Garnering a lot of popularity due to its hilarious central concept and tongue-in-cheek trailers, it seems a lot of players are incredibly excited for the release of Maneater. The new game from Tripwire - the developers behind Killing Floor and its sequel - the game sees players take the role of a particularly angry Bull Shark, as they terrorize the waters of the Gulf Coast in search of humans to eat, oceanic life to fight, upgrades to discover, and chaos to cause.
Luckily for players, Maneater released today, meaning those looking forward to jumping into the action-packed shark sim no longer have to wait to get their first taste of becoming one of the ocean's deadliest predators. That also means a ton of reviews have dropped, detailing both the positive and negatives of Tripwire's newest release.
With many evidently looking forward to seeing how Maneater's insane concept comes to life, it seems the words of critics could have significant sway over whether or not potential players pick up Tripwire's satirical action title. So, without further ado, what are critics saying about this hyper-violent shark-simulator?
Games Radar (Rachel Weber)
"This is no worthy exploration of man's cruelty to the natural world, and I suspect marine biologists would have something to say about much of the science, but it's the perfect distraction from a world gone mad, and weirdly therapeutic. When you're not filling the water with blood or launching an innocent human into the air with a flick of your tail, the waters are a pretty playground, and there's always mischief to be made in the resorts, water parks, and marinas. Just don't dob me into the killer whale I sponsored when I was 12."
Score 4 / 5
Destructoid (Chris Carter)
"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."
Score: 7 / 10
IGN (Dan Stapleton)
"It’s absolutely fun to play as mutant Jaws on steroids! Maneater chews the metaphorical scenery as often as it has you devouring humans and the diverse aquatic inhabitants of the Gulf of Mexico, and that’s some good dumb entertainment – for a while. But if you’re wondering whether its shallow combat and simplistic upgrades can sustain that excitement for the roughly 15 hours it takes to become a hulking megashark and reach the end of its uninspired satirical revenge story… it cannot."
Score: 7 / 10
Cultured Vultures (Ashley Bates)
"Maneater is a game that, for the most part, lives up to its potential, offering something a bit different than other games. While it could be regarded as something of a one-trick pony, it’s still a very good trick that you’ll enjoy while it lasts."
Score 7 / 10
GameSpot (Phil Hornshaw)
"With the sharply written, hilariously delivered narration and story beats to freshen up the experience as you go along, Maneater becomes a goofy, fish-flopping romp, with a good balance of limbs to sever, boats to wreck, and challenging creatures to render into bite-sized chunks. Maneater isn't a perfect shark simulator, but it is a fun and funny one whose positive adaptations outpace its drawbacks."
Score 7 / 10
PC Gamer (Christopher Livingston)
"It's just a shame the journey from infant to megashark isn't populated with a wider variety of activities. Like Hooper said, sharks just swim and eat, and that's unfortunately not enough to fill even a short action-RPG like Maneater."
Score 65 / 100
Kotaku (Zack Zwiezen)
"I enjoyed a lot of Maneater, even if the repetitive missions grated on me. It was fun to swim around as a shark, fighting whales and hunting down evil humans. Exploring the world of Port Clovis as a sleek and deadly maneater reminded me of how great it felt to swing around NYC in Spider-Man, including ignoring objectives to explore just a little longer and find collectibles. Despite its lack of things to do, Maneater does one thing—being a bloodthirsty shark—very well."
Score: N/A
Rock Paper Shotgun (Nate Crowley)
"The quality of the writing itself was fine, and genuinely made me smile in places. I just think it’s a tricky subject to wade into without a coherent plan for what should be said. And I know “it’s just a game,” etc., but when sharks are as perilously threatened as they are, and one of the big reasons is that people think of them as a threat to be annihilated, it’s just a bit depressing to see the idea celebrated. And whatever might be claimed about the game’s writing undermining that, I’m sorry, but that’s what it does. Maybe I’d care less if Maneater was fun enough overall to earn a pass. But as you’ve hopefully gathered by now, it’s not."
Score: N/A
Overall, it seems as though Maneater is a hyper-violent, well-written, and deeply satisfying shark simulator that uses its hilarious concept to deliver some spectacularly over-the-top action. However, it seems as though the game does have its issues, with several critics citing its repetitive mission structure, occasional technical flaws, and lack of complexity as being rudimentary to the experience as a whole. Players picking this up for a light-hearted, fun-focused shark simulator will probably find some entertainment here, however, it's worth understanding that the experience does have its drawbacks.
Maneater is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.