Common Sense Media Review
By Chris Morris
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent, lurid on-rails shooter with poor controls.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Blue Estate
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
Based on the comic books from Viktor Kalvachev, BLUE ESTATE is an on-rails shooter that lets players face (and mow down) hundreds of enemies. Players can choose to be either Tony Luciano, a psychopathic son of an Italian crime boss who's trying to get back his kidnapped favorite prostitute, or Clarence, an ex-soldier trying to clean up Tony's mess and prevent a gang war.
Is It Any Good?
Blue Estate may be true to the comics on which it's based, but, as a game, it's a train wreck. Its humor falls flat -- and could offend some players. Its attempts to titillate are transparent ploys. And its action becomes less adrenaline-pumping and more monotonous after a while. For example, the first time in the game you have to swipe your hair out of your eyes, it might elicit a chuckle. The sixth or seventh? You'll groan in frustration, then kill another eight to 10 people before being zipped along to the next killing choke point.
Making matters even worse is the game's baffling decision to use the DualShock 4's gyroscopic controls, rather than standard aiming analog stick techniques. Veterans of shooters will be frustrated by the lack of precision -- and when those controls drift (and they will), you'll struggle to control the on-screen action. With loads of racist jokes, an overemphasis on blasting anything that moves, and gratuitous content that's included only for shock value, this is a game anyone with taste will want to avoid.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about sensationalism in media such as Blue Estate and why it so often falls short. Is there ever a justification for over-the-top content such as the kind found here?
Talk about the importance of diversity in games. How important is it to have a range of characters from different cultural or ethnic backgrounds represented in a non-stereotypical fashion?
Game Details
- Platform : PlayStation 4
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Focus Home Interactive
- Release date : June 24, 2014
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : June 6, 2022
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