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Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Language, Violence

Parents, this one is a no-brainer. Liberty City Stories is packed with graphic violence, profanity, murder, violence against police officers and suggestions of sex. Some blatantly homophobic overtones are also included. It's not a game for children of any sort; this is the title that practically screams "For Mature Gamers."

Fans of the GTA series will most likely enjoy a presentation that's very similar to the console titles, but may be frustrated with how poorly the game translates to the PSP.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing gamers will be able to follow along for the most part, but the game's subtitles give no hints as to which character is speaking, which could be confusing in some instances. Also, incidental speech during gameplay has no sub-titles, although no major plot points are conveyed in this way. The only significant audio cues are the sirens of police cars when being chased, although this is somewhat alleviated by the presence of stars at the top of the screen that indicate when the main character is being pursued.

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Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Language, Violence, Blood, Suggestive Themes

Parents should be wary of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. While it doesn't have the horrific violence of games like Manhunt, it allows players to kill enemy soldiers graphically if they choose. On the other hand, Metal Gear Solid 3 contains a very thoughtful story about death and war, so parents may want to play it with their children if they'd like to discuss topics with them like loyalty, patriotism, and betrayal. There is also an extra mode that is bloodless called "Snake vs. Monkey Mode" where Snake tries to catch monkeys in the jungle. This mode is very silly and designed for kids and adults alike, so no worries there.

Fans of military stealth games such as Splinter Cell may have mixed feelings about Metal Gear Solid 3. The controls and camera are not based at all on the conventional wisdom of 3D, but the retro style of classic 2D gaming.

People looking for a "serious" story may be disappointed since Snake Eater indulges in all sorts of wacky elements including walking robots and magic. However, it should be noted that Snake Eater's plot, characters, and acting are far less cheesy and melodramatic than they were in previous Metal Gear games, so people who were previously turned off by the soap opera feeling of Kojima's efforts may want to give Metal Gear Solid 3 a try.

Fans of Metal Gear will undoubtedly love Snake Eater. It has the deepest gameplay of the series, and improves on every aspect of Metal Gear Solid 2. Fans will also appreciate the story, which is well written, compelling, and provides excellent backstory for the other Metal Gear games.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing gamers will still probably be able to play Snake Eater, but with some difficulty. Being a stealth game, alertness to sound factors into strategic decisions. However, most sounds are accompanied by force-feedback and/or text, so adjusting may be possible with some practice.

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EyeToy: Play – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Violence

Parents will find EyeToy: Play to be a perfect addition to their child's PlayStation 2 collection. Most of the violence is of the cartoon variety and there's nothing here in any other aspect to object to.

Fans of quirky games like Dance Dance Revolution will enjoy it. Gamers looking for something to enjoy with their non-gaming friends and family will also want to purchase this item.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing players shouldn't have too many problems with this title as even the few dance rhythm games offer enough visual cues to play without sound.

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Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition Stairway to the Destined Duel – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Violence

Parents shouldn't be too anxious over this game. There is as much violence here as can be found playing the card game. What some parents may not like is that some of the monsters in Yu-Gi-Oh! are inspired by the occult, but that is really an insignificant issue overall.

Yu-Gi-Oh! fans may find the card game rather limited here. Although there are many cards available still many more are unaccounted for. And the lack of Egyptian God Cards is particularly annoying, especially since this game is a sequel to Yu-Gi-Oh! Eternal Duelist's Soul.

Fans of the anime series might be disappointed to find that the game is just a simple recreation of the card game. There isn't much of a story to follow and the title is low on the special effects and graphical perks. It's also worth noting that the game is pre-programmed in six different languages.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing gamers ought to have no trouble playing this game. Everything in the game is explained in with text. Worldwide Edition does have a variety of background tunes and some simple sound effects during a duel, but neither is necessary in order to play the game.

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Yanya Caballista: City Skater – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Violence

Parents have nothing to worry about content-wise from this game. Everyone keeps their clothes on, and the only violence is harmlessly disappearing aliens. Young children may have problems with the difficult controls, though.

Most fans of other skateboarding games will probably be turned off by the game's quirky take on the genre, but those who leave their expectations at the door may learn to appreciate it.

Platforming fans who shun extreme sports games may be converted by the game's platforming sensibilities.

Anime fans will love the game's very Japanese style and character designs. The music is also suitably Japan-flavored.

Fingerboard collectors get two cute little PlayStation 2 controller sized skateboards to admire on their shelf, because that's about all they're good for.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing gamers will be able to follow the all text story, but may miss some audio clues in the gameplay.

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Primal – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Violence

Parents probably don't want their small children playing Primal. It features many bloody scenes of violence and death, most of which involve brutal killings on part of the player. Of course, these are commonly committed against demons, monsters, and other non-human creatures, so this may not offend some parents as much as others.

Those who like goth fiction such as The Crow or Buffy might think Primal looks cool, but don't be fooled. Unless you enjoy anything with gargoyles in it, Primal will bore you to tears with its half-baked gameplay, cookie-cutter plot, and limp dialogue.

Fans of series with goth aesthetics like Devil May Cry and Soul Reaver may find the look and feel the Primal's world interesting, but given how much better both those games are it might be difficult to get into something as mediocre as Primal.

Probably the only people who would get their money's worth out of Primal would be graphics fans who delight in nothing more than seeing beautiful environments rendered in the PlayStation 2. This is the one and only area Primal impresses in.

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Xenosaga: Episode I—Der Wille zur Macht – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Violence

Parents probably should avoid this title for young children. The game has some particularly violent sequences at the beginning, as well as some disturbing scenes involving the Gnosis later on. It should definitely be fine for teens, but parents will need to use good judgement for pre-teens.

