For more on Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse, check out our full Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse review. Or, for more of the best Xbox 360 games for a 10 year old, why not try our Family Game Finder
Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse is a third person shooting game that contains some elements of platforming. It's fairly linear, offering the player clear and concise instructions, leaving little chance of getting lost while still offering a small level of exploration.
This simple approach filters through to the gameplay as well, with tasks rarely being more complicated than shooting what is in front of you as you journey to the next point on the map. You can also complete some collection quests in addition to upgrading your character as you progress. It's all fairly straight-forward and nowhere near the levels of complexity offered by more open-ended games, such as Mass Effect of Assassin's Creed.
There are minimal barriers to younger players. Most text in the game is spoken, with only menus really asking the player to read. The game also features cartoon-based graphics that are colourful and fairly appealing, even if the actual content is far more mature than the visuals let on. The main characters are also easy to control, with a degree of auto-aiming making the shooting quite simple. The player also doesn't have to worry about saving the game, as that is done automatically, and the difficulty level is generally fairly low. However, things start to become more hectic as the game progresses and more enemies are thrown into the mix. The fact that they often regenerate also impedes progress and may lead to younger players becoming more frustrated.
Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse contains a lot of jokes that are a little close to the knuckle, in addition to references to sex and a fairly liberal use of bad language. These range from minor words, such as 'damn' through to more serious language like 'pu**y'. Despite the game's focus on shooting, the violence rarely moves beyond the cartoonish, though Brian's fairly realistic weaponry and some minor spurts of blood may upset younger players.
The game also features some references to drug and alcohol use, with Brian Griffin specifically having a special attack that is centred around being drunk. The implication is that he is stronger after drinking alcohol may provide a questionable message for younger gamers.
While the game features no explicit sex, it does contain some fairly graphic jokes. The first level of the game features Lois Griffin stood on a car bonnet and inviting college students to perform numerous sexual acts on her, with one particularly explicit joke about a sex act and a caesarean section standing out.
Fans of the series will recognise many of the characters and general themes so those who are familiar with the television show will be able to get a good gauge on the sort of content on offer. However it is entirely possible that some will be offended with levels where you must shoot the disabled to progress, so some judgement in relation to what a person finds offensive or insulting should be exercised.
Age Ratings
Format Reviewed: Xbox 360
