Then, when the shark has leveled up enough, and something interesting happens, stick the Switch into the dock and enjoy it on the TV. Instead of feeling like these same repetitive actions are in the way of any enjoyment, they can just become background noise. It is still an issue here, of course, but the Switch is a more natural home for this kind of mind-numbing munching.īecause the Switch can be sat in a player’s lap while they listen to a podcast or watch TV, Maneater‘s main issue becomes less of one. This was my main issue when I played Maneater on Xbox when it came out. Because there isn’t that much that a shark can actually do (it’s basically either eat or swim), everything the player does in this game comes down to pretty simple actions. What may wear a bit thin to people is the variety in the collectibles and quests on offer. This is, of course, a novelty - but it doesn’t wear as thin as you probably expect. The monotony is counterbalanced by a charm in movement and animation, making the shark feel good to control. Still, in other games of this ilk, going from A to B can rarely be engaging, but here, for the most part, it is quite nice to swim and chew your way to the next objective. Maneater’s core gameplay is akin to a Ubisoft collectathon, à la Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, bringing with it the same issues of monotony and repetitiveness. It’s good that the story doesn’t over-encroach on the gameplay, though, as the basic exploration and combat at the foundation of Maneater can be so engaging on their own that it lets the player build little miniature stories in their head.
There are interjections from a narrator throughout gameplay, but they feel slightly forced, uninteresting tidbits that can only occasionally garner a smirk. The story works really well, even if it’s barely there for much of the game, with a good message on the damage humans are doing to marine life and an interesting generational story between the old, rugged Scaly Pete and his young, caring son.
The player is then basically given free rein, eating everything in its path to ready for the inevitable showdown with Scaly Pete. This is the shark the player will spend the rest of the game as. He cuts out her baby, marks it with his knife so he can recognize it, then chucks it back into the water. Pete then sees that the shark is pregnant. It’s a surprisingly engaging opening, with the shaky cameras of a sea-faring film crew making the conceit work. This is the player’s introductory zone, playing as this shark until Pete manages to capture her (and realizes it isn’t the shark that killed his father). His aim is to catch a bull shark that has been terrorizing beaches, the same bull shark that killed his father.
The game opens as a reality TV show, following this gnarly shark hunter called Scaly Pete. 3) Visuals & Audio – Muddy Waters Story – Bloody Vengeance