Publisher: Nintendo
Ages: seven and up.
Parental
Advisory:
Fighting
It's no surprise that Dreamwork's popular Shrek 2 is also a video game that can ride the significant coattails of the summer film. Shrek 2, Activision's version of the fractured fairy tale, isn't as fun as the movie. But it can be entertaining to younger players, particularly those who like the films.
The game is a squad-based action adventure that serves puzzles and fighting and has players guiding Shrek and his pals through the swamp, Far Far Away and locations not in the film that include Billy Goat's Gruff Bridge, the Spooky Forest, and the Dwarven Mines. Shrek and his new bride Fiona, along with Donkey, travel to meet Fiona's royal parents who don't necessarily approve of Shrek. Players control a single character at a time and may quickly switch between them. And there's lots of teamwork involved in solving puzzles.
The game features decent cooperative play that lets four friends play together and choose from four characters from a list of ten that includes Shrek, Princess Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots and Lil' Red. Players have fun tag-teaming against the bad guys and using each character's special abilities to solve puzzles and accomplish objectives.
The graphics are well done and do a great job of recreating the characters and settings from the film. The game features bloodless violence and, as in the film, there's rude humor concerning bodily functions.
Shrek 2 is a decent game that appeals mostly to younger kids, say under seven, and will be of little interest to teens who want edgier fare. You won't go too wrong with this one, but the film is a lot more satisfying.
7/19/04 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
