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Parents' Guide to

Battlefield 1943

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Downloadable shooter just as violent as its boxed brethren.

Game PlayStation 3 , Xbox 360 2009
Battlefield 1943 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Battlefield 1943 Game: Screenshot #1
  • Battlefield 1943 Game: Screenshot #2
  • Battlefield 1943 Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 10 parent reviews

Jay S.
Jay S. Parent of 8-year-old
February 18, 2019
age 10+

Parents ok with Fortnite will be ok with this. Works on Xbox One too!

This is a very good team based first person shooter for ages 10+. Player is on a squad, USA or Japan fighting for islands in a capture the flag style. Players receive rankings and during setup one can choose a family friendly mode without griefing and trash talking. As players advance they receive rankings and competitors can be flagged for inappropriate behavior. No blood or body parts flying through the air. Combine this with a short history lesson about the battle for the Pacific in WWII and the sacrifices our warriors made on Iwo, Wake, etc. Semper Fi.
Bonsey Ahamed75
Bonsey Ahamed75 Parent of 10-year-old
February 7, 2019
age 7+

14+???

what was common sense thinking? I used to play this as a kid. I played this game again recently and i decided to look it up on common sense for some reason. I was SUPRISED to see a 14+ rating. this game. This game should be 13+ at most because it has the amount of violence as games like star war battlefrount ll(which isnt very violent). its violence is very comical like the simpsons. its almost like watching a pg rated movie.
See all 10 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Available only through Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, BATTLEFIELD 1943 is an inexpensive first-person shooter with 3-D graphics that looks every bit as realistic as those found in the franchise’s boxed games. Players select from three soldier classes -- rifleman, infantryman, and scout -- then set about navigating a trio of maps based on actual World War 2 battle locations, such as the island of Iwo Jima. At ready disposal are a wide variety of vehicles, including jeeps, tanks, boats, and planes. Players can also call in air raids and man emplaced machine guns and anti-aircraft turrets. The sole object of the game is to capture strategic control points and hold them, draining the enemy team’s life meter. Players gradually increase in military rank as they play, but ranks are for prestige only; there aren’t any unlockable items or character customization options that come with additional bars and stars.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10 ):
Kids say (25 ):

Battlefield 1943 is a return to the franchise’s roots. It offers players a game similar in many ways to what they experienced in earlier Battlefield games, only with more polished graphics and a few modern tweaks, such as a ranking system and squad performance tracking. It’s not particularly deep by modern standards, but the open world, do-anything-you-like style of play is as compelling as it ever was. What’s more, it’s far more polished and complex than the sort of games typically released through Sony and Microsoft’s download services, making its $15 price tag feel like a bargain. Just beware that, despite its cheapness and method of delivery, this is not a game for kids. The violence is just as graphic and intense as that of any other game in the Battlefield franchise which are best played by teens and older.

Online interaction: Players play in teams and can speak freely to one another using voice communication, which opens the door to potentially inappropriate language and discussion topics as well as verbal abuse.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how some military-themed games sensationalize war more than others. Did you feel as though the game’s makers attempted to accurately depict the Second World War? Do you think the game respects the soldiers who fought and died during the conflict? Do you think you have a better understanding of the politics behind the fighting, or the strategies employed in battle?

Game Details

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