Parents' Guide to Battlestar Galactica Online

Game Mac , Windows 2011
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Common Sense Media Review

Carolyn Koh By Carolyn Koh , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

TV-based sci-fi combat MMO is about blasting spaceships.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 18+

Based on 2 parent reviews

What's It About?

In BATTLESTAR GALACTICA ONLINE, both the Colonial (human) fleet and the Cylons find themselves lost and stranded in an unexplored area on the very edge of the galaxy. Racing to survive by searching out scarce resources, the Cylons and Colonial fleets are bent on destroying the other. The ultimate goal is the search for Earth, the legendary home of the 13th colony. The Cylons seek to destroy it, while the Colonials strive to preserve it.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 2 ):
Kids say : Not yet rated

Battlestar Galactica Online is an action combat game rather than a role-playing game. Unlike many MMORPGs, the story is there only for background and setting, with the game being unashamedly a space shooter. Graphically, the game is beautiful and combat sounds add to the fun of space combat. There are two parts to the game: resource gathering (which can be mindlessly boring but encourages players to group in order to chat and also combine efforts) and the spaceship fighting (in which you can upgrade your ships for better fire power and durability). The space combat is fast and furious and with good teamwork, can be quite a kick. Unfortunately, players can't avoid the boring resource gathering unless players buy the upgrades with real cash. This can create an uneven playing field, but player skill still counts for more than good ships and weapons.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about games that are tied into television shows and how they can create interest and sales for both the game and the show. Did the television show make you interested in playing this game?

  • Online games such as Battlestar Galactica are time-intensive to play. Families might want to talk about setting time limits and playing responsibly, taking breaks, and balancing games with other activities.

Game Details

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