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| - Games based on movies are something few gamers look forward to. Not only because their quality tends to be lacking, with the developers banking too much on the player's familiarity and enjoyment of controlling the characters rather than placing those characters into a unique and original game, but also because the game tends to come out months after the movie's release. While Shrek 2 manages to avoid the latter pitfall, it doesn't fully succeed in overcoming the first, but not from a lack of trying. A rarity in PlayStation 2 games, Shrek 2 is a four-player game. Up to four friends can play on a multitap, each controlling a character from the movie, while those going solo can switch between any of the four characters onscreen. This will have to be done quite a bit because each character has a special ability that is required to complete the levels. This is the unique, and one of the most, enjoyable aspects of the game. Based on the movie, the story won't
really surprise anyone. Shrek has to meet his in-laws, but they hate the fact
that he is an ogre, so the game is played out with him trying to prove himself
and also keep Fiona from falling under their nefarious schemes to separate the
two. Along the way, Shrek will add Lil' Red (Riding Hood), Gingerbread Man, Big
Bad Wolf, Fairy, and, the newest character, Puss in Boots, to his two base partners,
Donkey and Fiona. Each has a simple combo attack along with their special move
- although the manual says only a few of the characters have combos, those are
the same three-hit linking moves as the rest have. The special moves ranged from
limited to unlimited use: Shrek can pick up and throw objects (enemies into other
enemies, crates of TNT, and gears to work bridges and doors); Fiona can slow down
time; Lil' Red tosses exploding rotten apples; Big Bad Wolf has his breath that
can send enemies over ledges and extinguish fires; Fairy can make people float;
Donkey has a kick that is the only way to unlock some doors; and Puss in Boots
can walk tightropes to reach remote levers. | |||||
Since there are no commands given, that also means that the characters not controlled by humans will attack on their own. And this isn't always pretty. The characters do a decent job of fighting, meaning that they actually attack, but they will often run around when being hit, and, for whatever reason, the computer doesn't control the characters nearly as effectively as a player does. When I say effective, keep in mind that nothing the characters do is particularly elaborate and also that the moves are extremely unbalanced, single jump attack does as much or more damage than a triple-hit combo, but the computer never seems to understand any of this and will run, fists swinging, into an enemy swinging their sword at them. Since Shrek 2 seems to be geared to younger players, it means plenty of checkpoints, potions that restore and replenish health, and characters coming back to life several times at specific spots in the levels, so the constant knock-outs are more of a strange annoyance than something detrimental to the gameplay. Because of the game's aim, it also means that it is a cakewalk. Levers and areas are marked with which button to press at the time, The Mirror appears to offer advice whenever situations change, and the levels are extremely linear - although, oddly enough, advice in the beginning half tends to come after the player has already figured out what has to be done. The game would be perfect for kids if it wasn't for two things: the humor and the horrible controls. Like the movies, the game tries to gear jokes towards children and adults, but the problem is that the game just isn't funny. The narrator's intentional goofs border on annoying, with references to "weapons of mass destruction" making it feel like I was playing through a horrible Leno monologue. The controls are also a serious problem. Aside from the characters constantly sliding around, as if every surface, no matter if it was dirt or cement, had a layer of ice on top of them, the response is sluggish and the camera is very uncooperative. Basic movement seems slightly delayed and the time-sensitive moves will often be confused (trying to toss an item will bring up a targeting reticule, which are actually very useful as they also auto-lock when close enough to an enemy, but all of that is a hindrance whenever you don't want to lock onto anything to begin with). The camera is a whole other beast. There are a few shining moments when the player is given full control over the camera, but those are few and far between. Instead, gamers will have to contend with far away shots that make the action look like a jumbled mess and the camera being stuck behind objects (there was one level where I was escaping something, running towards the screen, and the camera literally showed me the front of a column for about 30 seconds). Unfortunately, adding a little bit more to the disappointment, the cast didn't sign on to do the voice work. However, I did find myself thinking, "Wow that sounds like a guy imitating Eddie Murphy," so take that however you wish. The music wasn't bad, either. But music was often drowned out by the clanks of swords and thuds of bodies flying about; there were a few satisfying sounds, like the squish pumpkins made when they were obliterated. So we
have a Shrek game that isn't very funny (the donkey does have his moments,
after all) and one that is only made difficult by the sloppy camera angles and
controls. Not all of the game is bad; it does have its moments. Aside from being
a hundred times better than the last Shrek titles, it also has a fast pace, imaginative
graphics, and quite a bit of variety. Players will meet Smokey the Bear, a giant
Gingerbread Man inspired from Ghost Busters, the 3 Blind Mice, 3 Little Pigs,
and quite a few more fairy tale characters. The graphics are also solid, with
the characters looking good (from afar), and levels that are quite gorgeous; one
features Puss in Boots running along a tower's staircase, going towards the sky
(where the camera is set), and across tight wire. Aside from packing some good
action, it also looked fantastic with gold walls detailed with hanging banners,
cabinets of silverware, bookcases, and all the other castle amenities alongside
the walls. Another level was a potion factory where a guy was peddling a bike
to power a conveyer belt, with the bright potions popping out of the end, with
his coworkers attacking with their own potions; the screen gets pretty colorful
whenever the enemy gets turned into frogs from a particular potion, with puffs
of green smoke flying about and shattered glass in the air. To add some spice,
there are also special Hero Time events; these have the player controlling one
character and them showing off their skills, like Donkey riding the Dragon as
they pursue some kidnappers. These generally tend to be good. There are also unlockable
bonuses, some are throwaways like pictures for a scrap book, but there are also
some mini games that count towards the game's overall completion and are actually
pretty fun. In a very (very) light RPG element, the player can also use their
collected riches to enhance their skills at a leprechaun's shop - these pretty
rare and the items expensive, but the enhancements aren't really needed and seem
to be there to reward the obsessive-compulsive who just have to get every coin
they see. The definitely has its positives, though not enough to make up for its
sloppiness. Overall:
5.5/10 [ top ] |
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