There's not a lot of variation in quality between the three console versions of Shrek 2, and this extends to the visual presentation--which is a good thing, since the game looks quite nice on all platforms. Though the scale of the levels are generally pretty modest--the feeling that you're in a level and not an actual place is pretty pervasive throughout the game--what you're shown is consistently well crafted (like the variety of fairy tale-inspired environments you will travel through). The playable characters are surprisingly spot-on interpretations of their movie characters, and their animations, while a little limited, always look smooth and appropriate for the characters. You can really tell that Luxoflux worked pretty closely with the design team at Dreamworks to get the characters looking as good as they do. The camera can occasionally be a bit stubborn; it'll change how much control you have and that can make it difficult to get a good perspective on the action. However, this is the biggest complaint that can be lodged against the game's visuals.
The fake Eddie Murphy is probably the most convincing celebrity facsimile in Shrek 2.
Unfortunately, Activision was unable to get the actual stars of Shrek 2 to hit the boards for the game, leaving the voice-acting duties for Shrek 2 the game to a team of stand-ins. If you weren't paying close attention, you might be able to mistake the fake Mike Myers and the fake Eddie Murphy for the real things, but the truth becomes plainly obvious before the game is over. A lot of the voice acting is pretty decent, but the fact that a lot of the bits end up repeating, and that a small percentage of what they say is actually funny or appropriate, undermines the actual delivery. The rest of the game's sound design is pretty uniformly unspectacular--the in-game sound effects and the chipper orchestrated soundtrack aren't bad, but there's nothing that is really catchy enough to stay with you.
If you're old enough to buy T-rated games, Shrek 2 really isn't for you. The game is put together pretty well, but the game is very simple and very short. On top of that, the lame wordplay and fart jokes that pass for humor just don't cut it. On the other hand, the game is maybe a little too complex for the kids who are still cutting their teeth on video games, which leaves the 'tween market as the sweet spot for Shrek 2. For this rather specific audience, Shrek 2 is a good fit.
Editor's note 05/06/04: Changes have been made to this review to address factual inaccuracies regarding character selection and the Hero Time minigames. GameSpot regrets the error.
Shrek 2 (Xbox):
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