Parents' Guide to

Killzone: Mercenary

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Polished but gory handheld shooter definitely not for kids.

Game PlayStation Vita 2013
Killzone: Mercenary Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • Killzone: Mercenary Game: Screenshot #1
  • Killzone: Mercenary Game: Screenshot #2
  • Killzone: Mercenary Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Gamer999
Gamer999 Parent of 12-year-old
November 2, 2013
age 12+

Its violent but not that bad

this game is no doubt violent however all weapons are futuristic and don't have real bullets (the knife is an exception)meaning that so long as your child is mature enough it should be fine. Also the language used in this game is no worse than in a 12 rated movie.

This title has:

Too much violence
Kathrine4561
Kathrine4561 Adult
September 21, 2013
age 13+

For ages 13+

Killzone has defiantly made its mark on the vita forever. It's stunning graphics and beautiful gameplay rival even the console version, killzone 3. The content is not appropriate for kids under the age of 13 but if you are over the limit you are just fine. The main reason parents do not let their clildren buy violent games is because of the blood, but in killzone mercenary because of the advanced weapenory there is little blood. And the cuss words are not too extensive and do not leave me felling worried about my 13 year old son playing this game.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Instead of moving the ongoing Killzone sci-fi saga forward, KILLZONE: MERCENARY lets players re-experience some of the series key moments to date from the perspective of a mercenary. As Arran Danner, a soldier-for-hire, players revisit the battle for Vekta (the home world of the apparent good guys), then later moves to Helghan, the home planet of the warlike Helghast people. Fighting from a first-person perspective, players work their way through mission after mission, earning cash with which to purchase additional weapons, ammunition, and gear, such as a high-tech remote-controlled stealth drone. Competitive multiplayer, meanwhile, offers a similar first-person combat experience, with any cash earned available to be used within the single-player campaign.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (6 ):

One of only a handful of Vita games to truly attempt to deliver on the handheld's promise of sophisticated, living room-esque action and shooting games, Killzone: Mercenary is an ambitious and visually refined experience. Its lengthy campaign missions shoot for and sometimes come very close to achieving the sort of epic grandeur of console-based games, including cinematic opening sequences of flying through cities and seamless transitions between different styles of play, such as ground warfare, mounted weapons, gunships, and stealth action.

That said, this polished -- and decidedly mature -- first-person action game also stumbles occasionally. The camera feels cramped and claustrophobic somehow, making it hard find nearby enemies. And while the controls generally feel good, the addition of touch screen actions for melee combat and rear-panel adjustments to scope zoom are a bit distracting. It's a good showcase for everything Vita is capable of, but there's still room for some improvement.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the impact of violence in media. Is the same violent act made worse if the protagonist's underlying motivations have to do with self-interest rather than moral conviction?

  • Families can also discuss people who fight for their countries and personal ideologies versus those who fight simply for a paycheck. Are private contract soldiers employed by a government as heroic as those who serve in national forces? Why or why not?

Game Details

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