Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

Game review by Christopher Healy, Common Sense Media
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 10+

Mission-based aerial combat game with fighting birds.

Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 2010
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Parents say

age 10+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 5+

Based on 2 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole is a rather violent tale with lots of fighting and scary scenarios, but that all the characters are birds (or other flying animals). The fantasy aspect may lessen the impact of the violence a bit, but it's definitely an integral part of the game. Fans of the Guardians books (and, we assume, the movie) will already be aware of the dark storyline and the frequency of fight scenes throughout the tale.

Community Reviews

paintdadanta
paintdadanta Adult
September 4, 2012
age 10+

Good but difficult

The game is very good with a variety of options. It is built more arcade style so you are not locked into one particular story line. My stepson is younger than the rating suggestions but since he was obsessed with the movie and was already good at video games we decided to try it. The content and concepts were good but the controls can be rather difficult at times. My husband and I struggled to complete some of the levels ourselves even though we play a variety of games. If you are looking for something complex or you are very good with controls then it could definitely be the game for you.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

The Guardians of Ga'Hoole books contain a long and complicated history that could never be contained within one video game. What you get in LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS: THE OWLS OF GA'HOOLE is the story of Shard, an orphan owl who grows up to become a guardian of the sacred Great Tree of Ga'Hoole. He and his feathered friends train to defend Ga'Hoole from the evil forces of the mysterious Pure Ones who want to take over the world. The game is mission-based and will have you battling the Pure Ones' crow and bat allies, rescuing kidnapped owlets, and freeing ally hostages. Once you've completed all the story missions in any of the five worlds, you can roam that world freely and take on numerous side missions.

Is It Any Good?

You don't have to be well-versed in the epic lore of the books (or even to have seen the movie) in order to enjoy the game, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. The lush, beautiful landscapes are really something special to look at (especially on the HD consoles) and the controls have a nice pick-up-and-play feel to them. The aerial dog-- er, birdfights are a blast to play. The actual attacks look pretty vicious and could definitely frighten little kids, but they're also quite exciting. There are a ton of different missions to work your way through, which together with the free-roam exploration aspect, adds up to many hours of unique gameplay. If you're a fan of air combat games, and think it would be interesting to swap your planes for birds, you can probably have a great time with the Guardians.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in the game. Is the violence less impactful here because the characters are animals? MIght it actually bother some kids more than if the characters were human?

  • Parents and children can also compare the story here to that of the movie and the books. How does it differ across those three different media? Which version do you like best?

Game Details

Our Editors Recommend

For kids who love exploring new worlds

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