Winter school holidays: games and movies to watch and play at home
The winter holidays have arrived. Here are some games you may wish to play and films to watch from the comfort of your home!
Classification ratings and consumer advice can help you choose what you and your family play or watch.
Below is a list of some of the newer releases of games to play on various consoles, and recent home entertainment film releases. We have included a range of titles suitable for different audiences.
Click on a title to read about the classification of the film or game.
G—General
The G classification is for a general audience. The content contained in films and games in the G category is very mild in impact, but it does not necessarily indicate that all children will either enjoy watching the film, or have the skills to master certain gameplay. Some films or games classified G may contain story-lines that do not interest children.
Games
G—Very mild themes
A single-player 3rd-person adventure game in which a fox explores a snowy landscape, solving puzzles and being guided by the guardian of the Northern Lights, a female spirit fox. The game does not feature any online interactivity.
G—General, online interactivity
A sports game that allows players to experience the atmosphere of the FIA GT3 homologated championship, competing against official drivers, teams, cars and circuits in Sprint, Endurance and Spa 24 Hour races. The game contains online interactivity in the form of online multiplayer modes where you can race other players live in time trials or head-to-head mode.
Films
G—Very mild themes, very mild violence and very mild coarse language
A light hearted family comedy that follows the story of a young self-esteem centred dancer coaching a squad of young misfits.
Shimmer and Shine: Legend of The Dragon Treasure
G—Very mild fantasy themes
A compilation of six episodes of the animated series, Shimmer and Shine, which follows Leah and her friends as they play games and go on adventures with the help of genie twin sisters.
PG—Parental Guidance
The impact of content in PG (Parental Guidance) films and games is mild, but they may contain storylines, images or sound effects that some children may find confusing or upsetting, which is why parental guidance is recommended for people under the age of 15 years.
Games
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated
PG—Mild violence and crude humour, online interactivity
A remake of a 3D platformer game from the SpongeBob SquarePants universe, in which the player controls SpongeBob, Patrick and Sandy as they attempt to defeat an evil brigade of robots. The game has online interactivity in the form of co-operative play.
PG—Mild themes
A top-down 3D removalist simulator in which players control a custom-made character in order to navigate a variety of environments, overcome hazards and solve puzzles with the goal of moving furniture from a house into a removalist truck in a timed challenge.
Films
Lego DC—Shazam!—Magic and Monsters
PG—Mild themes and animated violence
An animated science-fiction superhero comedy film in which Shazam is reluctant to take up an offer to join the Justice League but ultimately saves the days when his rivals, the Monster Society, put the League in peril.
PG—Mild coarse language
A Filipino comedy film about a grumpy centenarian whose life gets up-ended when the townsfolk realise she could become the "oldest grandmother in the world".
M—Mature
The impact of material in M-rated films and games is moderate and they are not recommended for children under the age of 15 years. However, the M category is not legally restricted, so anyone of any age may legally access this content.
Games
M—Violence and crude humour, online interactivity
A first-person adventure game in which the player takes the role of an interstellar explorer dropped on an uncharted planet to catalogue alien flora and fauna to determine if the planet is fit for human habitation. The game contains online interactivity in the form of a multiplayer co-operative game mode.
Films
M—War themes and occasional coarse language
A drama in which an inexperienced U.S. Navy captain leads an Allied convoy in the Atlantic while being stalked by Nazi U-boat wolf-packs.
MA 15+—Mature Accompanied
Films and games classified MA 15+ (Mature Accompanied) are considered unsuitable for people under 15 years as they have strong content. They are legally restricted to people 15 years and over, unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian for the duration of the film or game.
Games
MA 15+—Strong violence
Desperados III is a single-player tactical stealth game set in the American West in the 1870s. The player takes the role of John Cooper, who commands a team of up to four other desperadoes on missions across the US and Mexico. The game contains no online interactivity.
Films
MA 15+—Strong violence and coarse language
The Informer is a crime-thriller following Pete, an ex-convict working as an undercover agent for the FBI who intentionally gets himself incarcerated again in order to gather information on a gang distributing drugs in the prison system. The film contains dialogue spoken in English and in Polish. Dialogue spoken in Polish is occasionally accompanied by English subtitles.