Bodycount
- Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
- Price: $59.99
- Genre: First Person Shooter
Common Sense Media says
Flawed, bloody shooter has over-the-top action.
- Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
- Price: $59.99
- Genre: First Person Shooter
Bodycount gallery
What parents need to know
Positive role models
Ease of play
Violence
Sex
Language
Consumerism
Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Privacy & safety
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know Bodycount is a very violent and bloody action game played from an immersive first-person perspective. Even the game's marketing materials talk up the arcade-like violence with phrases such as a "cinematic orgy of shooting and wanton destruction" and "mouth-watering arsenal of weapons, grenades, mines, and airstrikes." It also supports voice chat when played over the Internet, a feature Common Sense Media does not recommend for pre-teens.
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Kids say
What's it about?
As you'd expect from a game called BODYCOUNT, this is a frenetic first-person shooter. You serve as a seasoned gun-for-hire at an organization called The Network, tasked with eliminating a malevolent, relentless organization only referred to as The Target. Dropped into numerous hotspots like Africa and Asia, you'll take part in a global power struggle and use a number of weapons -- primarily pistols, machine guns, sniper rifles, mines, and grenades -- to take down as many enemies as possible. Even though it feels like a non-realistic arcade shooter, cover plays a major part in this game, so you'll need to find places to hide before peeking out and shooting. Beware, though: Incoming fire can shred certain kinds of cover. This spiritual successor to 2006's Black is an over-the-top action game meant to give players an adrenaline-filled adventure full of thrills and spills.
Is it any good?
QUALITY
On one hand, this is a fun, attractive, and somewhat challenging game with a couple of interesting mechanics: deformable environments (which means you can blow open walls to create escape routes) and the ability to earn "intel bonuses" for accurate or explosive shots, which can be chained together for additional rewards. Along with the single-player game there are a few multiplayer modes, such as co-op (two Network operatives working together), Deathmatch (every player for himself) and Team Deathmatch (choose a side and the first team to reach the predetermined kill limit wins).
On the flipside, the storytelling fells like a poor excuse to kill virtual people, missions are repetitive and bland, and the artificial intelligence doesn't seem very...intelligent (computer-controlled soldiers will just stand beside a grenade that's about to blow up). It's a $60 game that feels like it ought to have been a budget title. Shooter fans who like over-the-top action might still enjoy it, but they should rent it for a day or two before buying. Note: the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game are the same.
Families can talk about...
Families can talk about whether this sort of over-the-top action game is more tolerable when rooted in science fiction rather than more realistic scenarios populated by humans.
Families can also talk about why some players tend to gravitate toward violent games. Can you think of alternatives for older players that focus less on violence and more on tactics, problem solving, or creativity?
Game details
| Platforms: | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 |
| Price: | $59.99 |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Developer: | Codemasters |
| Release date: | August 30, 2011 |
| Genre: | First Person Shooter |
| ESRB rating: | M for Blood, Violence (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360) |
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QUALITY
Mediocre game is fine for teens but not worth the $60
As far as M games go, i think that Bodycount really isn't too horrible. In fact I think the only reason its rated M is for one skippable cutscene where a man is shot at close range. Its a FPS where you shoot and can knife people but its so quick and goreless that it sounds much worse then it actually is. There is very mild cursing but nothing you wouldn't see on Terra Nova. As far as quality goes, I think its worth a rent but, little else. The campaign is short at 5-6 hours and the multiplayer is basically empty at the time. The game also is pretty generic and the story nonexistent. Your character doesn't even have a name. The game also tries to copy the skillshots from Bulletstorm but basically, they're just like normal shots like headshots and surprise attacks. Overall, I think that many teens could handle this game but I think its not worth a buy and not even a rent if your looking for multiplayer although, the single player is decent enough albeit too short.
What other families should know
Too much violence
Safety and privacy concerns
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QUALITY
Well worth the 60 bucks.
This game has total,relentless,over the top action and bloody violence,But it has so much your kids will get used to it.That dosent mean they're desensitised,I have this for my Xbox and PS3 (the ps3 version is 50 bucks) and I play it everyday for as long as I like.But I'm not violent.I don't have warped thoughts.I don't kill people.Maybe your kid is like me.Then again,this game is not for everyone.Thats why there's an M rating.Lets just say I understand perfectly well why they put the rating there and I'm just saying,it depends on the maturity,not the age.Every person varies.
What other families should know
Too much violence
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