Parents' Guide to

Shrek 2

By Jinny Gudmundsen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Beat-'em-up game lacks movie's wit.

Game PlayStation 2, Xbox 2004
Shrek 2 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 4 parent reviews

RichManGold
RichManGold Adult
December 21, 2020
age 7+
Kekkington
Kekkington Parent
November 14, 2018
age 15+

The game is shockingly good

I could not believe my eyes when I launched this masterpiece, my eyes were pleasantly surprised to see the most amazing version of everyone's favourite ogre, Shrek, If you're a fan of the films (lets be honest who isn't) this game will knock your socks off with its amazing narrative and graphics, the voice actors are the same ones from the film except they are totally different people who sound nothing like them which is good for variety, this game has mild jokes which some people might find distressing in this age of political correctness, for example one time shrek says, I get hit by the same bike every morning, It's a vicious cycle (pls don't hurt me, its only joke lololol) Anyway back to the masterpiece, I believe every school should give out copies of this game to every student as it teaches amazing messages about friendship and politeness, it also teaches lessons about ogre anatomy, for example ogres are like onions, they have layers, this game is not for the mild at heart however, this is why I am rating it 15 and up as the great lord Callum Adams preached in his holy book, thou shalt not calleth me a tic tac, this is echoed throughout the game by its messages of exceptions, the violence is very heavy, for example when the big gingerbread man gets melted in the water, this is very graphic and distressing for very young children

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 4 parent reviews

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?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (8):

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.

Talk to Your Kids 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?

Game Details

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