Call of Duty: Black Ops III

Treyarch

PC; PlayStation 3; PlayStation 4; Xbox 360; Xbox OnePremium purchase + DLC and microtransactions

Health Score

RISKY

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About This Game

Super Review

Call of Duty: Black Ops III is a fast-paced, futuristic first-person shooter rated M for intense violence, blood and gore, strong language, and drug use. Its online multiplayer and Zombies modes are popular, but come with significant risks including a toxic community, aggressive monetization, and graphic content, making it a highly qualified fit for mature teens only.

Super Review

Parent verdict

This is a "Risky" game primarily designed for adults and older teens already familiar with the Call of Duty franchise. The M-rating is well-earned due to constant graphic violence, gore, and mature themes. The online environment presents considerable social risks, including exposure to uncensored chat and a highly competitive, often toxic, community. Its monetization model, featuring loot boxes and progression grinds, can also encourage excessive play or spending. Parents of older teens considering this game must set strict boundaries around screen time, spending, and online interaction.

What players actually do

Players engage in fast-paced gunfights, using futuristic weapons and advanced movement abilities like wall-running and boosting to defeat opponents, exercising quick reflexes and tactical positioning.
Players cooperate with teammates in the Zombies mode to survive increasingly difficult waves of undead enemies, requiring strategic teamwork, resource management, and communication.
Players customize their character's loadouts and appearance through gameplay progression and in-game purchases, influencing their playstyle and encouraging engagement with the unlock system.

Where it shines

The game offers polished, high-adrenaline first-person shooter mechanics that provide an engaging challenge for players who enjoy competitive action and require precise aim and rapid decision-making.
The cooperative Zombies mode provides a distinct experience that emphasizes teamwork, strategic planning, and collaborative problem-solving to overcome escalating challenges with friends.

Parent watch-outs

The game features intense, graphic violence with blood and gore, depicting realistic injury and dismemberment, which is inappropriate for younger audiences and may be disturbing to some older teens.
Online multiplayer lobbies expose players to uncensored voice and text chat, which is frequently toxic, containing strong language, harassment, and other inappropriate content from strangers.

Family rules worth setting

Set a strict time limit for daily play sessions to prevent excessive engagement with progression systems and competitive multiplayer, which can encourage prolonged play.
Disable voice and text chat in online modes to protect against exposure to toxic language and harassment, especially if playing with random players.

Talk about this

Discuss the maturity of the game's content, specifically the graphic violence and language, and how it differs from real-world situations or what is acceptable in other media.
Talk about the in-game purchase system, including loot boxes (random items) and cosmetic upgrades, to understand their appeal and potential for encouraging spending or excessive grinding for unlocks.

Play style

Call of Duty: Black Ops III is primarily a competitive online experience, with fast-paced matches lasting typically 10-15 minutes. The difficulty is player-driven, as players are matched against others, leading to high-friction, intense sessions. While a single-player campaign exists, the game's longevity comes from its multiplayer and cooperative Zombies modes, which are best played with friends. Younger or less experienced players may struggle with the competitive nature and need help managing online interactions or understanding complex progression systems.

Score Breakdown

Positive Aspects

Educational Value

1/5

Creativity

2/5

Pro-Social

3/5

Risk Factors

Addictive Monetization

5/5

Time Pressure / FOMO

4/5

Social Risk

4/5

Content Intensity

4/5

Why this rating

Educational Value

1/5

There is virtually no educational value in Call of Duty: Black Ops III. Its focus is entirely on combat and competitive gameplay, offering minimal opportunities for academic learning or skill development beyond reflexes.

Addictive Monetization

5/5

The game heavily features a premium purchase model combined with extensive DLC and microtransactions, including random item loot boxes. This design can encourage repetitive play for unlocks, foster a fear of missing out, and tempt players into spending money for competitive advantages or cosmetic items.

Social Risk

4/5

Call of Duty: Black Ops III's online environment carries significant social risks due to its competitive nature and prevalence of public voice and text chat. Players are frequently exposed to strong language, harassment, and other toxic behaviors from strangers, making unsupervised play problematic.

Content Intensity

4/5

The game features intense, graphic violence with frequent depictions of blood, gore, and dismemberment, aligning with its M (Mature 17+) and PEGI 18 ratings. This high level of content intensity is unsuitable for younger audiences and can be disturbing even for some older teens.