Shrek 2 Remastered: get the gang together online

Two people on the sofa can bring distant friends along in DreamWorks Shrek 2 Remastered. Aspyr's return to the 2004 adventure supports mixed local and online co-op, alongside entirely local or online groups of up to four. That's a welcome arrangement for a game about a travelling fairytale gang: getting the company together has become considerably easier. Shrek, Fiona and Donkey have a kingdom to cross, with room for friends to share the journey.

The remaster arrives on 10 November for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. It revives the console adventure, with characters who can fight, tackle bosses and solve environmental puzzles using their different abilities. Online play joins refreshed textures, an updated interface, improved cutscenes, Photo Mode and a Cheats Menu. The attraction is a cheerful group expedition through familiar film locations, with several practical additions for a modern gathering.

The console gang comes to PC

Shrek 2 had different games on different machines in 2004. The console release supplied the team-based action adventure being remastered here; the old PC release was a separate single-player platformer. That distinction is useful if your memory comes from playing on a computer. As VGC's announcement coverage explains, this new release brings back the console version's four-character group. PC players are getting that adventure, complete with the remaster's cooperative options.

The journey travels from Shrek's swamp to Fiona's castle in Far Far Away, taking in recognisable places and characters along the way. You smash, throw and kick through the fighting, then use the heroes' individual abilities to get through environmental puzzles. Swapping characters is available on every platform. Having several heroes to choose from gives the party a purpose beyond putting familiar faces in the same frame: the character you control helps determine how you advance.

The official screenshots are enjoyably busy. Shrek bounds amongst chickens in a fenced yard; elsewhere, the Gingerbread Man balances on a red-and-white candy cane above water. A nighttime scene gathers Puss in Boots, Gingy, a wolf in a pink dress and a rider on a white horse. There's a generous helping of fairytale absurdity in that company. The appeal of returning to this particular film tie-in lies partly in getting those unlikely companions out into its world together.

Bring the sofa online

You can play alone, share a screen with up to three other people, assemble an online group or combine couch and internet play. Mixed co-op is the most useful addition for a scattered group of friends. Some players can share a machine while others join remotely, keeping the local gathering part of the same adventure. The four-player limit applies to the group, so the invitation remains pleasantly small even when the participants are in different homes.

Crossplay between different platforms hasn't been confirmed, so agree on a version before buying copies for a remote group. On PS5, the store lists PlayStation Plus as a requirement for online play; Nintendo likewise lists Nintendo Switch Online for its online features. Those subscriptions belong in the budget if you're arranging an internet reunion. Local co-op gives a household another way to gather around the adventure, and solo play leaves room to return on your own.

For a different kind of shared puzzle session, our Sonic Pico Park preview covers its two-to-eight-player setup. Shrek's invitation is more of a storybook outing, moving a smaller party through fights, bosses and environmental obstacles. That combination suits people who want their shared game to have a destination. Far Far Away supplies one, while the cast gives the journey plenty of personalities to accompany the button-mashing.

A sharper trip to Far Far Away

Aspyr's visual changes include improved textures, the interface and cutscenes, with 4K resolution available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2 in docked mode. The original Switch sits outside that 4K list. For Nintendo owners choosing a version, the docked qualification is useful: Switch 2's advertised resolution feature concerns playing on a television. The remaster's broader attraction remains its refreshed presentation of the same fairytale trip, across both generations of Nintendo hardware.

Photo Mode adds a way to frame the cast and scenery, while the Cheats Menu lets you unlock cheats for the adventure. The screenshots already offer some promising subjects, from the three little pigs posing together to a huge dragon curled in a cavern. Those additions fit a return visit nicely. There's space to stop and look at the characters as well as press onwards through the action, with the visual refresh giving familiar locations another outing.

On the UK PlayStation Store, the regular digital price is £24.99, with a £22.49 PlayStation Plus pre-order offer listed until launch. The date to plan around is 10 November. For returning players, online and mixed co-op are the clearest reasons to assemble the gang again; newcomers get a straightforward introduction through solo or shared play. Pick the version your company can join, decide who's bringing the extra controllers and leave an evening for the road to Far Far Away.