Medal of Honor: Rising Sun

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Very violent WWI shooter is for mature players.
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

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this first-person shooter is a very violent game. But it also contains archival film from WWI and fictionalized "letters from home," which create an authenticity that keeps the carnage from feeling gratuitous. This game has an online option; Common Sense Media does not recommend online play for anyone under 12.

  • Medal of Honor: Rising Sun trades on the courage and honor of military service. But it doesn't punish even the most brutal of wartime violence. Goes to great lengths not to trivialize the brutality of war.
  • Non-stop blasting of Axis forces. Suspense, depictions of violence and dramatic sound combine for a tense and harrowing experience.
  • Not applicable.

What's it about?

MEDAL OF HONOR: RISING SUN starts on the fateful morning of Pearl Harbor and follows the U.S. military's conflict with Japan. The game depicts major battles of the Pacific, from the Philippines to Burma, through the eyes -- literally -- of a GI as he matures from rookie grunt to battle-hardened member of special forces. There's also a personal story here: Your brother, a fellow soldier, is taken captive while fighting by your side. Clues along the way hint at his fate -- and point to the game's next installment.

You earn medals that unlock secrets by accurately shooting your enemies.


Is it any good?

 

Archival film from WWII provides some powerful history (and fictionalized "letters from home" give players a sense of the era). The graphics are stunningly rendered: Carefully textured grass and shadows provide cover for stealthy advances. The sound is equally impressive; THX sound tips players off to the slightest of enemy's moves.

There's no blood or gore, but players kill sometimes hundreds of enemy soldiers on each level. A counter at the end of each level tracks how gruesomely you kill (by shooting enemies in the head, torso, legs, etc.). Ultimately, the game ends abruptly after too few missions. You can return for two-person games (against each other or collaboratively); story details disappear in this mode and gameplay gets glitchy.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about war. How do courage and honor relate to brutality and wartime violence? The game might also raise discussion about how fictional depictions of historical events influence understanding of our past.


This review was written by Common Sense Media Editors
Kid, 13 years old
April 4, 2010
 
Horrible!
This game sucks! MoH Rising sun is so bad! Why do some gamemakers have to be so stupid? This sucks. Though i have i have to give it some credit for good multiplayer.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Absolutely educational for the ages ten and Up
Some people may say, "It's violent," I say, "Hello it's war of course it's going to be violent!" It also has its educational side as well -- it teaches you of the historically correct facts within all the action. You must also be strategic and intelligent to get past the enemy without getting killed. This game also requires cordination and memory, to remember, guns, moves, techniques, and the basic walking around using both the mouse and keyboard.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 15 years old
April 9, 2008
 
not bad

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 10 years old
August 8, 2011
 
MOH best!
Although not subtitled, soldiers use the words 'sh*t', 'f**k' and 'b*tch'.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Great WWII game
It's a WWII game so it's going to have violence (DUH). Excellent gameplay, I loved it. Go out and buy it instead of reading about it.

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Teen, 15 years old
April 9, 2008
 
it was fun
Ther is a little bit of blood because there people

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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 
A mildly violent, historically acurate World War II shooter
You take the role of a United States soldier fighting the Japanese in World War II. There is a lot of shooting involved and you do directly kill people. There is no blood at all in this game. No swearing that comes to mind.(your enemies speak Japanese) It even has interviews with soldiers that served in the pacific in WWII. The only thing to be worried about in this game is the gun violence. But it is also historically accurate.

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Teen, 14 years old
June 4, 2011
 
This game is not a bad one!
I think that the creators of this site are way off on this game. It's not at all intense.In fact I would let my 5 year old cousin play this!

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Kid, 12 years old
December 27, 2010
 
Great game
It's probably the best war game that's not next gen (call of duty black ops etc.). It has real footage and you do a mission on Pearl harbor so you'll get a taste of how sad it would of been. My opinion is it's a great game (better than frontline). Sure theres a little swearing along the lines of d**n and h** but it's infrequent.

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This review was written by Common Sense Media Editors
Platforms:PlayStation 2, Xbox
Available online?Not available online
Genre:First Person Shooter
Developer:Electronic Arts
Release date:December 16, 2003
Price:$49.99
ESRB rating:T

This review was written by Common Sense Media Editors

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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.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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