Shrek meant a lot to me as a kiddo and still does, although that's mostly limited to the first two films. I had seen both a hundred times throughout my childhood and vividly recall pretty much every scene and every beat. I did the watch the other two Shrek's but I don't remember much, outside of a couple moments from the third one. I could not tell you a single thing about the fourth tbh.
The quality of a movie-tie-in game isn't determined by the film it's based on, but it honestly helps a lot when the developers have a better foundation to work with. It's also easier to feel attached to what's presented when you actually care about the world. Shrek 2 is a decent example of why, as my fondness for the film made exploring those portions of the game more enjoyable.
Otherwise, this is just a collection of goofy mini-games and gimmicks inspired by what was popular in gaming at the time, stitched together with a four-player beat-em-up standing in as its base. Shrek 2 isn't particularly well-made but its competent enough to be enjoyable with friends. Most of the levels are visually distinct and the short sections that have you do silly little things diversify the gameplay pretty decently (whether that be a mini-game as Fiona where you sing to birds, a 2D platformer as puss-in-boots, or Crash Bandicoot-esque running towards the screen sections).
Playing this with a friend certainly enhanced my opinion on it. I played the first three or four levels alone, but after jumping in with someone else, I had a better time. It's easier to get into the ridiculousness of it all, as there are tons of little issues you can't help but laugh at.
As a franchise, Shrek has always poked fun at classic fairy tales, and I think the game does a decent job putting all of that together. Each of the levels utilize different aesthetics and it's quite nice, whether that be a silly open kingdom portion where you can actually get stars like GTA or a dark forest with witchy vibes.
The final three or four levels are pretty impressive design-wise. They're genuinely fun and have some cool ideas. I quite liked the darker tone towards the end, as going through a dark dungeon with the big bad wolf to blow walls down and murder spiders was cool. Also was a fan of the potion shop section, as it legit looked kinda ethereal in a very surreal way and the color palette was nice and vibrant with this bizarre neon aesthetic. Also the final boss was fun, altho very weirdly made!
Overall, Shrek 2 ain't bad at all. It is kinda weird that I don't really remember this game from my childhood all that well, perhaps outside of the first level. I'm like 90% sure I played it as a kid, though.
The quality of a movie-tie-in game isn't determined by the film it's based on, but it honestly helps a lot when the developers have a better foundation to work with. It's also easier to feel attached to what's presented when you actually care about the world. Shrek 2 is a decent example of why, as my fondness for the film made exploring those portions of the game more enjoyable.
Otherwise, this is just a collection of goofy mini-games and gimmicks inspired by what was popular in gaming at the time, stitched together with a four-player beat-em-up standing in as its base. Shrek 2 isn't particularly well-made but its competent enough to be enjoyable with friends. Most of the levels are visually distinct and the short sections that have you do silly little things diversify the gameplay pretty decently (whether that be a mini-game as Fiona where you sing to birds, a 2D platformer as puss-in-boots, or Crash Bandicoot-esque running towards the screen sections).
Playing this with a friend certainly enhanced my opinion on it. I played the first three or four levels alone, but after jumping in with someone else, I had a better time. It's easier to get into the ridiculousness of it all, as there are tons of little issues you can't help but laugh at.
As a franchise, Shrek has always poked fun at classic fairy tales, and I think the game does a decent job putting all of that together. Each of the levels utilize different aesthetics and it's quite nice, whether that be a silly open kingdom portion where you can actually get stars like GTA or a dark forest with witchy vibes.
The final three or four levels are pretty impressive design-wise. They're genuinely fun and have some cool ideas. I quite liked the darker tone towards the end, as going through a dark dungeon with the big bad wolf to blow walls down and murder spiders was cool. Also was a fan of the potion shop section, as it legit looked kinda ethereal in a very surreal way and the color palette was nice and vibrant with this bizarre neon aesthetic. Also the final boss was fun, altho very weirdly made!
Overall, Shrek 2 ain't bad at all. It is kinda weird that I don't really remember this game from my childhood all that well, perhaps outside of the first level. I'm like 90% sure I played it as a kid, though.