Battle Nations

Review

Common Sense Media says

In-app pushiness mars otherwise fun strategy game.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Battle Nations is a war-themed strategy game that has a heavy story component. The game features violence that is a bit more graphic than some strategy titles (for instance, one soldier, armed with a flamethrower, hoses down opposing forces with a flood of fire), but there's no blood or sounds of suffering -- and dead soldiers simply disappear. There's mild offensive language and a multiplayer mode where children can exchange notes with friends as well. The game markets in-app purchases fairly aggressively. While no building or action specifically requires nanopods, not using them can mean waiting several minutes or hours for the action to be completed, rather than seconds. 

  • Ease of use4
    The game gently guides players through the sometimes confusing world of strategy games. The pacing might be frustrating for pros of the genre, but newcomers will appreciate the hand holding.
  • Violence2
    Battles are regular occurrences, but are not bloody. While soldiers fire a variety of weapons at each other, including automatic weapons, tanks, and flamethrowers, the battles are seen from a top-down perspective -- and soldiers disappear when they're killed. 
  • Sex1
    Characters occasionally pine after a female character in the game. 
  • Language2
    There's an occasional use of words like "damn" and "hell" but not of stronger curse words. 
  • Consumerism4
    Players can purchase "nanopods," which speed construction and solider training considerably via in-app purchase, with prices ranging from $1 to $50. 
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    Your top lieutenant in the game is regularly inebriated or hung over. 
  • Privacy & safety3
    Some privacy concerns. Players can opt in to Z2Live's community service, an interactive network that allows users to send and receive in-game emails, compare scores with other players and compete in multiplayer games. Users connect with friends via Facebook, Twitter, email contacts, or by searching the Z2Live network.
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Is it any good?

 

After playing BATTLE NATIONS for a few minutes, you'll quickly wish this wasn't a free app. The game is fun, even with its hit-and-miss humor and extended narrative, but if you choose not to buy "nanopods" via in-app purchase (which can run up to $50), you'll quickly get frustrated by how long it takes to get things done. It's a frustrating financial play that comes at the expense of the game's fun factor -- and could have been avoided with a free and paid version of the app.

That's a shame, since the game itself is put together well. Resource gathering is well-done and the battles are well-designed. Even the characters are fairly engaging (for the most part). And the inclusion of a multiplayer mode gives the game extra life once you grow tired of (or finish) the single player campaign. 

This review was written by Chris Morris

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This review was written by Chris Morris
Category:Simulation Games
Platforms:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price:Free
Size:84.90 MB
Publisher:Z2Live, Inc
Version:1.0.2
Release date:December 12, 2011
Minimum software requirements:iOS 4.1 or later
This review was written by Chris Morris
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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