Another animated movie, another quick and dirty video game cash in. Shrek the Third isn't a bad game, but it is hard to shake the feeling that it was created with bare minimums in mind in order to meet a deadline. The gameplay is bland and boring, the presentation is weak (particularly on the Xbox 360), and all we are left with is yet another generic action platformer with a movie license slapped onto it. Rent it for the easy achievements, but don't buy it.
Quick Hits
- Title: Shrek the Third
- Platform:Xbox 360
- Publisher: Activision
- Developer: 7 Studios
- ESRB Rating: "E" for Everyone
- Genre: Action / Platforming
- Pros: Easy achievement points
- Cons: Graphics and sound are only so-so; tedious and repetitive combat
Features and Modes
Shrek the Third, the videogame, tells an abridged version of the storyline from the movie and you get to play as many of the characters from the movie including Shrek, Fiona, Sleeping Beauty, Donkey, and Puss. Each character offers slightly different attacks and abilities, such as Shrek and Fiona's "Ogre Power" and Puss' double jump. As you play through the game, you earn coins that can be used to buy new costumes, difficulty levels, and cheats that make the game just a bit easier. The game will take you about 4-5 hours to play through, and in that time you will earn most of the achievements it has to offer, so GamerScore whores will be satisfied with a rental.
Gameplay
Activision
As far as gameplay goes, Shrek the Third is just about as mindless of an action game as you can get. You wander around levels, breaking everything you find and fighting enemies in order to earn fairy dust, which lets you use a powerful attack. The combat pretty much just boils down to button mashing and occasionally holding the block button, but it is all very easy and pretty boring after the first level or so. One slightly interesting aspect is that you can stun enemies and then deliver a finishing move, and some of these are somewhat entertaining, but it doesn't take long to see them all. Each level is also filled with collectible items, but as long as you break everything in each level it is pretty hard to miss any collectibles. There are a couple of interesting boss battles, including a singing Captain Hook (easily my favorite part of the game) and a giant ice dragon, but these battles aren't enough to save the rest of the bland design. It isn't so much that any aspect of the game is bad, but it is just ridiculously easy and boring to actually play through.
Graphics and Sound
Graphically, Shrek the Third is pretty unimpressive. The characters look okay, but the levels are bland and the enemies repeat a lot. You would think that with the power of the Xbox 360 we would see visuals a little closer to the movie (like the hype around the PS2 and original Xbox promising "Toy Story" level graphics. Hah!), but it hasn't happened yet.
The sound is also disappointing due in no small part to the fact that the characters are all sound-alikes rather than the real actors from the movie. They do an okay job, but the jokes just don't have the same punch as they should since both the voice and the timing are just a bit off.
Bottom Line
Activision
Overall, Shrek the Third is pretty much what we have come to expect from movie tie-in games. Nothing horribly bad, just nothing particularly good, either, which makes it tough to recommend for even the biggest Shrek fans. Clocking in at only around 5 hours to complete. Shrek the Third is squarely in rental territory if you are interested in it but I can't recommend it for a purchase.
