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Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (Windows)

common sense media says

A savage and dark world of sword and sorcery

parents & educators say
See all 3 reviews | Review it

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game in which the developers have this game have no qualms about including violence and sexual content in this game. Females are shown topless. And most quests require the player to kill others. Blood will spray from wounds and heads can be lopped off. This world is a dark savage place where society is so primitive that despots perform human sacrifice as a form of religious piety. Human life is cheap and slaves used in arena sporting events. Magic in this world is linked to demons and inhuman gods. In addition to the initial cost, players must invest $14.99 per month to explore this online world. As with all MMORPGs, players can get sucked into this world and end up spending a tremendous amount of time playing.

Educational value: Players will learn teamwork and quick decision making skills
Positive messages: Teamwork is emphasized but most quests require the player to kill others to rescue someone or for revenge.
Violence: Age of Conan is billed as a mature and violent game. Most quests require the player to kill others and this violence is graphic. Blood spray from wounds and heads can be lopped off.
Sex: Mature content, upper body nudity for both male and females.
Language: A language filter is available, but "rude" animations are provided for players to express themselves outside of text.
Consumerism: A monthly fee of $14.99 is required to play this game.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Players can buy drink and their in-game avatars will stagger around and be unable to fight when drunk.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about historical facts of human sacrifice and slavery. Which nations participated in human sacrifice? Which nations used slaves in sporting events where they killed each other? When was slavery abolished? Did demon worship actually exist? How important is cooperation in this game?

What's the story?

What's the story?
AGE OF CONAN: HYBORIAN ADVENTURES is based on the world of Hyboria, created by Robert E. Howard, a classic American pulp fiction writer who created Conan the Cimmerian in the pages of the Depression Era magazine, Weird Tales. In a departure from the light hearted fantasy of many MMORPGs, this is a dark violent world full of beefy warriors, evil sorcerers, demons, and half-naked women.

Like many MMORPGs, the world is vast, filled with enemies for you to kill and quests will take you around this world. The landscape is beautiful and models are well animated and detailed, if gruesome and savage with graphic depictions of corpses with missing limbs, gaping wounds, and blood trails. In this brutal world, your life depends on your ability with sword or magic.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
In a departure from many MMORPGs, combat is not automatic, but requires the player to choose his swing and angle of attack, providing an almost realistic and engaging feel for the combat. The same is true for ranged attacks, magic spells, and mounted combat as the game is designed to engage the player in the action. Players are required to quickly seize the situation and make decisions for each movement and combination thereof, for attacks as well as defense.

Close communication will be required for groups to work together effectively to coordinate their efforts and use of their minions (pets) which assist them in combat. The end game promises greater depth and complexity as groups of players known as guilds will be able to build player cities which are beneficial to all, and battlekeeps which can be invaded and taken from other guilds.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Windows
Available online
Genre: Massively Multi-player Online Game (MMOG)
Developer: Eidos Interactive
Released on: May 20, 2008
Price: 49.99
ESRB Rating: M
This review was written by Carolyn Koh
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

MCOLWELL
parent of 9 and 17 year old
16
 
FIne for older teens.
This MMORPG isn't that differant than the rest. Slighly more violent, slightly more adult, like most other MMORPGs there are filters that can be turned on which block the rare partial nudity and most of the blood and gore.
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (5) | had useful details (4) | read my mind (4)
Cm20014
teen, 16 years old
17
 
Alot violent than world of warcraft.
this game is alot violent than wow because lopping foes heads off and stripping ur character 2 its nudity can explict. but watch out 4 som players that say nasty thins 2 u. this game should be ages 18 and up.
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was this review useful?
helped me decide (5) | had useful details (4) | read my mind (4)
Lego Man
teen, 14 years old
17
 
SO BAD (GOD)
OW ME GOD SO BAD
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (4) | had useful details (2) | read my mind (5)

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