Shrek the Third (Wii) Review
With the recent release of Shrek the Third, Shrek mania has once again come into full swing. The release of the third movie in the popular Shrek franchise has led to mass commercialization of the Shrek band name, and you will find it a difficult task to go a day without seeing some sort of Shrek related advertising or promotion. Be it a fast food franchise or various toys, Shrek is as popular as ever at the moment. Video games are not immune from the Shrek virus either, and games based on Shrek the Third have been developed on various platforms, including of course the Wii.
Shrek the Third on the Wii closely follows the plot of the movie as Shrek and his band of friends go about saving Far Far Away from the plight of the evil Prince Charming. Upon starting the game, a puppet show will begin that acts as a means of explaining the games narrative. The puppet show is quite funny and an interesting means to which to tell the story. After a certain number of levels, you are greeted with another section of the puppet show to keep you up to date with what is actually happening. After each show, its straight back into the action as you play out the very story that is being told. As the story mostly follows the movie, the game includes many locals straight from the motion picture. There are also some new areas that are exclusive to the game, such as the Evil Queens Castle.
The actual game play in Shrek the Third is a mix of basic platforming and beat-em-up. Each level is designed in a very linear way, somewhat like a Crash Bandicoot game. As you progress through levels, you will be swamped with enemies to bash which is as simple as waving the Wiimote and/or Nunchuk. Swinging the Wiimote is your primary form of attack, and continuous swinging will make short work of most enemies that come your way. Shaking the Nunchuk allows you to perform a much stronger attack, suitable for enemies with shields or statues for example. The game includes six playable characters, which include Shrek, Donkey, Princess Fiona, Arthur, Puss-in-Boots, and Sleeping Beauty. Though Shrek is the main character, at certain times in the game you will need to take control of one of the other characters. The characters differ slightly in their abilities, though the basic idea of beating up the enemies stays true for each character.
The fighting aspects of Shrek work well enough, though it does get repetitive after a while, especially consider you have to shake the Wiimote or Nunchuk to attack. Each character has special moves that you can pull of if your energy meter is full enough. For example, Shrek will perform his Ogre Power move, which will slow down time and allow you to take care of the enemies with greater ease. On top of the special moves, there is a sort of finishing movie, which is executable when a C appears above the enemys head. By combining each fighting element (hitting opponents, special moves, and finishing moves), you can achieve combos that will increase your score at the end of the level. It is not a deep combo system, but it makes the fighting a little less mundane as you can attempt to get the combo meter to its highest level.
The platform elements of the game are ok too, though as mentioned, it is quite linear. Each character can run and jump, though theres not much to it beyond that. There are a few moments where you need to jump across gaps and so forth, but the majority of the game is simply running through each level smashing everything in your way. Theres plenty of collectables though, many of which are hidden throughout the levels. Each level also contains a number of objectives for you to complete too, most of which are quite fun. The objectives range from finding a certain number of objects to defeating a number of enemies with the finishing move. If you finish a level and fail to complete an objective, you can simply replay that level and finish of that objective/s. Thankfully, once you have completed any remaining objectives, you can simply quit the level and continue where you left off. At the end of each level, you are awarded a ranking and a sum of gold depending on how well you did and how much gold you found within the level itself. The gold can be used to buy items from the gift shop menu, such as new costumes harder difficulties.
Shrek works pretty well as a game, and it certainly has that appeal that is associated with the Shrek franchise. The beat-em-up elements in conjunction with the platforming mix well, and these two elements seem appropriate for the Shrek universe. The game is quite easy and can be finished within about 6 hours, possibly more if you want to complete every objective. The game also includes a basic multiplayer mode where two players attempt to destroy each others castles with catapults and a selection mini-games for one or two players. The mini-games are mostly pretty average, though the Shreckleboard game is pretty addictive. The multiplayer mode and mini-games do help extend the games shelf life, though not by very much.
Visually, the game is very disappointing especially consider the Wii is a next-gen console. The game looks like nothing more than a PS2 port with its blocky out-dated graphics, clipping problems, and jerky animation. The Wii might not be as powerful as an Xbox 360 or PS3, but it is certainly capable of far better graphics than what is presented in Shrek the Third. The games music is also uninspiring and boring, and the voice acting is done by copies and not the original artists such as the brilliant Eddie Murphy. That said, the voice work is pretty close to that of the actual movie, so kudos to the voice talent used in the game. Given the mostly humorous dialogue, it is fortunate that the voice acting was pretty spot on.
In all, Shrek is very similar to most games that are released based on movie franchises. As such games tend to sell themselves based on the popularity of the franchise, the development comes across as rushed and thus developmental errors are evident. The graphics are quite poor, even for the less powerful Wii and the sound only gets a pass from me. The gameplay is pretty good though, which is the most important thing. The game is quite easy, but I did enjoy it and I even took the time to complete each objective in each level. The game takes minimal advantage of the Wiimote capabilities, but what is used is usually implemented well. There are plenty of things to collect and enemies to smash, and theres enough variety in the levels to keep you entertained. Taking the time to complete each objective will increase the games replay value, and theres always the multiplayer mode and mini-games to keep you going that little bit longer.
As it stands, Shrek the Third stands as an ok game, but one that still doesnt really set itself apart from other games in the infamous crap movie franchise game category, though it is better than many games in that category. I would certainly recommend the game for young children, as it is simplistic and wont trouble the younger game too much. Shrek enthusiast will also find something to like in Shrek the Third, as it allows you to relive the plot of the movie. For everybody else, consider giving Shrek the Third a rent for a quick and somewhat entertaining gaming experience. Shrek the Third has its fair share of flaws, but there is some entertainment to be had.
