For more on Aqua: Naval Warfare, check out our full Aqua: Naval Warfare review. Or, for more of the best Xbox 360 games for a 9 year old, why not try our Family Game Finder
Being a commander on a boat is an exciting prospect, and Aqua does a good job of making it interesting. You can dock in the dry docks to upgrade your ship, and battling different enemies will require very different strategies to defeat, so there's plenty of different elements here to keep your child's brain working - not to mention the hand eye co-ordination you'll need to master the dual analogue stick controls.
As a top down, vehicular based shooter, there's not too much for parents to worry about in Aqua, with nothing in the way of physical violence against anything that's living, no sex, and no bad language beyond "damn" or "hell".
While watching a child play, there's little an adult can do, bar offer strategies on how to defeat certain enemies (dropping plenty of stun mines around whatever you're guarding, for example, is always a great strategy, as it disables the ships just as they come into range with their weapons). However, the game does feature a full four player offline mode, which is great for adults, children, and any combination of the above. With a variety of modes on offer - some of which are basic races, which rely on speed rather than weapons, there's bound to be something everyone can do here - there's even a co-op mode, which pits you, and another player, against several waves of enemies. We were rubbish at surviving - why not see if you can do any better!
Age Ratings
Format Reviewed: Xbox 360
