Anyone here play video games?
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@Tago-Mago I never played BG1 or 2, so I couldn't tell you. What I can say is I know nothing about what happened in those games, and I haven't felt like I'm missing anything in BG3. I understand that BG3 is set 100 years after the events of BG3 and that there are some returning characters and easter eggs for those that are long term fans of the series.
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From what I’ve heard - if you’re going to find a group for a play through you really do need to carve out schedules play time for the entire group. My clan mates from destiny did one and loved it but they said it’s hard to balance schedules around the world
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@scarfmace I jumped into s2 to give her a go but since I played preseason and s1 I skipped past campaign. Level 91 barb go hammer.
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This is going to be a time sink…
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@SKT I had 200+h pure classic RPG fun, but yes, you can have sex, people will try to lay you and there can be lots of gore (should be possible to dissable that).
For my 13 year old daughter it was to complex so she quit relatively fast.
Overall I think 12 might be a bit young for BG3, since it has a lot of violence, some sex (if you chose to) and is generally more mature themed.
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@SKT i second what @Cole said. The themes are definitely mature. If he’s mature for his age I’d say 14 or 15 might be a good age. You can check it out first as there are plenty of videos on YouTube of the things you can get up to in the game, including all the sex scenes. People’s junk is all fully modelled (and, as of patch 5, with bouncy physics!) and you can take all the clothes off of your characters… you know, if you want. Ahem.
The gore is all very fantasy - people emerging from pools of blood, demons running people through, that sort of thing. So quite easy to detach from everything real-life. I was quite an advanced reader when I was little and used to steal my mum’s thrillers to read, so I read Silence of the Lambs and Bone Collector at age 12, so maybe I’m not the best judge of when things might be too much, as I was pretty used to freaking myself out at a young age.
Cole’s also right about the gameplay. It’s very strategic, especially on higher difficulties. I should imagine that the Explorer difficulty (easy) might be ok for people who just want the story.
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@SKT On Spider-Man 2, if they haven't played Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales (both on PS5, the former in the form of a remastered edition) yet, then those are kinda required for Spider-Man 2, as the story definitely flows from S-M to SM: MM and then to S-M2.
Content-wise, the story can get a little mature - there are references in phone calls between the characters to Peter Parker's having had an affair with Black Cat and how Mary-Jane felt about that, but I think the most mature thing I saw in that realm was characters kissing. The story is also quite heavy in places, the story writers went hard on some of the key events and tragedies that define Peter and Miles as characters and they got me in the feels.
But there's no gore or blood, everything is PG-13, sort of Marvel Cinematic Universe levels of characters being bruised up.
Other Games
I have heard good things about Sea of Stars, which I understand is a great JRPG-esqe presentation with a good story. Combat is apparently turn based, so easy to get to grips with. I haven't played it myself but its on my list once I'm done with BG3 and S-M 2. Might be worth checking out.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is apparently a really good beat-em-up, and the kids can play as the full roster of goodies from the show, not just the turtles. I used to love the TMNT games as a kid. And it has local co-op play, so they can both play at once.
The Ratchet & Clank games are great shooter-platformers for kids. No blood or gore, and many of the sci-fi guns have comic effects, like turning the enemies into sheep or pixelating them. I think the first one was on PS4 (still playable on PS5) and if it didn't have a re-master then it definitely got patched to run really well on PS5. The second game, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, really shows off what the PS5 can do graphically and looks like a Pixar movie throughout.
For a co-operative and quite funny game, check out Overcooked. It's a simple kitchen management game, but it gets quite chaotic quite quickly as you and your team start to get overwhelmed with orders and you're managing all these timers between you (getting the food out quickly, slicing veg, making sure the meat doesn't burn, washing crockery, etc). Has to be approached with the right attitude though, if you're too focussed on winning it can start arguments.
Finally, Astro's Playroom should have been installed on your PS5 when you bought it. If they haven't played that then they should, it's a wonderful platformer.
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@EdH Wow, thanks so much for the suggestions and insights. We have played and enjoyed Astro’s Playroom, me more than the kids because they have a tendency to get frustrated with the more complicated moves/jumps/timing stuff. I’ve put all of these on my “wishlist” in the PlayStation store and will check them out. TMNT stuck out to me immediately because they’ve been watching the older show. Plus I like the idea we can all play together as a family. Overcooked looks like it would fit that bill as well. Really appreciate you taking the time to give some great recommendations.
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@SKT mate, I might not play everything I’d like, but I’m pretty clued up on the gaming scene. Anytime.
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The fam got me a Logitech G29 racing wheel and pedal setup for my PS5 racing that I'm super psyched to try out, but I need a seat/frame to mount it to. Anybody have experience with these?
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@Matt They're nuts dude. be prepared to break shit. Nobody who's ever played VR hasn't knocked down a lamp or kicked a dog on accident.
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@Matt we got one too! Only thing I’ve played so far is “Beat Saber”. Highly recommend. I bought the Green Day song pack and was literally sweating buckets after a few rounds. It’s so freaking fun. Let us know any cool games you find. My kids have played “Job Simulator” and seem to like it.
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@Matt Yeah I love mine! I use it mostly for fitness-based stuff, Beat Saber as @SKT mentioned and Les Mills Body Combat are my go-tos to get a proper sweat on. Virtual ping-pong is quite addictive too, but like @WhiskeySandwich said, make sure to set up the boundary properly or you will break stuff - I've already accidentally smacked my 5 year old in the face playing bowling!
