My daughter’s friends were buzzing with excitement when Halo 4 was released a month before Christmas. According to the  Huffington Post, it made $220 million on release day, which beat the records of previous installments in the series. Forbes ranks it as the third highest selling game in 2012, following Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Madden NFL 13. The game is rated ‘mature’ and not recommended for players under the age of 17. However, many children much younger are, in fact, fans of the series. Several of my daughter’s elementary school-age friends got their little hands on the game the day it was released.

The previous installment, Halo: Reach, was named one of the 10 worst video games for kids by a national parenting resource. It was described as being “all about glorified violence” and “finding your favorite weapon and using it to tear holes in your enemies.” So, should you say “No way!” to your kids when they beg for violent games, such as those in the Halo, World of Warcraft, or Call of Duty series? Well, that depends on your child and your family’s set of values.

Players in Halo 4 become soldiers trained to kill aliens in the science-fiction themed game. There are lots of weapons to choose from and plenty of violence. Plus, add in some foul language and the occasional scantily clad female avatar. The violence and aggression is all directed at aliens, who bleed blue and yellow. The graphics are crisp and clear, but they aren’t realistic. The game is fiction, but it’s up to you to determine if your child is old enough to realize that. Some tweens and teens are mature enough to handle it, but many are not.

Another tidbit parents should know is that many of these games encourage online communication between players. It is important to have a serious talk with your children about Internet safety and keeping personal information private before allowing them to engage in one of these games.  By the way, violent games aren’t the only ones with the online component.  I monitor my daughter closely on a game for tween girls called Movie Star Planet.

If you are considering purchasing a video game for your child, read the description and reviews thoroughly. Consider renting the game and trying it out yourself to decide if it is appropriate. Here are popular video games of 2012, according to IMDB:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops II
• Far Cry 3
• Assassin’s Creed III
• Halo 4
• Mass Effect 3
• Hitman: Absolution
• Sleeping Dogs
• Dishonored
• The Walking Dead: The Game – Episode 1:  A New Day
• Game of Thrones

All are rated M for mature by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).  An M rating means the ESRB does not believe the content in the game is appropriate for children under the age of 17 because of blood and gore, intense violence, language, and/or sexual content. Commonsensemedia.org is a great resource when determining if a video game, app, movie, or TV show is appropriate for your child. Their goal is to provide parents with unbiased information regarding media and technology. The site also lists top picks for each category, so if you decide a game is too mature for your child, you can easily pick a replacement.

My daughter still gets scared while watching Disney movies. There’s no way I’d purchase a video game centered on fighting and killing for her. I also make it clear to the parents of her friends that she is not to play this sort of game when she goes on play dates. I enjoy sleeping and don’t want to be jarred from my sleep by her nightmares after playing a violent game! The bottom line is that you know your children best. Only you can decide if they are mature enough to handle a scary or violent video game. If you decide to allow them to play the game, monitor closely to see how they do with it and don’t hesitate to pull the plug if you have concerns.

Rachael Moshman is a mom, blogger, and family advocate. Her home office contains a vintage “Space Invaders” arcade game. Find her at RachaelMoshman.com.