While the idea of using the hard action gameplay style of God of War might seem like a major feature, replacing the rough and slightly evil slicer and dicer of deities with a lighthearted and lovable ogre proves that award winning gameplay formulas sometimes don't work elsewhere. Enter Shrek the Third, yet another horrible movie based video game, one riddled with glitches and boring gameplay.
Similar to previous Shrek games, players must explore and collect items, except in this case they must also button mash to execute finishing moves. This works for a character as angry and violent as Kratos, but not in a Shrek game. Not only is it odd, but also boring. Fighting generally consists of Shrek or one of five other playable characters punching, kicking or sword fighting every living thing in sight. Playing as Shrek gets especially tiresome because he punches slowly. The special powers can be interesting, and sometimes humorous, but even those get boring quickly, because there is not much finesse to the fighting style.
The game tries to vary things by frequently switching characters in and out (at the will of the game, not the player) in order to progress the storyline, which tries very hard to stick to the movie, but often, again, loses its focus amidst the constant need to brawl. The platforming elements work fine, although sometimes it's hard to judge distance due to the camera, and collecting hidden items is extremely easy due to their banal placement in the game world.
Visually, the game looks decent, with some imaginative environments, but due to its linear approach, there is little to no outside the paths exploration. Overall, Shrek the Third looks a bit dated, and the game shows all too clearly that there was not nearly as much love put into the game's visuals as was put into the movie. The cut scenes, done in the style of a puppet show, are the game's only shining moments, but considering that they are pre-rendered and not done in the game's graphics engine is not saying much.
The music and sound effects are nothing special. The voice acting delights players with convincing sound a likes and then tortures them with awful second-rate actors.
With a good number of chapters to play through and a few multiplayer mini games, there is more than enough to keep the casual gamer busy, but Shrek the Third is not outstanding in any area. It is what it is: a kid's game that misses its target audience with an attempt at complex fighting mechanics. It has entertaining moments, but unless players are looking for a very stripped down and lighthearted version of God of War, it's hard recommend.
Final Score: 5 (out of 10)
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