Even the most ardent of Shrek fans would have to admit that so far the games based on the big green goofball haven’t quite been up to scratch. In fact they’ve been completely rubbish. Shrek 2, based directly on the new movie, is a step back in the right direction. At its core the game is a sort of scrolling beat-'em-up, interspersed with numerous little puzzles to overcome as you try to navigate the various fairytale realms. What makes things a lot more interesting is that you actually manage a team of four characters at a time, taking control of one at a time and having the other three follow along behind. The defaults include Shrek, Fiona and Donkey, but you also get to use Gingerbread Man, Lil' Red, Puss in Boots and The Big Bad Wolf.
The best bit is that if you can get three friends to help, then one person can actually control a character each, which really livens things up. But even in single player mode any of the characters can get a chance to take part in a "Hero Time" mini-game that provides a enjoyable respite from the main game as you take a ride on a dragon with Donkey or indulge in a singalong with Fiona.
Although the graphics are impressive (much more so than the sound, which doesn’t feature the original movie cast), the main gameplay can get a bit monotonous. But for Shrek fans and general young 'uns there’s more to enjoy here than with most film licenses. --David Jenkins
