Battlefield 3

This is a gritty and realistic first-person shooter with constant and intense violence. Players spend virtually all of their time in unrelenting combat using not just a huge arsenal of firearms, but also powerful weapons attached to tanks, jets, jeeps, and helicopters. Enemies typically grunt and spray blood when shot. Melee scenes require players to quickly press buttons to stab enemies, bash their heads into objects, and, in one case, throw a terrorist into an oncoming train. Cut scenes depict several terrifying moments, including a first-person perspective of a nuclear blast as well as a videotaped execution.

Profanity is used liberally throughout the campaign, with characters frequently employing words including “f--k” and “s--t.”

Parents need to know that Battlefield 3 is a gritty and authentic first person shooter that glamorizes all forms of military violence, from melee combat and firefights to large-scale destruction with tanks and jets. Characters writhe realistically as they die, and blood sprays from bullet impacts. There are several disturbing scenes, including a nuclear blast, and terrorist execution, and a firefight with innocent police that the game’s protagonist -- controlled by the player -- reluctantly kills in an attempt to avoid a greater tragedy. Online multiplayer, meanwhile, sees players openly speaking with one another via headsets and then finding each other outside the game using a new online game community called Battlelog, which permits Facebook wall-style communication.