 | 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. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Pirates of the Caribbean Online
- Windows, Mac
- Price: $9.95/mo
- Genre: Massively Multi-player Online Game (MMOG)
Common Sense Media says
Become a pirate and join Jack Sparrow in a MMORPG.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a massively multiplayer online game in which you become a pirate and that the pirates in this game are violent. There is no graphic blood, but you may be asked to kill crabs and wasps. You can fight with cutlasses and pistols, but opponents simply fall over. Cannons can be fired from ships which break masts and cause ships to sink, but you don't see bodies flying. Your major opponents in this game are other humans, not fantasy monsters. There is a Voodoo theme in the game where you wave a funny looking ragdoll and throw "hexes" which produce a greenish grey smoke effect. The game can be played for free in a frame which contains advertising for age-related product. In the free version some game content will be restricted. For the ad-free version, you must pay $9.95/month, but since this is an online game, content is constantly added. This game is one age bracket up from Toontown Online and carries through all of Disney's original child-protection and security settings, such as the ability to lock down free chat and a profanity filter that cannot be turned off. Many families play this game together and naval combat actually requires cooperative play as one person has to sail the ship, while others can fire cannons. Quests often also are more easily completed in a group and some require several players to play cooperatively in order to succeed. As with any MMORPG, kids can get sucked in and find they want to spend a tremendous amount of time in this world.
What's it about?
This game is based on Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean movies; your ultimate aim is to assist Jack Sparrow in recovering the Black Pearl. Along the way, players create their own pirates, dress them, and advance their characters by acquiring reputation in various skills such as swordplay, voodoo magic, sailing, obtaining treasure, and acquiring larger ships.
Is it any good?
The game actually leads the player through the storyline with well crafted quests and directions. The in-game tutorial is friendly, and the game is simple enough to play that an in-depth instruction manual is not required. First time players will be amazed at the quality of the cut scenes, which actually place your created character in the "movie," where you interact with familiar characters like Jack Sparrow, Tia Dalma, Elizabeth Swann, and Will Turner. To keep to its family friendly motto, players are defeated, but do not die. Instead they fall unconscious and wake up in jail. Another aspect of this game is the Player versus Player gameplay: players can go head to head with another player in an "arena" but when this occurs, they are not human. They are "cursed" and transformed into skeletons.
Young fans of pirates in general and Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean will be pleased with Disney's effort to craft an online game for the tween population who have outgrown ToonTown Online. The game is a fun romp and sailing on the high seas looking for enemy ships to lob cannon at with your kids can be a blast. Younger children may get frustrated at the more difficult quests or fights, but rest assured that in an MMORPG, there are many things to do. From playing cards to searching for treasure, from fighting with cutlass and pistol to using voodoo magic and naval battle.
A free version of the game supported by advertising in the form of a framed window is available for families to check out before committing to the full subscription membership.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how important cooperation is within this game. Do you think the naval battles were realistic of what pirates used to experience. Who is the most famous pirate you have heard of? What did Pirates really do? Does Voodoo really exist?
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- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Has "Outgrown" it's 10+ title. It's a Teen now.
What's sad is this game used to be perfect for it's 10+ rating. But over time it's slowly 'grown up' and is now really best rated as a T rating...
Why? Because they added gambling, and actually expect you to know what you're doing so you can win. Several of the quest lines actually force the player to gamble. My 10 year old son actually had to come to me and have me gamble FOR him to get past a quest. This is totally inappropriate and, imo, MSRB should revoke their E10 rating and put a T rating on the game. Any parent with good common sense would probably forbid their kids from playing it if they knew the game encourages
Drinking, Drugs and Gambling. Other than that the game is wonderful and I wish they would remove those elements that have been added over the years to make this game age inappropriate.
I used to love playing this game with my son and daughter but ever since they added in all the extra drinking/drugs and most especially the gambling I've more and more been inclined to forbid my son from playing it. I don't even like playing it myself.
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AGE
0_o This game is for kids? Really?
This game isn't THAT recommended for kids. Once the free trial(s) ended, it was boring. Pros: The free trial is longer than Toontown Online, it's got some good ships that you have to look up in order to get to know, and that's about it. Cons: You have to be a member to have Fullscreen, as far as I'm concerned, there IS blood in it, it's not very fun, and it's not quite for ages 10+. Overall, I rate it 1/5.
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AGE
Brings the family together
I wish it was educational but it isn't except for promoting cooperation and requiring excellent and some arithmetic.
However, my daughter plays it with her grandfather who lives out of state (she's 7 so they talk on the phone at the same time rather than text)and its the first time she's really had a day-to-day relationship with him.
Its actually pretty compelling ffor adults too and I have found myself "hooked" as well.
