3.5/5 ★ – Dreamweavr85's review of Maneater.

Underwater levels are generally considered to be a illogical cliche. Gamers tend to hate them and they usually subvert a games overall control scheme. Tripwire Interactive’s Maneater completely turns that notion on its head. As a self-described “ShaRkPG,” the majority of Maneater’s open world is underwater whether it be in lakes, bayous, or the open sea. The concept of Maneater as an RPG reminds us of the risk-taking silliness we saw in games of the 90s on the Genesis and Dreamcast. Maneater takes a risk. Ultimately that risk produces a short, but very fun and enjoyable experience. Maneater puts us in the shoes—or fins rather—of a shark on a search for revenge. Stylized as a shark hunting TV show, our shark sets out on simultaneous quests to become the apex predator and get revenge on a hardened shark hunter named Scaly Pete. In the prologue, our shark is cut from its mother and scarred by Scaly Pete, who himself is seeking revenge for his father’s death. Ultimately, Maneater leaves us with a question of our attempts a meaning to death, to make sense of the meaningless. The early hours of Maneater can be challenging. As a shark with only a tail and a set powerful jaws, we don’t have many moves at our disposal. As a pup, it can be eaten by nearly any other animal. By the mid-game when our shark is an adult or elder shark, we immediately feel the difference. The initial moments of being a larger shark and literally tearing through large hammerheads is thrilling. These moments give us the silliness and overpowered feeling we come to Maneater hoping to experience. Maneater’s open world greatly benefits from the ray tracing and frame rate of the PS5. The sharks movements are smooth, slick, and fast—just like a shark should be. Though there are occasional dramatic drops, overall the smooth frame rate helps us feel exactly as one of nature’s garbage disposals. Anticipating an upcoming Switch release, I did not play the PS4 version. In comparing images, we see the PS5 version has much a much deeper range of color contrast. The graphics upgrade is most notable in the shark’s base, the grotto, where we can see a close up of our shark surrounded by colorful corals and electric wire. Our journey is narrated expertly by Chris Parnell. His comedic, satirical quips of the Port Clovis region and its inhabitants are some of the funniest jokes I’ve heard in games. One-liners and unexpected punchlines come in through Parnell’s consistently Discovery-style TV show host voice. One of the biggest shortcomings of Maneater is that we could use more of the narrator or at least a wider array of lines. Maneater never over-stays its welcome. Overall it is about an 8-12 hour experience, even for completionists. By the end, it is easy to tire of repetitive tasks and a lack of overall challenge. Maneater is perfect for a weekend or a half hour burst. It mimics the compulsion to chomp on everything in sight. Repetition and lack of variety ultimately leave us wishing for just a little more from this fun snack of a game.