It has been slightly over 14 years since we have had a game of this style which should relatively take you about 10 hours to 100% the game. Unless you want to count the WII attempt at a jaws game where it was nothing like Jaw Unleashed. So what do these games have in common? 3rd person view with full control of a shark, they both have a dash ability, and can use their tail. This is kind of where the similarities end though, don’t get me wrong some other moves are similar but have completely different uses in either game. Jaws can do a spinning attack which is useful on some bosses, while in Maneater, that same spinning attack is a dodge mechanic.
With these out of the way I want to get into the RPG aspects of Maneater. You start as a level 1 pup right after you play as the mother who is brutality killed by a hunter. The phases you go through as you group up depends on the level. They go from teen, adult, elder, and then finally mega. Don’t get me wrong the names are good but don’t get fooled by the title of mega. You will not really be that large. The level caps off at level 30 which means you will fall short of most bosses, equal the same level of another, and fall short of a certain other underwater dwelling see monsters by about 5 levels. So the level aspect of the game can lead to some interesting encounters which may become easier over time. At the same time I do feel a bit disappointed about the level concept when you have the added change of different equip able items.
The game appears to call them “mutations” but for the most part they are a bit weird, but give added benefit depending on which you wear. The ultimate goal of the game is revenge for the death of your mother which comes with voice over from Chris Parnell. I’m not going to lie when you hear him and his random moments or when he is describing the random exportable items in the water. One you will remember from the gameplay reveal is the mob dumping bodies which is very much the same. His voice in the game is a welcome distraction to repeating the same action like most RPGs, but for some reason it feels much more repetitive then any RPG I have played before. On top of finding flying humans in the water.
No they were not in the water they were flying almost 6 feet above it. The game has some issues. While the camera getting stuck on you in tight corners making moving impossible to the game getting you stuck and unable to move between 2 pipes. Beyond that and the feeling of mid ad dashing making it feel almost impossible to do with the camera. This game does have its faults but you cannot deny its simplistic nature and the ability to just jump in it and have a chomping good time.
Ultimately I give this game a 6.2/10 it’s not a game you should buy and hold onto by any stretch of the means because there is no planned DLC at this time. If you have the opportunity to pick it up for $25 it’s a grab it before its gone kind of a deal. I bought mine new on release day for $30 with some deals from amazon for Xbox. At that price it felt about right because the $40 dollar pricing seemed to be a bit much for what this game has to offer and the glitches and issues I’ve run into.
Writers note: This game may appear hard at first but there is a technique you learn in game that will make it so easy you could probably beat it in less than 10 hours. I just didn’t learn it until near the end.