Parents' Guide to

Kill Strain

By Paul Semel, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Interesting twist on popular genre has a little edge.

Game PlayStation 4 2016
Kill Strain Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

While this third-person sci-fi shooter does a good job of bringing a popular game genre to the PlayStation 4, fans of similar PC games probably won't make the switch. Like League of Legends, D.O.T.A.2, and other MOBAs (multiplayer online battle area games), Kill Strain has teams fighting over points on a three-laned map, while also trying to kill as many enemies as possible. Besides using your characters' assigned weapon, players can also employ special attacks that recharge over time, as well as use deployable mech suits of armor. They also have to contend with a harsh environment, a substance called Strain that covers parts of the ground and slowly kills you if you stand on it.

But what throws Kill Strain for a wrinkle is that unlike other MOBAs, this doesn't have two teams fighting for dominance, it has three. Besides two teams of four human characters, there's also a third team of two who play as mutants. You can even, when on the latter team, turn human players into mutants. But while this does set Kill Strain apart from other MOBAs, it still doesn't have the depth of either League of Legends or D.O.T.A.2, which means that players of those games probably won't make the switch anytime soon. And without players, MOBAs aren't any fun. But League of Legends and D.O.T.A.2 weren't that deep or popular when they were first released, either, so things may change in the future.

Game Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate