'Shrek The Third' game is solid for kids

Platform: Xbox 360

Studio: Activision

Rated: E-for Everyone

Rating: 5.5 of 10

THE CORPORATE LINE

"When the King falls ill, it's up to Shrek to find the true heir and save Far Far Away. Journey with Shrek, Donkey, and Puss-in-Boots on this all new twisted fairy tale adventure. Along the way, meet new friends, conquer bold enemies, and visit never before seen lands from the movie and beyond." — Provided by Activision.

THE REVIEW

GAMEPLAY: Shrek The Third is made for kids — so keep that in mind as this review unwinds. The game itself is based on the movie and it's a shame that the game isn't nearly as fun or interesting as the opening movie-style sequence.

As far as games for kids go, the easier to play the better. Shrek The Third is really easy. It's a few buttons to attack, one to jump and the rest fall under the category of ignorable. Most of the game consists of Shrek punching enemies. There are a few combo moves that can dispense of enemies quicker—but if you have a really young child it's great that they have only one button to beat-up an enemy. Kids will also enjoy gathering fairy dust and gold coins.

Another feature comes with Shrek's ogre strength after filling up the special attack meter with fairy dust. The game slows down Matrix-style and Shrek gets to take out the bad guys with ease. The other characters get special powers but none nearly as powerful as Shrek's.

The most excitement came with Puss-in-Boots. He's super fast and it made my daughter laugh as Puss-in-Boots was able to zip around the bad guys doing figure eights while leaving the enemies in the dust. You can also play as Arthur, Donkey, Fiona, and Sleeping Beauty.

GRAPHICS: Shrek The Third really shines during the opening sequence animation. It looks like the movie in HD. The problem is when the game starts all that beautiful gloss turns into the equivalent of a PS2 game.

AUDIO: The voices are done by some pretty good imitators — good enough that kids won't know the difference.

THE WRAP-UP

PARENT'S TAKE: This is purely a kid's game. There are a few interesting puzzles that add some extra game play; however, most of the enjoyment for kids will come in being Shrek or one of the other characters working its way through the many stages.

FINAL WORD: For an adult, Shrek The Third will likely be extremely aggravating because it's far too easy. If you are a kid, it's the perfect recipe of silly gags, wacky humor, and simple game play.

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