Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mildly violent action game keeps kids moving.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest
What's It About?
MEDIEVAL MOVES: DEADMUND'S QUEST focuses on the story of its titular character, a boy prince who is turned into a skeleton and forced to fight an evil army of skeletons to save himself, his kingdom, and his people. It's an on-rails game (players don't control character movement but simply respond to new things that appear) played with the PlayStation Move controller. Players react to threats as they arise, slashing with a sword as enemies come near while shooting arrows and flinging throwing stars at targets that are further away. The fighting is occasionally interrupted by quick events that see players shooting targets in a set time limit or shooting a grappling hook to reach far-off platforms. Several online modes allow players to work together cooperatively or competitively, fighting off hordes of enemies.
Is It Any Good?
It's difficult to find fault with Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest from a technical perspective. The motion controls for sword fighting are well tuned, providing players true one-to-one control over their swords and shields, and drawing and shooting arrows is simple and intuitive. Tossing throwing stars is the most rewarding activity of all, with players able to adjust speed and curve by altering controller position and flicking speed. What's more, our hero is voiced believably by a real child actor, adding a bit of authenticity to the cartoon antics.
That said, the action is extremely repetitive. The waves of skeletons players face seem to never end, and there's little variety to our attacks beyond that described above. That makes most levels feel like endurance tests, especially since players are frequently told to swing harder to deliver more damage to their enemies. It's a technically proficient adventure, but its lack of depth and diversity makes it a one-trick pony that many players will likely grow tired of well before the closing credits.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about staying safe online. What sort of warning signs should you watch out for when communicating with strangers on the Internet? What kind of information should you never share?
Families can also discuss keeping active outside of games. What sort of physical activities do you like to participate in? Do sword-fighting games like this one make you want to try taking up a real world sport like fencing?
Game Details
- Platform : PlayStation 3
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Sony Computer Entertainment
- Release date : November 15, 2011
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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