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Battlefield 1943

(2009, Video Games - First Person Shooter, Rated T, Play it on: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 15; suggested age 13.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Downloadable shooter just as violent as its boxed brethren.

In this game kids can:   battle others, become a hero, improve hand-eye coordination, kill humans (without blood), play in a virtual world, play multiplayer games, play with others, strategize

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 13–15

The good stuff

  • Ease of play:

    Basic first-person shooter controls will be familiar to fans of the genre and should be easy to learn for newcomers.
  • Educational value:

    Players may learn bits of trivia about the war from the text descriptions displayed while new maps load.
 

What to watch out for

  • Online interaction:

    Players play in teams and can speak freely to one another using voice communication, which opens the door to potentially inappropriate language and discussion topics as well as verbal abuse.
  • Messages:

    The politics of the Second World War aren’t discussed at all and there is no narrative, so it’s difficult for players to understand why they’re fighting. It’s not unreasonable to suggest that the game simply sensationalizes war violence.
  • Role models:

    Players take on the roles of both the Americans and the Japanese in the Second World War. The soldiers are nameless and have no real personality, which makes them hard to like or dislike. They simply kill their enemies or get killed by them.
  • Violence:

    Players shoot each other with rifles, machine guns, pistols, cannons, and bazookas. They can also drive over one another with tanks and jeeps, man emplaced anti-aircraft weapons, and use airplanes to strafe ground troops. There is no blood, but characters scream in pain before dying. The violence is near constant.

     

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Battlefield 1943 was written by Chad Sapieha

Parents need to know that although this game is an inexpensive download available through Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, it is still a full-fledged first-person shooter set in a realistic 3-D world. Players spend their time attacking one another with a wide variety of weapons and vehicles. There is no blood, but soldiers scream and crumple to the ground when killed. Also note that this game supports open voice communication, which means players could be exposed to verbal abuse and inappropriate language and subject matter not intended by the game’s designers.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about how some military-themed games sensationalize war more than others. Did you feel as though the game’s makers attempted to accurately depict the Second World War? Do you think the game respects the soldiers who fought and died during the conflict? Do you think you have a better understanding of the politics behind the fighting, or the strategies employed in battle?
Did this review help you decide?
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More on Battlefield 1943

What’s the Story?

Available only through Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, BATTLEFIELD 1943 is an inexpensive first-person shooter with 3-D graphics that looks every bit as realistic as those found in the franchise’s boxed games. Players select from three soldier classes -- rifleman, infantryman, and scout -- then set about navigating a trio of maps based on actual World War 2 battle locations, such as the island of Iwo Jima. At ready disposal are a wide variety of vehicles, including jeeps, tanks, boats, and planes. Players can also call in air raids and man emplaced machine guns and anti-aircraft turrets. The sole object of the game is to capture strategic control points and hold them, draining the enemy team’s life meter. Players gradually increase in military rank as they play, but ranks are for prestige only; there aren’t any unlockable items or character customization options that come with additional bars and stars. Close

Is It Any Good?

Battlefield 1943 is a return to the franchise’s roots. It offers players a game similar in many ways to what they experienced in earlier Battlefield games, only with more polished graphics and a few modern tweaks, such as a ranking system and squad performance tracking. It’s not particularly deep by modern standards, but the open world, do-anything-you-like style of play is as compelling as it ever was. What’s more, it’s far more polished and complex than the sort of games typically released through Sony and Microsoft’s download services, making its $15 price tag feel like a bargain. Just beware that, despite its cheapness and method of delivery, this is not a game for kids. The violence is just as graphic and intense as that of any other game in the Battlefield franchise which are best played by teens and older. Close

Publisher’s Details

Released on 7/8/2009, price $15, online enabled
ESRB rating: T (for Violence)

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Good role models
    • Easy to play

    A lot of fun

    This game is just awesome. you fight historical battles online with other people.So you can talk to people.but you dont have to. there is constant violence, but nothing you wouldnt see in a war movie. the graphics are top notch too.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Negative message

    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Easy to play

    Great Game

    Battlefield 1943 is a great game. This game is much less violent than almost any other shooting game I have played. Although there is shooting, there is no blood, gore, or incentive for head-shots. It's interesting because it is staged in world war 2, and is played where major ww2 battles were fought: battles that you learned about in history class. Parents should know that it is an online game in which you can talk to other players. Atlthogh you have this choice, you don't have to communicate with other players. All around, this is a great game.

  3. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Oklahoma
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

    • My highlights are:
    • Easy to play

    Only for Kids 13+

    I believe that this game does not promote violence. This is a remake of the original. The original briefed you on both sides of the war with basic facts. This is for those die hard Battlefield fans who would love to see the original remade onto next gen consoles. It also has easy gameplay fr the newcomers and first person shooter fan. Also on another note hardly anyone uses a microphone for voice chat. Even if they do it is either broken up or too quiet to hear. You can also mute players who are verbally abusing or just an annoyance. Respectively this game is mainly for those who want to re-live their favorite pacific battles of the original 1942.

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