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Kid, 10 years old
November 24, 2010
AGE
it's one of my favroite games, you can shoot undead but not people
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AGE
Drinking, violence and gambling not a problem!
I actually laughed when I saw the negative reviews, I'm sorry but I just couldn't help myself. The womens clothes are FINE, the worst things are a tube tops (called "corsets" in-game). There are many family-oriented guilds, such as Ocean Gods. I've met many people on there who I look up to, and who are all welcoming and kind. This game is great for everyone, violence is not a problem and I never felt the urge to drink or gamble in reality. Honestly people. Ocean Gods, for example, has many members who are related each other. We have all become very close, and we all help each other. I have met so many great people, and drinking and gambling are not problems on there AT ALL. I've heard some people mention bad language and lag, that's probably because your going on the A servers - the ones at the top of the list, and the ones that everyone goes on. There are also the default servers, where if you don't choose a server you go automatically to. Consumerism isn't a problem, most websites have a membership option, and unlike those websites you can't buy virtual money. It used to advertise, but now it doesn't. These complaints are out of date. I've been playing for three-four years, and loved every second of it! I have started to grow out of it, though. I have gotten a bit lonely on there, most of my online friends I used to hang out with have left, the downside of being an older member.
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Kid, 12 years old
January 8, 2011
AGE
free accounts cant do anything and disney sucks
No concerns. But the game sucks overall and the free accounts cannot even unlock the same weapons and even go in the same rooms. the 10 bucks is a rip off. Then again we are talking about rip off stupid old disney
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AGE
pay to play!!!! AGAIN!!!!
Fun, similar to toontown ( but for more mature players ). You can't get very far in the game without paying. UUUGGGHHH
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AGE
Perfect for kids 9+
In this online adventure you play as a pirate.Drinks Drugs and smoking are no problem. There is rum but theyre pirates for peat sakes.Language is not possible in the game. The worst ive ever said in the is crap game but i am open chat so this is only seen to some pirates.Ads are nevver seen in game play when unlimeted acess and on full screen. Safety is probaley the best ever when it comes to disney. The voilence is very little unlees you think killing a navy eitc or undead person with a sword gun voodoo doll dagger bombs or voodoo staff. There is no blood and ive checked, fyi ive played the game almost 3 years and have killed everything twice so there is no blood. The content in this game is sutibale for all ages.
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Kid, 11 years old
March 12, 2011
AGE
Please read all it will really help =)
I really enjoy this game! (once you get to lvl 30 it starts to get really fun 20-29 is kinda boring im adding this on and im level 31 now & im an officer in my guild))There are 2 types of chats 1 is open chat it includs a bigger dictonary if words u can asy another chat is called speed plus chat its filtered so if someone says something bad it will just show up as yarrr or garrr. They just recently added and updated some stuff. My favorite weapon so far is the dagger but i am just lvl 27. The lamest weapon would have to the the grenade alot of people quit playing once they unlock the grenade because its a really lame weapon in my opinion(you shouldn't quit though). Another one of my favorite things are guilds there is a guild master (gm) and that is the person who created the guild they have the ability to invite people to the guild kick someone out of the guild and promote someone in the guild. There are 4 ranks member,veteran.officer and guild master(you can be promoted to guild master but its very rare). when your a member you don't really have any special things you can do. when your a veteran you can invite someone to the guild. when you become and officer you can invite someone and kick anyone out except other officers and the guild master of course. you have the ability to chat with the guild and every guild has their own special rules. (I am a veteran of the guild i am in.) I really recommend this game it gets better the higher level you get. You are able to make up to 4 pirates. My pirate is Meg Seawalker say hi if you see me!
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Kid, 12 years old
February 26, 2011
AGE
well....
well if you ask me, safety isnt an isue,the cloths arent modest,but its not inaproppriet eather.If you ask me,its pretty awsome,they talk about it on disney channel a couple of times,and everyone pretty much has a positive review on the concept.Now im a member myself and I havent gone on it in a long time,so today I just noticed the changes they have made,good cganges if you ask me.well,saftey isnt a problem because they moniture you.So if you would say something bad,it would just come out as arrrrggg,so thats good.Its pretty easy to play if your 10+,so if your 9,it could be alittle difficult to understand,anything below I wouldnt recommend.The only concern I have is the achohol,but I think that the children who play this games would be responsible enough to realise that this is all fake and it is just all for fun.So overall I give this website a good review,and hope that the changes that they make in the future,will be the same,and not take the game to a whole new direction.
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| Platforms: | Windows, Mac |
| Available online? | Available online |
| Genre: | Massively Multi-player Online Game (MMOG) |
| Developer: | Disney Online |
| Release date: | October 31, 2007 |
| Price: | $9.95/mo |
| ESRB rating: | E10+ for Alcohol Reference, Simulated Gambling, Violence |
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