zOMG!

Game review by Carolyn Koh, Common Sense Media
zOMG! Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Fighting MMO game skews older with raw chat, consumerism.

Windows 2008
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Parents say

age 13+

Based on 4 reviews

Kids say

age 10+

Based on 8 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 zOMG! is a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) which is part of Gaia Online. The game will attract younger teens with its lively graphics and game play, but because chat (unless the filter is on) can be quite raw, we don't recommend it for kids younger than 15. zOMG! Is a free to play flash-based game, but teens will be tempted to spend real money to purchase in-game items. While the in-game fighting doesn't have blood or gore, an opening trailer shows a woman's throat being ripped open by a monster with blood shown. This game has not been rated by the ESRB and is currently in open beta.

Community Reviews

Elohim
Elohim Adult
May 26, 2013
age 15+

zOMG

I think that zOMG can be a place of positive and honest influence. As long as kids under a certain age understand and report to their parents about any issue, They can simply ignore and report the person. They're many moderators and admins on this games site. They will be able to handle it. Believe in your kids and entrust this game to be full of entertainment and an alternative to keeping your kids safe from the outside world!
Miyaka Hana
Miyaka Hana Adult
May 26, 2013
age 13+

Watch out for the Gnomes, though.

It's a great game for your children to start playing before getting into MMO's too heavily, this game gives you a basic idea of how MMo's operate and the community can be great! Very helpful, however, this game is only for children 13 years and up because of Gaiaonline's Terms of Service. The beginning of the game, the tutorial was removed due to budget cuts or something else, you still start off at the train station, but the tutorial and the tutorial area aren't where you begin your game.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
See all 4 parent reviews

What’s It About?

zOMG! puts you in a world where the inanimate objects have been infused with an evil life force and their main objective is to kill humans. In defense, you have to destroy these anthropomorphized objects before they kill you. Apart from Barton Town, which is your safe zone, there are nine areas to explore. They have different landscapes and themes, which vary in danger and difficulty. The areas may be lush, beautiful, and seemingly tranquil but beware the pink flamingos, garden gnomes, green hamsters, and toaster ovens. You start off in a subway train, which is the tutorial to show you the controls of the game including how to hunt and destroy.

Is It Any Good?

There is some unexpected depth to this MMO because it uses a unique "rings system" for combat and leveling. A player can equip up to eight rings at a time and the rings are used for attack, healing, and support. Ring sets will give certain stat boosts and you do not level-up an avatar to get stronger, but rather, you level-up the power of the rings. The more powerful the rings, the more powerful the character.

The narrative and quests are full of humor as they have the player running around the areas delivering items or hunting numbers of monsters and zombies. There are also minigames which can be played and some of them make you play a minigame through the game world, avoiding or destroying monsters as you go along. At time of writing however, the game is still in Open Beta and it suffers from lag, bugs, and too many other people crowding on the small screen.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about online interaction with strangers. How much should you divulge of yourself when you are playing with other anonymous strangers? How do you know that they are kids like yourself? Are you tempted to spend money to buy in-game items? Why or why not?

Game Details

Our Editors Recommend

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