


In fact, it might have been the only thing. Still, humor went a long way towards keeping me engaged throughout my playthrough. There might be some trepidation if you're not a fan of cheese, especially when his lines pair with the silly pop culture references tied to the landmarks you collect. They must have recorded tons of dialogue here, as Parnell (who you may know as Jerry from Rick and Morty) didn't start repeating himself until I was heading towards the finish line. The entire vibe of the game gels thanks to Chris Parnell, who acts as a faceless Bastion-esque narrator quipping about every action you take. Still, you get plenty of customization options in the second half, especially if you're going for completion. You acquire the upgrades by defeating bosses and gathering collectibles, which means that you can't play with as many tools of destruction as you like throughout most of the campaign. You can grab electrified teeth to stun foes and bulked-up bone armor to stave off their attacks. Your female bull shark has the ability to transform into several shades of elemental monster.
MANEATER SHARKS UPGRADE
The opposing force just doesn't match with the over the top ambitions found in the gameplay, especially when compared to the upgrade system and the in-game narration. It becomes window dressing that's easy to ignore, especially when the secondary hunters are often as simple to eat as your standard enemy. However, because you're just a shark, you don't interact with any of this at all. You get occasional cutscenes and vocal lines from these characters, and the sailor sends out a whole progression of "legendary" shark hunters to murder you.
MANEATER SHARKS TV
The entire campaign sits on a reality TV show framing device that features a surly sailor who might as well be asking about a larger vessel and his educated son. This is despite the fact that the main goal involves eating hundreds of people and tackling boats to death. For whatever reason, Tripwire decided that Maneater should be realistic, or at least more realistic than you might think. Sharks also can't speak, and that's one of the issues that sink the entire enterprise.

Who needs other character traits? What is Maneater's Story Like? Ol' Scaly Pete has a hankering for shark killing. Sharks can't run around on land, so you sometimes have to flop around and hold your breath to grab an out of the way collectible. Sharks can't shoot projectiles, so you have to engage in a deadly close-range dance with every foe. Every task put in front of you requires learning new skills and adapting to the unique control challenges of being an underwater creature. This should be even more the case when you're doing something novel, and Maneater certainly excels in that regard, at least to start. No matter what other flaws it may have, you can usually ignore them if you're having a good time. It's a great start, and I'm usually overjoyed whenever a game nails its gameplay with such precision. Even the over the top absurdity of leaping through the air at a boat and picking off hunters feels deliberate and enjoyable. The animations as you dart around your prey and lunge at them teeth-first are DOOM-quality, as is the satisfying crunch of biting through a turtle shell at the last moment to regain your health. Whether you're skimming the surface with your dorsal fin or diving through sewers and caves, Maneater feels smooth and satisfying. How Is Playing As Maneater's Bull Shark?įrom the opening moments to the closing credits, Tripwire has nailed the feeling of jetting through the ocean and eating everything in your path. Yes, this is a bullshot, but it also could be the rad cover of a straight to video Asylum flick, so I love it anyway. The end result, entitled Maneater, accomplished this remarkably well, but the game surrounding this achievement is anything but remarkable.

Tripwire Interactive recently set out to make players feel like a shark, a well-worn film topic that only a few games have attempted in the past. Whether it's building out hundreds of years of civilization or fine-tuning the art of swordplay, developers have to make players feel like they're in control.
MANEATER SHARKS MOVIE
While more visual productions can conjure whatever worlds come to mind thanks to CGI and movie magic, games have to involve the player. When it comes to expressing ideas outside the norm, video games have a distinct disadvantage compared to movies, books, or other artistic mediums.
