Captain America: Super Soldier

Review

Common Sense Media says

Fun, action-packed superhero game complements movie release.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

AGE
9
QUALITY
 

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Captain America: Super Soldier is a fighting-heavy action game based around the new PG-13 superhero movie, Captain America: The First Avenger. The hero fights with both his bare hands and his bulletproof shield and can deliver some brutal blows to his Nazi-esque foes. The bad guys use metal claws and electrified batons in addition to classic machine guns. While obviously a fantasy, the WWII setting (and the fighting that accompanies it) is meant to have a more realistic look and tone.

  • Positive messages1
    There's a clear distinction between good and evil in the game, leaving no place for moral ambiguity. And much is made of Captain America's refusal to use firearms (though, of course, every American soldier he fights beside does carry a gun).
  • Positive role models2
    Captain America is a good guy through and through -- no brooding anti-hero here. He's brave, loyal, and trustworthy, but all of that is, of course, tempered by his quick use of physical violence.
  • Ease of play3
    There are three degrees of difficulty, and the easiest should be simple enough for novice gamers to handle. The controls are laid out logically in a way that makes them easy to learn, but allows you to perform a good variety of moves.
  • Violence3
    The game takes place during the heated combat of World War II, so expect tons of gunfire and explosions. Captain America never uses a gun, but he will beat the tar out of bad guys, either pummeling them with his fists or slamming his metal shield into them. You'll hear cries of pain and crunching sounds that may or may not be bones breaking. Cap can also execute finishing moves called "crippling blows."
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What's it about?

While CAPTAIN AMERICA: SUPER SOLDIER is set in the same fictional universe as the Captain America movie, it has an original plot that fits somewhere within the storyline of the film. In the game, Captain America finds out about the evil Baron Zemo and his HYDRA organization that are using futuristic weapons to aid the Nazis in their attacks on Allied forces during World War II. Battling his way across war-torn Europe, Captain America tracks down HYDRA's top brass to put an end to their evildoing.

Is it any good?

 

Captain America: Super Soldier offers fans an intriguing, action-packed, and thoroughly enjoyable side story that fits nicely within the movie's mythology. The controls are simple, yet allow a very nice variety of combat maneuvers. The camera work could certainly be improved, as the generally quite exciting fight scenes can sometimes turn a bit too chaotic due to losing sight of an enemy. And the acrobatic jumping sequences are almost a bit too easy. But there are a lot of great things going on here, too. The Saving Private Ryan-meets-SyFy Channel settings are imaginatively designed and fun to explore. The ease with which you can pull off cool combat combos will be much appreciated by non-hardcore gamers. And the intriguing original storyline pulls you swiftly through the game with some very nice moments of suspense. The voice acting (including the film's Chris Evans as Cap) is top-notch, too. And there's far more variety among the gameplay (fighting, puzzle-solving, exploration, platform jumping, etc.) than you find in most movie tie-ins. To put it bluntly, this is an imperfect, but very fun game.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about violence in video games. Does realistic violence belong in a superhero game?

  • Does Captain America's hand-to-hand combat set a better example than heroes who use guns?

This review was written by Christopher Healy
Adult
July 27, 2011
AGE
9
 
Oh my god!!""
Alright. I have had enough. Common Sense media, you are always so biased when it comes to games. Your reviews always spot everything down to the last bit and than make it sound 10x worse than it really is! This really inst a bad game a bit violent .
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Helped me decide (15) | Had useful details (12) | Read my mind (27)
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Kid, 11 years old
August 5, 2011
AGE
9
 
I'M IN
I'M IN i will so get this.
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Helped me decide (13) | Had useful details (8) | Read my mind (10)
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Teen, 15 years old
December 2, 2011
AGE
8
 
It's alright.
The game truly is not very violent is actually quite fun for a movie tie-in game.
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Helped me decide (8) | Had useful details (4) | Read my mind (4)
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Kid, 11 years old
March 23, 2012
AGE
10
 
cap is back
fun awesome great game but it is very short
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This review was written by Christopher Healy
Topics:superheroes
Platforms:Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Action/Adventure
Developer:Sega of America
Release date:July 19, 2011
Price:$39.99–$49.99
ESRB rating:T for Mild Blood, Violence, Mild Language
This review was written by Christopher Healy

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
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