Star Wars: The Old Republic
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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 Star Wars: The Old Republic is a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) that, after purchase, requires a $14.95 monthly subscription fee. Players become classic characters from the Star Wars movies and not only quest and kill nonplayable characters and monsters but also indulge in player-vs.-player combat that uses weapons and magic, but no blood is shown. However, blood can be seen in a few other scenes. Players can choose to be a good and noble Jedi or play as a Sith, which being arrogant, bullying, and cruel. In addition to questing, players can indulge in space combat and player-vs.-player war zones. Text chat between players can be uncensored.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
Begin by asking yourself whether your kids have seen the movies, then judge the game
Botched review by commonsense
A Good Game for Mature Preteens
989's review!
What's it about?
STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC takes place long before the age that formed the basis for the six movies. There are two factions, the peace-loving Jedi and the violent Sith, that are at odds and trying to control the galaxy. The player must make the choice of which side to fight for or whether to tread equally between Light and Dark. Just because a player is Jedi, though, does not mean he can't be a Dark-Side Jedi, and a Sith can be a Light-Side Sith. The game has many fantastic worlds to explore and quests to undertake, with a different story line for each of the four classes per faction (the factions being either the Sith or the Jedi.) Players can customize their character's looks and skills, take part in crafting, fight on the worlds or in space, and take on companions as well as join guilds to adventure with other real human players.
Is it any good?
Star Wars: The Old Republic has bucked the story-doesn't-matter trend of MMOs by creating a game where the story matters a lot. This is one of the best, if not the best, story-driven MMO on the market. The graphics are glorious, and the game bolsters its appeal with the lore and legend of the Star Wars license. Though the space combat is not very good and is more arcade than anything else, the rest of the experience is well done; the crafting is intelligent, the player-vs.-player battlefields are balanced for all player levels, and there's a lot to see and do. All in all, this is great fun.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about how some games, with ties to other areas of pop culture, can create interest and drive sales for a brand such as Star Wars.
With MMOs, it's easy to get wrapped up in playing for hours without taking breaks. Parents can talk to their kids about setting reasonable and responsible time limits for playing games.
Families can also talk about how to differentiate between the violence seen in games and what happens (or should not happen) in the real world.
Game details
- Platforms: Windows
- Subjects: Language & Reading: reading comprehension, storytelling, text analysis
Social Studies: cultural understanding, exploration, power structures - Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: decision-making, problem solving, solving puzzles, strategy
Communication: asking questions, conveying messages effectively, friendship building
Collaboration: cooperation, respecting other viewpoints, teamwork
Responsibility & Ethics: following codes of conduct, learning from consequences - Price: $59.95
- Available online? Not available online
- Developer: Electronic Arts
- Release date: December 20, 2011
- Genre: Massively Multi-player Online Game (MMOG)
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Superheroes
- ESRB rating: T for Blood and gore, mild language, sexual themes, violence
Themes & Topics
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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.