking into locations and can chat with others, parents may want to supervise kids and accompany them as they journey to waypoints, which are hot spots within the game. While not included in the game, unmoderated chat could expose players to inappropriate language or comments about sex or substances.

Community Reviews

YukiOnago
YukiOnago Adult
October 16, 2022
age 18+

If you value your safety stay far away from this game

They let rapists with homicidal tendencies play so be careful. FBI and local authorities were involved when the player put death threats in comms. No problems get resolved when reported. It's a really fun game but it would be better if they took care of the spoofers, dual accounters and dangerous individuals. Some people take the game too seriously and target players creating major safety issues; they will harass not only verbally but even sometimes physically. After playing when this game was in beta, they lost me as a player.

This title has:

Too much violence
Exsosus
Exsosus Adult
February 5, 2022
age 5+

When I was 5 years old as a little boy I wished there was Ingress Prime

Playing outdoors with my other friend named Daniel in Sweden when I was a 5-year old boy we talked about a game we would want to play where we run around with our Gameboys and can control areas of the forest, or of our small town from an enemy. There would be two teams. We could set up turrets or cannons to kill any enemy that comes there to defend the control area. Sadly, Gameboy wasn't online, and we satisfied ourselves with Gameboy Link to play Tetris in 2-player on an original Gameboy on black and white screen while sitting on the bench outdoors when our parents wanted us to catch some sun. This is what Ingress is on your smartphone today! Players choose one of two teams. Blue or Green. Blue is the resistance, fighting for no tech expansion, and a continued lifestyle that we have today without the realm of AI - control in this world. Green is the Enlightened whom want to bring the human race into a new world of high tech living and happiness. The Resistance will do anything to stop them, because they believe if we become Enlightened we will be made into slaves by AI and robots. Playing Ingress, you need to go outside, which keeps you healthy and fit and keeps your heart rate up by walking. You can walk, bike, or drive your car, but I am honestly putting my car in the parking spot for the majority of one month of each month of the game, as I noticed I get more excitement from biking/running + it's healthier. The portals are real-life areas of interest. Here are some examples in my small forest town in Sweden: Large playground, Small playground, Beautiful metal sculpture, Statue on the large golf course, Town library, Old 300-year runestone rock, Nature Walk Path in the forest, a nearby-walk from my door. Why is Ingress for 5 years or older? Most 4-year olds will have trouble understanding the logic. However, at 5-6 boys and girls will understand how the logic works as this is similar to 1st and 2nd grade Math Class. A second reason I recommend 5 years old is all parents want their child to learn to stay away from cars so they don't get hit. I recommend walking with your 5 year-old to teach them to stay away from cars for the first few days, then let them go out on their own, with parent supervision not far away. The reason why it's safe to let your boy or girl walk alone is because it will teach them how to apply logic, mathematics, and friendship with other players to build portals. With the fundamental learning of logic, math, and social your child will become more intelligent, as will all adults playing this game. When they see a portal of the other faction, war begins! War in Ingress is not physical violence. It is violence in the fictional world on the phone. No person is killed, rather, the portal is attacked and killed. Think of Capture the Flag + Risk + Monopoly meets Warhammer 40.000 = Ingress Prime. You gain 3 important things from Ingress: 1. Your real body health improves (that's my favorite) 2. You gain AP. I think that's Advanced Points. They help you upgrade technology. 3. You discover glyphs and other important runes / diamonds. These items help you mod your portals to become 10x more powerful. Wow. I think this game should be required in all schools as it is 100% free to play, non-discriminating, non-hateful, and filled with mostly love and respect. We need more videogames like this, as they help us expand our mind, while keeping fit / or loosing weight.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
See all 4 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Players choose one of two rival factions (The Enlightened or The Resistance) battling for control of a mysterious energy source called "Exotic Matter" or "XM". After some basic initial instructions, you begin playing. To gain a victory, you must travel to real-world (user-submitted) locations to gather "XM" and take control of portals around local landmarks. This is done by "hacking" the portals and waypoints by pushing an on-screen button, which checks in the player at that location. There's a global chat feature where you can talk with members of your faction (people who chose the same side as you). The chat is unmoderated, and players often look for others who are nearby. But chat isn't a mandatory part of the game, and other users can be blocked. From time to time, the game offers events called Anomalies, which are community events, having players come together at real world locations to "battle" for control.

Is It Any Good?

This updated augmented reality game has had a couple of changes, but they're not entirely all for the better of the game. The original Ingress was unique in the app gaming world, blending video games in the real world and laid the groundwork for Pokemon Go, but Ingress Prime has a flashier interface that could prove confusing to veteran players. Worse, the lack of an in-depth tutorial could prove confusing for newcomers. As before, the story and game-playing elements will appeal most to people who immerse themselves in the rather complicated game fiction. (The pushback against the interface was so strong, the company released Scanner REDACTED, which temporarily restores the old look of the game.) Beyond interface confusion, the game drains phone batteries faster and there's sometimes a noticeable lag in the software. And some players will gain an edge by buying advantages, rather than earning them in-game.

Like Pokemon Go, you'll have to get up and walk -- sometimes a fair distance -- to find a portal or waypoint where you can actually play the game. That's great for making kids more active, but it also makes it challenging in a geographic sense. Large cities will have many more portals than small towns, where they can be several miles away, rather than a block or two (and kids may have to cross dangerous roads to get there). The game encourages social interaction, as it takes teams of players from one faction to gain control of a portal run by another. It does require either a Facebook or Google+ account to register, though. That said, because of the location-based interaction and chatting feature, parents either need to play along with their kids or make sure kids are venturing out with trusted friends. Setting strict limits around communication with strangers, either through chat or in person, also is important. The chat functionality is unmoderated, and though it might not always have inappropriate comments, it's certainly possible to appear. You can block other users, there are safety suggestions outlined in the Community Guidelines, and the general culture does seems to be totally game-focused, but this is definitely a game that needs supervision.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the importance of exercise. Is it more fun to move while you play than it is to sit on a couch?

  • Why should you pay attention to your surroundings when playing an alternate reality game? Have you seen players eager to rush into traffic to get to a waypoint?

App Details

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