World of Warcraft

Game review by Jeremy Gieske, Common Sense Media
World of Warcraft Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 16+

Become a hero in an enormous online fantasy world.

Windows, Mac 2004
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Parents say

age 13+

Based on 53 reviews

Kids say

age 11+

Based on 123 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this game is incredibly fun to play and spectacular in terms of its beauty and creativity, but it requires adult involvement to be a positive and safe experience for teens. There is violence, some of it bloody, references to alcohol, and occasionally subtle sexual innuendo. Most importantly, parents need to know that this game is conducted online and may involve chatting with unknown players. Also, parents should set time limits for gameplay: With endless exploration and no clearly defined levels, it is easy to get hooked.

Community Reviews

Legionidas
Legionidas Adult
June 3, 2022
age 18+

Recent update to Blizzard behavior. Doesn't seem to affect ERP in anyway on Moonguard..

The game is good for the most part. I however cannot say this enough. Stay away from the MoonGuard server. In have had discussions with the players on that server and they do no to seem to care if children play on this server. The trade chat has been compromised of sexually inapropriate things. The server is notorious for ERP (erotic roleplay). One area in particular is the goldshire in on the alliance side (right outside of stormwind) and one Silver moon city inns. I had joined the server thinking that the ERP would only stay in goldshire since I play alliance. I found out that is not the case and is also happening in trade chat. The other reason why I joined the server was that it had the largest rp community (besides ERP) of all the rp servers. Very rarely does It seem that Blizzard entertainment does crack down on the sexually inappropriate behavior in trade chat or goldshire. The only instance of them cracking down on it that I had seen was when a guildee got a 7day ban for saying something sexually inapropriate to someone in whispers. I even had a guild member say something in trade chat that was sexually inapropriate. I told my guild officer, they did nothing. I then reported the inappropriate behavior to Blizzard, apparently nothing had happened. I am writing this because Blizzard just added something to the game where you have to agree to there behavior tos or not play the game. I have unsubscribed from the game back a few months ago. This is only on the MoonGuard server that I know of. I am far more upset with Blizzard then I am with the erpers. Blizzard seems to let ERPers get away with it. I would give the game 5 stars and age 10+ but I wonder if more servers will end up like Moonguard in the near future.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
stephen haladay
stephen haladay Adult
May 5, 2020
age 14+

The game is not the issue, the people on the internet are. Your kids will be able to talk to other people, and they can be jerks.

World of Warcraft is really toned down in violence from the original games it is based on (Warcraft). Those games had some blood in it, this does not. The only issue you need to worry about with this game is that you will see other people talking in the chat box in the lower corner. You can turn it off to not see it, but it is real easy to figure out how to turn it on. You can also get to hear other people (again, it can be turned off but is easy to turn it back on). So you have to think if your child is old enough to be exposed to that kind of thing. There are a lot of great people in the game, but there are some real jerks. There are also great people who talk in a way that preteens shouldn't be exposed to. This is one of those titles where the parent really needs to think about the maturity of their child. Some kids can play it real young, but others may need to wait on it.
See all 53 parent reviews

What’s It About?

The plot of WORLD OF WARCRAFT (WoW) is more of a series of mini-stories than one overarching tale, but there is a common storyline that runs throughout the game. The world of Azeroth is divided into two factions: \"The Alliance,\" consisting of humans, night-elves, dwarves and gnomes, and \"The Horde,\" consisting of orcs, tauren, trolls and the undead. A very fragile peace exists between these two factions, and it is not uncommon for battles to break out. Much of the game involves a more micro-story approach, with players working on small individual quests, which may or may not be related to the overall plot; the player's primary concern is to develop his character's skills, abilities and fighting talent as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

Is It Any Good?

There may be times that players will practically forget about the gameplay and simply gawk at the spectacular world Blizzard has created. From natural beauty to unique and wondrous cities, WoW offers an amazing fictitious world. With all of the exploration available, players will begin to realize that the game is essentially "unconquerable." There is practically an endless amount of quests to conquer, magical items to find, and new enemies to defeat.

WoW is an incredible game: Well-written quests, beautiful scenery and a staggeringly large world to explore make it a ton of fun to play. Nevertheless, it requires adult involvement to be a good and safe experience for teen players. Violence, references to alcohol use, and the unpredictability of an online environment are all good reasons for parents to regularly check in as their older kids play. However, managed properly, the experience may prove to be a rewarding adventure for all involved.

Online interaction: This game is conducted online and may involve chatting with unknown players.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how this game can be addictive and that guidelines will probably be necessary. Parents should check in regularly with their kids by asking: Who are you playing with? What have others said to you? Is there anything that has made you uncomfortable? Parents might also want to ask what their kids like about this game.

Game Details

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