Common Sense Media Review
By Erin Brereton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
The game offers lots of wandering, but not much wow factor.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Videos and Photos
Brookhaven RP
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 10 parent reviews
What's It About?
Kids walk around a virtual world, checking out buildings and other people, in BROOKHAVEN RP, a game hosted on the Roblox platform. The arrow keys direct your avatar, and a mouse or trackpad will change the perspective. Many buildings can be entered, although some are open at specific times. Kids choose from transportation methods like a skateboard or bike and can use items like money from their bag. They can also role-play with other characters by asking to be someone's parent, for example.
Is It Any Good?
This virtual world has an above-average look for a Roblox game -- yet the amount of interactive elements and activities can feel underwhelming. Brookhaven RP has some nice visual touches. The light in neon signs pulsates, kids can doggy-paddle their way through a swimming pool, and the perspective options to look at different settings are impressive. The town doesn't seem to be huge, but there are a number of buildings, including stores, a motel, and a school, and kids can choose from vehicles like a scooter or a bike to get around faster -- or travel on foot. You have to knock or ring a bell at many homes, and players can kick you out with no explanation, or ban you from their home just for knocking.
The game has a few bugs, and while kids can view a short list of game control commands, there's no tutorial or other instruction. There doesn't seem to be a map or other overview, which can make figuring out where to go a bit complicated. Interacting with things can also take some trial and error. It's easy, for instance, to hop on a motorcycle, but much harder to get off of one. The game's biggest issue, though, is that there doesn't seem to be a ton to do. Much of your experience may depend on who else is playing at the time. If you aren't running into many people, the experience can end up being a lot of walking around without much to do. You can roleplay with other users, but asking strangers if you can be their mother, or accepting their offer to be yours, may not be the best option for kids. Kids can also openly talk with other users through a chat window that's on screen, and the conversations players have aren't always family-friendly or particularly kind. Additionally, they can rob a bank, using a bomb to blast open the vault and walk out with a duffel bag of cash -- which isn't great behavior to encourage. Since there's risky language, and there isn't a lot of engaging activities to partake in, they may want to skip the trip to Brookhaven RP and instead look for an experience that provides concrete goals to work toward and more things to do.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about chatting online. Kids can chat with other users while playing, but what kind of information should you never share with someone you don't know online? Are there any safe ways to interact with other people in the game?
How do you figure out what to do in a game like Brookhaven RP when you aren't given much instruction. How can you determine where to go, and what to look for?
Kids can use weapons in the game and enter houses without permission, but why would doing that in real-life not be OK? How can you tell what behavior shouldn't be repeated outside of a game you're playing?
Website Details
- Genre: Virtual Worlds
- Pricing structure: Free
- Last updated: July 23, 2022
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