Alternatives to Mature

            Alrighty kids, this week we are going to expand on something we talked about a few weeks ago. First, let us look at some of the big cross-console blockbuster titles. Some of the most popular games and franchises are Assassin’s Creed, Battlefield, Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto. Now class, what do all of these games have in common? Come on, I know you guys know the answer. The main that that all of these best sellers have in common is that each and every one of them is rated M.

            Looking at many of the other best sellers, such as Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect, Left 4 Dead, Saint’s Row, BioShock, Hitman, and so many others all are rated M. This is a trend that has been going on for years. With the exception of racing and sports games, it almost seems that any best seller not in those genres is rated M. While there are always the tried and true family franchises, such as Mario, Legend of Zelda, and the newer Little Big Planet, the problem here is they are all console exclusive games. Little Big Planet is a Sony exclusive, whereas any Zelda or Mario game belong to Nintendo. It is largely for this reason that if you are looking for a console for a younger audience, most video game retailers will recommend the current Nintendo console over Microsoft’s current Xbox iteration. So what alternatives are left for those who have already purchased a console?

            Part of the problem lies in the genre of these games. Other than sports and racing, some of the most popular games are First Person Shooters, or FPS, and occasionally Action/RPG. And seeing as many of these games are targeted at consumers of college age and above, that leaves fewer developers focusing on games for other demographics. Though the largest percentage of video game players are college males and above, that still leaves thousands upon thousands of players without games tailored to their age demographic. This also leaves out those who do not enjoy these violent games as much.

            The fact that so many big title blockbuster games are rated M is part of the reason that we have so many juveniles playing games not intended for their age group. While there are a good number of more age appropriate titles released each year, they are usually not put out by these big name developers. This leads to these rated M blockbusters getting more attention from reviewers, as well as much more money is poured into advertising. If you put on a channel that will run commercials for video games, I would estimate at least 3/5 games are rated M. The good news is that more developers are noticing the underage audiences playing their games, and are adding features to tone down the content. For example, there are several FPS games that have a language and gore filter that can be toggled from the options menu. That way, you can still have all the fun of your war shooter, without the added graphic language and blood.

            Despite the large number of Mature games on the market, there is still hope for finding family friendly, or at least Teen rated games. The only issue is it requires more effort on the part of the consumer to try and find these games, as they are not advertised as thoroughly as some of the more Mature alternatives. To try and help out, here are some decent E and T alternatives to popular M rated games.

            For the FPS crowd, they usually play games like Battlefield, Halo, and Call of Duty. These games are noted for their violence, blood, and occasionally language. Luckily, Bungie, the studio behind the original Halo franchise, decided to tackle a wider audience with their latest shooter, Destiny. For those of you who haven’t heard much about this game, Destiny is an online oriented first person shooter, in which you play as a Guardian in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic setting. Mankind has seen its rise and subsequent fall from glory, and it is your task to stave off the Darkness, which are extra-terrestrial enemies who are not particularly fond of mankind. This game is great because it takes this widely popular genre to a younger audience, without sacrificing gameplay or complexity. It is every bit as challenging and fun as Call of Duty, and Halo.  Even better, it is available on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

            An even more family friendly shooter game is available on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One called Plants VS Zombies: Garden Warfare. This game takes the online deathmatch format, in which two teams compete to see who can get the most kills, but makes it silly and whimsical. You decide whether you want to play as a plant, like a sunflower shooting seeds, or a zombie, which would you a pesticide sprayer as a gun. Each faction has different choices as to play style, weapons, and class. The awesome thing about this game is that while it is silly and childish, I have heard it is still loads of fun, even from veteran FPS gamers.

            For those of you who like the stealth action/adventure/RPG games like Assassin’s Creed, Warner Brothers has a phenomenal alternative. Rocksteady studios have a franchise based on the globally popular comic book character Batman. Seeing that all the previous Batman games were pretty terrible, Rocksteady set out to make the best Batman game ever made. A few years ago, they succeeded with Batman: Arkham Asylum. In this game you play as the Caped Crusader to combat the capture of the insane asylum, which has been taken over by the inmates. This game combines sneaking aspects, some puzzles, and combo based combat sequences that rival Assassin’s Creed with every turn. After Asylum takes place, there is also Batman: Arkham City, in which a section of Gotham has been walled off and converted into a megaprison. In this sequel, Batman goes in undercover to investigate some shady rumors and possible gang uprising within the walls. Both of the games are fantastic, and are available on both PS3 and Xbox 360. A next generation sequel to Arkham City, called Arkham Knight, will be available early next spring on Xbox One and PS4.

            So while Mature games dominate a large portion of big name titles, there are still excellent alternatives available for both Sony and PlayStation, without sacrificing the quality of the game. These games are just as good as any other blockbuster, and you can play them with your kids. What’s not to like?