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Logo by Max Layne Photography
| Microsoft Xbox 360 |
The Shrek franchise has had no trouble in finding an audience that will continue to return to the theaters to watch another film about the
antics of Shrek, Fiona, Donkey and Puss in Boots. Along with the film there is also typically a videogame release that either follows the
storyline of the film, or takes place before or after the events of the film. This of course means that with the release of the fourth
installment of the Shrek series, a family friendly game has been released with the same title as the film, “Shrek Forever After.”
This game closely follows the events of the film of the same title. Players take on the role of Shrek as he reaches a point in his life
when being an Ogre just isn’t as much fun as it used to be, he begins to miss the days of being a bachelor living in the swamp alone.
Shrek is given an offer that he can’t refuse from the shady Rumpelstiltskin, offering Shrek the chance to go back to a time before he was
married to Fiona and met Donkey. This leads players to working through a storyline that offers a whole new look at the world of Shrek.
This is a great game for families to sit down and play because of the ability to play using a 4-player cooperative mode. Players can
swap between using Shrek, Fiona, Donkey and Puss in Boots if they are playing a solo game. However, when playing in the 4-player
cooperative mode, players can work through the game with each player taking on the role of one of the four different characters. Each
character has their own unique attacks and abilities to help work through each of the levels and making each character important in
fights and the various puzzles that present themselves throughout the game.
The puzzles in the game can either be completed alone or with friends, and a lot of hidden collectibles are scattered throughout the
levels that need to be found. If there is ever a point in the game when a single puzzle may be a little too difficult to figure out, the Three
Blind Mice can typically be found somewhere nearby to offer the player a little hint about how to solve the puzzle. This, combined with
the cooperative mode, really makes the game to gamers of all ages, young and older.
One part of the game that many will enjoy is the use of the Magic Mirror to travel back and forth between Shrek normal life and his new
life given to him by Rumpelstiltskin. Players will sometimes have to go back and forth between the two worlds in order to solve a puzzle
or to find some of the game’s hidden secrets.
The game brings a lot of the elements of the films into the game to give it the same feel that some many return to the theaters for time
and again. The same witty humor that can be found in the films can be found in the game. Players will encounter a lot of characters
that have been seen throughout the series, along with a few new faces as well. The adventure offers a decent amount of game play,
roughly 8-10 hours, with secrets in each level that are only able to be found with multiple playthroughs of the level, giving players a
reason to go back and work through each level again.
Visually, many gamers may be a bit disappointed, but it looks well enough for being a movie tie-in game and takes the world of Shrek
and translates it nicely into a neat gaming package. However, the cutscenes in the game look amazing and will make some think that
are watching parts taken right out of the movie. There are also a lot of licensed songs from the film, usually playing during many of the
key fights that occur every once in a while throughout the game. They are a great addition to the game, carrying over the soundtrack
from the film very nicely.
One part of past games in the serious that has failed a bit has been the voice acting. This time around the voice actors in the game
were nearly exactly the same as their characters from the film, making the world in the game more believable to fans of the series.
Just like the films, this is a great game for parents and their children to play together. There may even be a chance that parents will
want to continue to play the game even when the kids aren’t around. Bouncing back and forth between each version of Far Far Away,
helps to keep the game feeling fresh, as well as creates some tough challenges, though they aren’t too challenging for kids.
For a fairly low retail price, “Shrek Forever After” is as great of a reason as any to get the whole family together for a night of fun and
laughs. This is a game that both children and adults will enjoy, though anyone that considers themselves to be a hardcore gamers will
easily look past this game, and rightfully so. However, those that are looking for a fun, yet laid back videogame feature some humor
and familiar characters from the Shrek franchise; this is a game worth getting in to.
antics of Shrek, Fiona, Donkey and Puss in Boots. Along with the film there is also typically a videogame release that either follows the
storyline of the film, or takes place before or after the events of the film. This of course means that with the release of the fourth
installment of the Shrek series, a family friendly game has been released with the same title as the film, “Shrek Forever After.”
This game closely follows the events of the film of the same title. Players take on the role of Shrek as he reaches a point in his life
when being an Ogre just isn’t as much fun as it used to be, he begins to miss the days of being a bachelor living in the swamp alone.
Shrek is given an offer that he can’t refuse from the shady Rumpelstiltskin, offering Shrek the chance to go back to a time before he was
married to Fiona and met Donkey. This leads players to working through a storyline that offers a whole new look at the world of Shrek.
This is a great game for families to sit down and play because of the ability to play using a 4-player cooperative mode. Players can
swap between using Shrek, Fiona, Donkey and Puss in Boots if they are playing a solo game. However, when playing in the 4-player
cooperative mode, players can work through the game with each player taking on the role of one of the four different characters. Each
character has their own unique attacks and abilities to help work through each of the levels and making each character important in
fights and the various puzzles that present themselves throughout the game.
The puzzles in the game can either be completed alone or with friends, and a lot of hidden collectibles are scattered throughout the
levels that need to be found. If there is ever a point in the game when a single puzzle may be a little too difficult to figure out, the Three
Blind Mice can typically be found somewhere nearby to offer the player a little hint about how to solve the puzzle. This, combined with
the cooperative mode, really makes the game to gamers of all ages, young and older.
One part of the game that many will enjoy is the use of the Magic Mirror to travel back and forth between Shrek normal life and his new
life given to him by Rumpelstiltskin. Players will sometimes have to go back and forth between the two worlds in order to solve a puzzle
or to find some of the game’s hidden secrets.
The game brings a lot of the elements of the films into the game to give it the same feel that some many return to the theaters for time
and again. The same witty humor that can be found in the films can be found in the game. Players will encounter a lot of characters
that have been seen throughout the series, along with a few new faces as well. The adventure offers a decent amount of game play,
roughly 8-10 hours, with secrets in each level that are only able to be found with multiple playthroughs of the level, giving players a
reason to go back and work through each level again.
Visually, many gamers may be a bit disappointed, but it looks well enough for being a movie tie-in game and takes the world of Shrek
and translates it nicely into a neat gaming package. However, the cutscenes in the game look amazing and will make some think that
are watching parts taken right out of the movie. There are also a lot of licensed songs from the film, usually playing during many of the
key fights that occur every once in a while throughout the game. They are a great addition to the game, carrying over the soundtrack
from the film very nicely.
One part of past games in the serious that has failed a bit has been the voice acting. This time around the voice actors in the game
were nearly exactly the same as their characters from the film, making the world in the game more believable to fans of the series.
Just like the films, this is a great game for parents and their children to play together. There may even be a chance that parents will
want to continue to play the game even when the kids aren’t around. Bouncing back and forth between each version of Far Far Away,
helps to keep the game feeling fresh, as well as creates some tough challenges, though they aren’t too challenging for kids.
For a fairly low retail price, “Shrek Forever After” is as great of a reason as any to get the whole family together for a night of fun and
laughs. This is a game that both children and adults will enjoy, though anyone that considers themselves to be a hardcore gamers will
easily look past this game, and rightfully so. However, those that are looking for a fun, yet laid back videogame feature some humor
and familiar characters from the Shrek franchise; this is a game worth getting in to.
| Genre: Action Developer: XPEC Entertainment Publisher: Activision |
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