Parents' Guide to Dawn of Discovery

Game Nintendo Wii 2009
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Common Sense Media Review

By Harold Goldberg , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 10+

Civilization-style game teaches about life in 1400 A.D.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 10+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 8+

Based on 1 parent review

age 11+

Based on 1 kid review

What's It About?

In DAWN OF DISCOVERY, just as in Civilization games, you'll learn a bit about history as you check out various civilizations and cultures. Here, you're the good son of England's King George. Your goal? Colonize the world and pack riches onto your ship to save the formerly merry ole England. The game’s graphics are presented as a graphic novel, and sometimes, they really seem 3D. Your first hours will include story mode missions featuring tutorials and banal, if necessary, dialog. In the process, you will build farms, warehouses, and ships and send back food to the homeland’s starving waifs. You’ll upgrade your villages all the way up to elite metropolitan centers. Just don’t raise taxes too much: as in real life, your population moans and groans about it. The main goal here: a gentle balance so all kinds of people thrive.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say ( 1 ):

Dawn of Discovery is a multi-layered game, one that will keep you occupied (and frantic) for hours upon hours. You can even play this game with friend using two Wii remotes. As you progress, you’re put in competition with your evil brother, and your missions get harder and seem timed. You will be motivated to succeed because if you don’t grow enough food for your settlers, they die with a sad smiley face. Despite some problems with graphics and poor drop-down menu placement, this is a fun strategy game to explore.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how video games can teach. Did this game show you what life would have been like if you existed in the 1400s?

  • Do you think the Prince's behavior impacted the way you look at the world?

Game Details

  • Platform : Nintendo Wii
  • Pricing structure :
  • Available online? : Not available online
  • Publisher : UbiSoft
  • Release date : June 23, 2009
  • Genre : Action/Adventure
  • ESRB rating : E10+ for Alcohol Reference, Mild Language, Mild Violence
  • Last updated : August 31, 2016

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