Fans of Xenogears will find everything they loved in Xenogears here in Xenosaga. The story revisits similar themes, and it is just as challenging and complex. Minigames are also excellent. One disappointment may be the loss of the hand drawn anime sequences. Xenosaga is completely 3D and superficially looks more like a Square RPG than it does the PlayStation classic.

Gamers in general should be aware that Xenosaga has long and frequent sequences where all a player can do is sit and watch.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing gamers will be able to follow the story easily as the game uses subtitles. However, there is a puzzle later on in the game that requires hearing in order to solve.

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Devil May Cry 2 – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Violence

Parents will want to avoid this title for their offspring. It is rather graphic in its nature and encourages slaughtering with little rhyme or reason.

Casual gamers will probably want to avoid this title. It's overly easy, terribly boring and at most a weekend rental.

Fans of the original may enjoy this addition to the series but I highly doubt it. Everything I found enjoyable in the original has gone astray.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing gamers will have no problem playing this title as every bit of story is told with subtitles.

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Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Violence

Parents should feels safe buying Rayman 3 for their children. Despite some evil-looking enemies, there's nothing here that will scare or scar your child for life.

Platform game fans should pick this game up for a good laugh if nothing else.

Gamers who don't usually play platform games might want to rent it first. Gamers looking for a challenge should look elsewhere; the only really tough part in Rayman 3 is the final boss. Gamers looking for a laugh won't find many funnier games out today.

International gamers will appreciate that the text and voice-acting are done in five different languages.

Fans of John Leguizamo and/or Billy West will be glad to know they both provide voices in the game.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing gamers will miss out on the great dialogue: there is no option for subtitles.

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Dr. Muto – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Comic Mischief, Mild Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes

Parents might be upset by the weirdness in the game, and how downright creepy some of Muto's morphs can be. Younger kids might get upset by some of the imagery.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing won't have any difficulty playing, as there is plenty of text to help guide players. The voice acting, while of a decent quality and over the top, gets annoying quite quickly. Not much will be missed in the audio department.

Platform fans might want to give a pass on this game and take a look at Ratchet & Clank or Sly Cooper instead. While the premise of Dr. Muto is quite interesting, it never materializes into an effective gameplay experience.

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Vexx – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Violence

Parents of younger children should be wary of Vexx. Though the gameplay is rather harmless, cartoony action, some of the situations the game presents might be too intense for younger players. There's nothing that most pre-teens and teens couldn't handle, though.

Platforming fans will probably find Vexx too standard and full of technical problems to be worth their time.

Playstation 2 owners should probably buy another system if they really want to play this game, as the Playstation 2 version is the worst of the lot.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing gamers will have no problems following the subtitled story and tutorials, but will miss out on a great orchestral score.

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Pro Race Driver – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Violence, Strong Language

While there's nothing inappropriate about the racing part of the game, parents should be aware that Pro race Driver deserves its teen rating for some of the dialogue and cut scenes that are unsuitable for young children.

Fans of Gran Turismo 3 will be interested in this title. It doesn't offer the same quality of graphics but is still an excellent simulation and its customization features, while not identical to Gran Turismo 3's, are in no way inferior.

Hardcore simulation fans might find the story to be in the way. French speaking gamers will be happy to learn that Pro Race Driver has a French audio track and even the menus can be read in French.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing gamers will be disappointed to learn that the dialogues in the game do not include subtitles.

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The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (PC) – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Violence

Parents shouldn't have much of a problem with Morrowind. Although it is adult in subject matter and complexity, it never really rises above a PG-13 level of intensity (although I wouldnt recommend the game for very young children.)

Fans of the Elder Scrolls series will probably like Morrowind. It improves on its predecessors in every way and interjects a lot more personality into the look as well as the mechanics of the series.

Fans of RPGs in general should probably check it out, although it is so open-ended the lack of strong narrative direction might turn some players off.

Fans of online RPGs might want to take a look since Morrowind's size gives it much of the same ambiance of an MMORPG though without the human interaction.

People who are interested in videogames that create virtual worlds might want to pass on Morrowind. Superficially it looks impressive, but the rules that govern it are too awkward to maintain a sense of immersion that can compare with the better examples of world-sims on the market.

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Dragon Warrior VII – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes

Parents should not be fooled by the cartoonish look of Dragon Warrior VII. The game contains numerous references to alcohol, sex, and violence due to the frank nature of the dialogue and serious nature of the story. Its nothing that rises above a PG-13 level, so I dont think it should be a problem for most younger players, but parents should still be aware. Also, religion is a major aspect of the plot that, while fairly generic, some might find discomforting because of their faith.

Fans of popular RPGs such as Final Fantasy X will probably shriek in horror at the simplicity of the graphics at first, but if they can manage to get into the game they will likely discover that it is a compelling narrative experience in its own unique way.

Fans of the Dragon Warrior will probably like the game since they are already familiar with its style. In addition, fans of Dragon Warrior IV specifically should enjoy the similar tone of DW7's series story and the subtlety of its plot.

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Grand Theft Auto III – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Strong Language, Violence

Parents should keep young children away from this game like the plague, as it's one of the few games that truly deserves its M (mature) rating. Sexual situations, extreme violence and an emphasis on criminal activity are what this game is all about. If you feel comfortable letting your kids watch an R rated movie, then you might feel comfortable with letting them play. It is only a game, after all. Otherwise, if you are a responsible and mature adult, GTA3 is the PlayStation 2 game of the year in my book and is deserving of every grown-up gamer's time and money.

Anyone over the age of 17 who owns a PlayStation 2 owes it to themselves to check this game out. Driving, shooting, and general mayhem are all included, and it's never been this fun (nor should it be). The length of the game makes this a very smart purchase, as renting the game may not give you enough time to fully explore its potential. Expect 40 – 50 hours of gameplay, and then some.

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