 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Shrek 2
- PlayStation 2, Xbox
- Price: $50
- Genre: Action/Adventure
Common Sense Media says
Beat-'em-up game lacks movie's wit.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that while this is an "E"-rated game, it still employs a lot of beat-'em-up action. Players karate-chop or punch cute-looking animals, peasants, rats, Merry Men, knights and a host of other "baddies." While the movie had very few fight scenes and lots of clever humor, the video game reverses that trend by providing lots of fight scenes and very little clever humor.
What's it about?
SHREK 2 is a linear game with 11 levels, which roughly parallel the plot of the movie --Shrek and his wife, Princess Fiona, journey to the Land of Far, Far Away to meet Fiona's less-than-welcoming parents. It's an action/adventure game full of typical platform gaming challenges, including collecting items, fighting a host of baddies, and solving puzzles. You play as a team of four characters, with the ability to switch constantly among the four. Since each character has special abilities, gameplay requires figuring out which character should tackle a given challenge.
Another interesting aspect of this game is the ability to play cooperatively. At any time in the game, additional players can join the fun by simply plugging in a controller and hitting the "start" button. Friends can go in and out of the game without affecting the linear progression of the story for the main player.
Is it any good?
Shrek 2, the movie, charms most viewers with its use of fairy tale puns and humor. Basing a video game on this witty movie, with its endearing characters and unique settings, would seem to be an easy recipe for creating a top-notch video game for youngsters. Unfortunately, Shrek 2 fails to deliver the humor and cleverness we have come to expect from this license. But the game does have some unique aspects that may make it worth exploring.
If you don't mind having your kids play a video game in which they spend a lot of time beating up bad guys, you'll like this game. It encourages kids to work together to figure out challenges. Once finished, kid-testers thought they would not play it again, so they suggested renting the game instead of buying it.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about playing as a team. How does teamwork enhance the game? Do you enjoy being able to use each character's special skill?
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AGE
Over, and Over, and Over...
This game goes on for ever. I don't mean that there is a neverending storyline where the characters do different things every moment. No my friends! It is far from it. This storyline is a lot like the movie, but there are some added parts that are extremely stupid and only teach young ones to sit on, or smash, people, animals, and other living things. This game is basically the same the whole time through. Here's what it goes like: Shrek gets annoyed by someone. He sits on him. The end. That is absolutly the most weird storyline for any type of videogame. There is absolutly no educational value to this game. If it did have a message, it would probably be: KILL PEOPLE! KILL PEOPLE! Enjoy! (or not)
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AGE
i loved it the first time through
this is a great game the first time through. but it's really easy to beat. i've beaten it 6 times and my friends are addicted to it. they want to play it all the time. this game is addictive. we sat there 4 hours straight one time. but you know every thing that happens after a few times through.
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AGE
Its ok
Was it just me or when ever you went up to a blade SHREK would go over and touch it!
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AGE
LOVED the cat!
Not quite as fabulous as the first Shrek movie, but the cat was very, very funny AND lovable, AND catlike. Kudos to Antonio Banderas. I liked the fairy godmother and her son, too.
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AGE
love it
i loved it!!!!
i had sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
much fun
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AGE
Average kid friendly game. Too much action on screen and makes it a bit of an eye sore. Very repetetive
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| Platforms: | PlayStation 2, Xbox |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Developer: | Activision |
| Release date: | June 29, 2004 |
| Price: | $50 |
| ESRB rating: | E |
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