Maneater Reviews
In a world where everything is so damn serious, Maneater is a refreshing breath of air. It’s a short, fun, memorable romp through the life of a shark that’s better written than a lot of what comes out to today.
So why do I still say I would spend $40 on this game? Because it’s dumb fun. It’s junk food. It’s a B-tier game that has decent writing and is doing something different. I had fun for the just under 30 hours it took to complete everything the game had to offer. It’s not perfect, but neither has been any other title to try and tackle this sort of experience; this game is by far the best though. If just swimming around and proving who’s the real apex predator sounds appealing then this is the game to play. There’s not much out there like Maneater.
Maneater is an absolutely brilliant game. In fact, it was one of my favourite games of 2020. The action-rpg style of gameplay combined with the shark mechanics creates such a unique and fresh experience, it’s hard not to recommend it to any gamer. Keep in mind though, this is about a shark that will eat damn near everything, including people, so if you have some younger shark fans in the house, you might want to reconsider exposing them to it. Though truth be told, my little guys tried it and got a kick out of it. It’s worth noting that the issues we noted in our original review are still present in this version, including the sometimes awkward controls, repetitive gameplay, and occasional wonky camera.
Maneater plays its hand early, as the novelty of being an almost unstoppable apex predator thrown into an unforgiving ocean doesn't have much depth to it. What Maneater does have though, is a meaty world worth exploring, a fascinating system of evolution and whip-smart writing that adds colour to your deep blue killing spree.
While Maneater is certainly a title that works for me in terms of its humour and an engaging core gameplay loop, its graphic nature means it’s not going to be for everyone. If you don’t mine a little gore — okay, make that a lot of gore — this unique experience should be right up your alley.
Maneater is a fantastic central concept around which an intermittently enjoyable game has been built. It might not be a classic, but it'll be hard to forget, and that's the kind of game that typically seems better as time goes by. Expect to see this absurd bit of bloody, barbaric business pop up on lists of cult favorites for years to come, and deservedly so.
You are dangerous. Use your shark teeth to spread terror and have fun to kill everything in your way!
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Some repetition, clunky controls, and navigation issues keep it from being a great game, but it’s a breath of fresh air to play a game with such an original concept.
Maneater is neither a shallow, nor very deep experience, but provides some good fun that players can take a weekend to chew on.
Maneater is a bloody good time filled with great comedic pieces and tons of marine and human life to tear through but is a bit too repetitive for its own good.
Maneater is a solid first entry in a new open world RPG franchise. Repetitive missions and some fairly severe framerate issues hold the game back a bit, but overall Maneater is a good bit of summertime gaming fluff. You can't beat the feeling of chomping people at the beach, and Maneater provides just what gamers are looking for – fun carnage with just enough structure to keep players motivated.
Despite a fair amount of repetition and simple design, Maneater offers a surprisingly fun atmosphere with lots of bloody action to sink your teeth into.
Do I think Maneater is a good game? Yes. It’s great to kill a few hours with some fairly mindless fun. Though with that said, I do find it hard to justify the asking price on Steam of £33.99.
Aware of its own limitations, Tripwire has opted for the fun of this particular power fantasy to present us with a game that will not be part of video game history or a candidate for GOTY, but that is undeniably enjoyable and funny in all its humorous packaging.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Maneater is a weirdly entertaining game that gets boring too fast before it can achieve true fun.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Fun open world snack for in between, but lacking the last bite
Review in German | Read full review
Maneater's monster-shark feeding frenzy is fun but simple, and that lack of depth causes it to become repetitive as time goes on.
Issues aside, Maneater opportunities for shark chaos can be a lot of fun.
If you were rooting for the shark in Jaws, Maneater is the game for you.
Maneater squanders some of its potential, but it's perfect for a rainy weekend when you're craving something original. With some tweaks and patches, it'll have an even brighter legacy; or at the very least, become a cult classic alongside more out-there projects in gaming history like Stubbs the Zombie.