Shrek the Third turned out to be a very controversial film. Colorful graphics and popularly beloved characters were on one side of the audience's scales, on the other - a mediocre plot, weak humor and pale, especially against the background of ogre and Co., characters. However, all this influenced the box office in the most insignificant way - the solid budget spent on the creation of the tape fought back very quickly. But be that as it may, the third part of Shrek's adventures could not reach the high quality bar set by the two previous series, and in particular - the second.
In the gaming industry, the situation has developed in a completely different way. Driven by Activision 7 Studios, it is releasing virtual adaptations of "wildfire" without interruption, keeping up with the next premiere. Unlike the movie brothers, cross-platform Shreks get better from game to game. Pass Shrek: Game Land Activity Center , wretched Shrek 2: The Game , mediocre Shrek 2: Team Action and great Shrek SuperSlam . Now Shrek the Third can be added to this list .
All the key protagonists of the triquel have successfully migrated to monitor screens. In total, the title features six characters: Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots, Sleeping Beauty, etc. It takes a long time to get used to managing cartoons, since it is not implemented by the most common method. By their type, strikes are divided into ordinary, powerful and special. Arrow keys are responsible for three types of attacks, usually assigned by developers to move functions. The greatest load, therefore, falls on the fingers of the right hand, constantly hammering with effort along the "arrows". Depending on the degree of effectiveness of the final poke into the area of the enemy's face, the coveted points are added to the player's account - the benefit of the types of super attacks in Shrek the Third is presented in abundance.
The combat system is as simple as two or two. Anyone who is in the slightest degree familiar with a computer can restore order in the fairy kingdom. Another thing is that inveterate fans of action games like this coincidence a little. In light of the above, there is no need to worry about the health of the green giant and his friends. The usual hit point bar is simply absent here. The moment the character approaches death is clearly recorded by the screen that begins to flicker in red. If this suddenly happened - you urgently need to get saving dust. How? Knock out nearby enemies. In Shrek the Thirdeverything is tied to aggression. The medical powder, by the way, promotes the frequent use of the time dilation regimen. With slow-mo turned on, already simple fighting games turn into sheer fun - Shrek's blows fall left and right, catching slowed down opponents. True, only the ogre and his wife have access to bullet-time, the rest have to rely solely on their own strength.
The single player campaign is completely linear. Mini-games, which successfully cope with their entertainment function, add some variety to the passage. Arcade fun brings not only fun, but also bonuses, which, by the way, are above the roof in the game. Upgraded strikes, additional difficulty levels, secret costumes for protagonists - in order to get all this, you will have to spend a fair amount of time playing the game.
From a graphical point of view, the brainchild of 7 Studios looks like a three-plus. The character models came out somewhat clumsy, and the animation was wooden. At the same time, "nedoburatiny" run around colorful and well-drawn locations. The misadventures of the heroes, by the way, take place not only in classic, cinematic scenery. The new environment, not included in the tape, organically fits into the world of the game. But the main trouble of Shrek the Thirdis not at all a mediocre, albeit bright, visual performance, but a general incompleteness. The first stone is in the virtual operator's garden. At times the camera behaves pretty decently, but in most cases it exposes all its bad habits to the public. Sudden movements in space, getting stuck in invisible walls are typical for her. However, this, coupled with unexpected crashes to the desktop, still somehow lends itself to common sense - ordinary platformer sores, after all - but the disgusting picture exclusively in the most popular resolution of 1024x768 causes genuine bewilderment.
Having judiciously assessed the capabilities of the project's "motor", the authors did not make videos on the engine, replacing them with good-quality scenes in the puppet theater and pseudo-comics. The full effect of immersion could have been provided by Hollywood stars who gave their voices to the animation fraternity, but, alas, it did not work out. Either the developers did not have enough money, or something else. The resulting voice acting is not a fountain. Of course, you cannot call it a failure, but when instead of Eddie Murphy (the voice of the Donkey) you hear a hitherto unfamiliar baritone, a slight disappointment ensues.
The multiplayer mode cannot be cut down to. The choice is one and only medieval fun. Each player is given a castle, a catapult and a ballista, the task is to be the first to demolish five enemy towers.
Based on Shrek the Thirdonly through the prism of "games based on", employees of 7 Studios can safely take out their records. Against the background of spring-summer tandems, the film-game Shrek's Third Coming is in a winning position. However, simply comparing the project with the most successful representatives of action / platformers, this cannot be said. All the salt is crafted. Needless to say, the project was clearly tailored to the world premiere of the animated film. Give Activision developers a little more time to polish the game, look from Shrek the Third and it would be a real masterpiece. And so - just a good product, with a fly in the ointment in the face of total underdevelopment.
Pros: addictive gameplay, familiar and beloved game universe.
Cons: a large number of bugs and shortcomings, a wayward camera.