Rift

Review

Common Sense Media says

MMO game with fantasy combat and skimpy armor.
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

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Rift is a massively multiplayer online game with a monthly subscription fee to play in the world of Telara. There is player-versus-environment combat and elements of the game that include player-versus-player battle. The battles can be intense with seemingly hundreds of players onscreen at once during the big invasions. Multiple weapons can be used and there is some blood seen. This game requires a high-end computer (the minimum computer specifications include a dual-core processor, two gigabytes of memory, an nVidia GeForce FX 5900 or ATI/AMD Radeon X300 or better graphics card, and a high-speed Internet connection.)

  • Positive messages1
    The general theme of Rift is to repel the evil that threatens the world of Telara from power-hungry individuals that have linked with demons. In some areas, players will be greeted warmly, hailed as a hero, and given positive reinforcement for their roles in standing before the invading evil. There are two main factions -- the Guardians and the Defiant -- and though opposed and enemies, each side does have a common enemy in the invasions from the Rifts and the threat of the evil of Regulos.
  • Positive role models1
    The game is propelled along by non-playable characters that hold up ideals that are admirable. Though the factions of the Defiant and Guardians seek to accomplish the game's overall goals in different ways, both sides are strong in their convictions and there is not really one side or the other that can be looked at as being evil. The Defiant are a bit darker in appearance, but their goals are similar to those of the Guardians. However, both sides use violence as their means to accomplish many goals.
  • Ease of play3
    The user interface is easy to use, but building up your character's skills can be challenging. The game allows players to choose how to build their character's combat skills by offering eight different roles or styles to choose from. Only three skills can be active, and points earned through leveling can be distributed through the active skill sets.
  • Violence3
    The combat is violent, rapidly paced, and includes blood. There is no gore, decapitation, or dismemberment, but players can expect to hear cries of pain when in combat, and there are areas in the game where dead bodies are seen. The weapons used in the game run the gamut of fantasy RPGs with a touch of steampunk, including two-handed swords and axes, daggers, mauls, hammers, polearms, bows, and rifles, as well as mage staffs. When a humanoid target is slashed with a melee weapon such as a blade or axe, there can be a splash of blood, but it evaporates and does not stain the ground. Enemies will make exaggerated falls to the ground when killed.
  • Sex3
    The higher in level a player gets, the skimpier some of the armor pieces seem to become. Initially the armor gained covers well, but once past the tutorial zone, cleavage is show on women and some of the armor for men consists of nothing more than straps.
  • Language2
    The dialogue of the game comes in two forms -- text and voiced (text comprises the majority of the narrative in the storylines and quests). Words such as "bastard" and "damn" can be heard. There is a censor in place to block players' typed chat in open chat.
  • Consumerism1
    This is a MMORG with a monthly subscription fee.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    Alcoholic beverages are available for purchase and these are used to provide heals for health and power (or mana) pools. Players will also find steins on the bodies of slain enemies.
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What's it about?

Telara, the world of RIFT, is being torn apart by invasions from other planes as well as from the threat of the demonic dragon known as Regulos, who is also seeking to rule the lands. Warrior souls, known collectively as the Ascended, have been brought back by the gods to battle the invasions. But even though the overall goals are the same, the Guardians (those who abstain technology) and the Defiant (those that embrace a sort of steampunk technology) are opposed and will battle each other if the chance permits. You decide to join the ranks of either the Guardians or the Defiant to thwart the attacking evil.

Is it any good?

 

Rift is a well-designed and entertaining MMO that seems to combine elements from other previously released games and meld them together in a fresh and compelling manner. Crafting may be a touch simple, but the result yields better gear than can be often found on drops from monsters or gained by questing. Players will work through quests and storylines that are entertaining and woven nicely together, and some of the environments are truly visually compelling. Though definitely not for younger players, the older teen and adult MMO players may find this a challenging and enjoyable adventure.

Online interaction: Rift is a massively multiplayer online game that takes place in a persistent world with players running about. Generally, the community is friendly and welcoming, but like any online game, there are a few that like to verbally taunt others and can be rude. The chat censor keeps language from getting out of hand.

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What families can talk about

This review was written by Michael Lafferty
Adult
March 11, 2011
AGE
13
 
Fun game for teens and up
This game is one of the best mmorpg's since World of Warcraft. It runs very smooth and has a lot more customization when picking what your character will be. Being an online makes this game not great for kids. The characters outfits show a lot of cleavage but aren't so bad. Violence is your typical fantasy mmo (lots of fighting but very little blood or gore). Not a lot of language just some of the minor stuff. Overall a very fun game.
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Helped me decide (13) | Had useful details (14) | Read my mind (11)
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Kid, 15 years old
July 8, 2011
AGE
12
 
PRETTY COOL I'D SAY
This game is an awesome game. The only thing that annoys me is that you have to pay every month! It is a bit like World of Warcraft (WoW) except it has better graphics.
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Helped me decide (10) | Had useful details (10) | Read my mind (16)
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Parent of 15 and 17 year old
April 2, 2011
AGE
14
 
Great for kids with the maturity to handle an online game.
This game is definitley one of the best mmorpg's out right now. One upside i see for teenagers is the each faction (these are what decide where your character comes from) has a goal to be good, simply with different ways of achieving this goal, unlike most games where there is a good and an evil faction. The violence isn't gruesome or gory, nothing more then the occasoinal blast of color errupting from a monster when it's attacked. The only thing that could become a problem in my eyes is if the 14 year old isn't mature enough to play a game that is online, but as long as they arent going to send rude or unnecessary messages constantly to other players, there shouldn't be any problem. Overall no problem for teens who are mature enough for an online game.
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Helped me decide (12) | Had useful details (11) | Read my mind (11)
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This review was written by Michael Lafferty
Platforms:Windows
Available online?Available online
Genre:Massively Multi-player Online Game (MMOG)
Developer:Trion Worlds
Release date:March 1, 2011
Price:$49.99
ESRB rating:T for Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Violence
This review was written by Michael Lafferty

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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.
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BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
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