 | 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. |
Tom Clancy's EndWar
- Price: $59.99
- Genre: Real Time Strategy (RTS)
Common Sense Media says
An ambitious, action-heavy strategy game.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a war game set in a futuristic universe in which you can use weapons of mass destruction during a fictitious WWIII. While this game has garnered six different warnings from the ESRB over its content, including violence and blood, alcohol and tobacco reference, language and suggestive themes, this is a "Teen"-rated game rather than a "Mature"-rated one. So while there is violence shown, including blood, much of the action is seen from an angled top-down view so it's less graphic than you might think (but you can zoom in closely, if desired). You can instruct your troops to shoot at rival soldiers, fire missiles at tanks, or call a nuke strike on a major city. There is some cussing and some characters are shown smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol.
What's it about?
If you think tensions are tight in the Middle East today, you're not going to want to hang around the region in 2016, when a nuclear exchange kills 20 million people and leaves the rest of the world to fight over what's left of Earth's limited oil supply. Such is the grim preface to Ubisoft's TOM CLANCY'S ENDWAR, a gripping real-time strategy game based on the first new Clancy fiction since the 2002's celebrated Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. Four years after the 2016 Middle Eastern nuclear disaster, international tensions are at a breaking point over the depletion of resources. When the United States decides to construct the Freedom Star, a controversial orbital military platform, it upsets the already fragile balance of world power: the European Federation withdraws from NATO in protest, while Russia, now the No. 1 supplier of oil and natural gas, builds up its military force in preparation for a showdown. World War III is inevitable.
EndWar is a high-powered strategy game designed exclusively for next-generation consoles and the PC. Choose your side – the United States Joint Strike Force, European Enforcer Corp, or Russian Spetsnaz Guard Brigades -- and grow your nation into the most powerful on the planet. Because if you don't, there won't be much left of it by the time the dust settles. After you choose a nation, you'll select a type of battalion, be it airborne, mechanized, armored, signals, or assault. For example, airborne features superior gunship and riflemen ranks, armored offers tank advantages, while assault is a more balanced attack force. Finally you pick a task force bonus for your faction -- such as kinetic damage, rocket barrage, incendiary warheads, or electromagnetic pulses -- offering nearly 100 upgrades you can purchase with earned credits. You can also customize the look of your military, such as selecting type of camouflage.
Is it any good?
In order to win the war you'll need to strike powerful nations where it hurts the most – including metropolises such as Paris, Moscow, New York City, or Washington D.C. Imagine seeing the Eiffel Tower erupt in flames, infiltrating the White House, or bombing the Shuttle at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Depending on the solo campaign or multiplayer modes you choose, you'll be visiting -- or defending -- these key locations throughout the globe. Ordering your army about these large maps is a breeze, thanks to the slick voice command system. Simply hold down the right trigger on the controller and bark your orders into the Xbox 360 or PS3 headset. For example, to roll your tanks to the foxtrot capture point, you'd say, "unit one, move to foxtrot" or if you see your forces are grouped around a target of a massive WMD strike, you'd say "calling all units, retreat!" You get the idea.
Along with the lengthy single-player campaign, players will be able to take the war online via many multiplayer modes. In fact, hundreds of gamers can partake in persistent battles that can last for months. Or, if you prefer, engage in shorter skirmishes with smaller groups. We especially liked the four-versus-four battles, where you have to coordinate with other battalions to take out famous landmarks and capture key cities. Naturally, all the voice commands work in an online environment, too. The game's A.I. is pretty darn smart, but nothing beats playing with and against real human opponents. EndWar is a deep, intense and explosive strategy game worth picking up.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how this game is a fusion between a novel and video games. Does it work? Is it a better scenario when video games are based on popular fiction – such as the Tom Clancy series – as opposed to writing novels based on popular video game franchises, like Halo? Could it enhance your experience with a fictitious interactive world you're familiar with the literary source on which it was based? Or could a game ruin your passion for a great book?
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AGE
Great for anyone
This is a great game. I have a kid who loves it, and even better, i let him get this instead of black ops, hahaha. do yourself a favor parents, this is your answer to black ops, assassins creed, and deadspace.
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Kid, 11 years old
November 12, 2011
AGE
okay
i wasnt impresed
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AGE
Can not see so much blood because of the birds eye view. Easy to play.
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AGE
This game is fine for teens, and only small concers are about.
Here's another good title from ubisoft, woe to all the critics who downed this game. The graphics are outstanding, the gameplay quite intense, and a single battle can go on for quite awhile and thus keep you occupied. Good job ubisoft. ^_^
Now for the parental concerns.
I'm going to agree with common sense this time on the age requirement. :P
The violence is quite high, some blood can be seen if your right in the thick of it as your infantry are being hit. (It's barely noticable to tell the truth and thus should not be a real concern.) The language however can be heard, s**t d**m h**l and I thought once, (if I'm mistake point me out) a f**k could be heard. It's mainly the language that is a concern here.
I would also like to account for some ingame advertising, such as... movie ads, game ads, etc, (prince of persia... etc...) But it appears to be nothing major.
This is on for 14. No major issue to tell the truth. Just small concerns.
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Kid, 12 years old
August 10, 2010
AGE
great, but cold be better
this game is vary good but can be better because the tanks, transports etc have navigation probloems where they take one way to a position somtimes in the middle of a fight. the voice camands however ae vary good. tou have commands that are vary easy and fun to say, so if you are in a battle you can say unit 2 attack hostle 5, and it will do so. the whole game is made around war or ww3 so expect alot of vilonce. there are bad words in it like sh** da** and he**.
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AGE
It isn't really a game based on a novel The novels not really like it at all and most successful movies are based on a book and have a video game and the novels supposed to be based on it but was released first . As for violence , smoking and stuff if its not like what they do all the beer and smoking are a part of life and the violence is minimum . Also its kind of educational.
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AGE
Boring Strategy Game
This game gets increasingly boring as you go further throughout the game. There is also mild blood, tobacco use, alcohol use, violence, and language.
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AGE
Awesome game but.........
Its is a great game but some sources(including the esrb on the box) have it rated for sexual themes or suggestive themes.
The language can also bee turned off by turning the voice to 0 in options.
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AGE
Difficulties Ending the War
Tom Clancy's EndWar had a great plot line, exciting action (while staying fairly bloodless), and an intriguing premise. The only thing was...it was hard! The troops the player controls are commanded mainly by an Xbox headset, and without a headset, it's like a one-sided Crimea War.
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| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Real Time Strategy (RTS) |
| Developer: | UbiSoft |
| Release date: | November 4, 2008 |
| Price: | $59.99 |
| ESRB rating: | T for Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Blood, Language, Viol |
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