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Shrek the Third the Game

About.com Rating four out of Five

By Christy Matte, About.com

Shrek the Third the Game

Photo Courtesy of Pricegrabber

The Bottom Line

Shrek the Third the Game is relatively mindless, but entertaining software. It wasn't one of those games that kept me up all night playing, but I had fun when I sat down with it. If the cartoon violence (and somewhat questionable humor) don't bother you, buy this for your favorite young Shrek fans. It will amuse them, and maybe you, too.
Pros
  • Easy to learn
  • Play as favorite characters such as Shrek, Fiona, Donkey and Puss in Boots
  • Collect coins to buy fun upgrades like special costumes and additional characters
Cons
  • Not a lot of variation in gameplay
  • Most scenes involve primarily fighting and smashing things
  • Some levels may frustrate younger/less experienced players

Description

  • Defend the fairytale kingdom of Far Far Away from Prince Charming and a whole host of other characters.
  • Explore familiar scenes from the movie.
  • Primarily a fight and smash your way to victory game, with some puzzle solving as well.
  • Rated E10 (Everyone 10 and up) for cartoon violence and crude humor.
  • Released by Activision on May 15, 2007.

Guide Review - Shrek the Third the Game

I have to start out by saying that Shrek the Third the Game is a violent game. Not in a blood-and-gore sense, but in a cartoon-style smash everything and everyone in sight sense. The rating of E10 (Everyone ages 10 and up) from the ESRB is justified. I know many parents aren't concerned about cartoon violence, but if you are, this game is not appropriate for your family. Since the game is true to the movie in terms of "crude" humor and level of violence, your reaction to the film series may help you make a decision.

With that warning out of the way, I enjoyed Shrek the Third the Game. The characters are amusing, the graphics pretty good and the game easy to learn. The plot itself wasn't terribly engaging (I can't remember most of it, to be honest), but I enjoyed destroying things and collecting various items and coins along the journey. I also enjoyed trying out the different special abilities each character has. When you play as Puss in Boots, for example, you can use his special cute face to confuse your opponents.

I struggled a bit with the keyboard controls, but was much more successful using a game controller for my PC (if you're playing a console version, you may be better off). If your kids play a lot of action games on the computer, they will have no problem at all.

This game will be a hit with kids who enjoyed the movie, but may be boring for teens and more hardcore gamers. This is geared towards young action video game fans. I would not recommend it for kids who prefer puzzle games, simulations and/or card games.

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