Maneater

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 159 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 102 out of 159
  2. Mixed: 34 out of 159
  3. Negative: 23 out of 159
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  1. nnl5
    Aug 29, 2021
    10
    This game is real fun! One of the few video games I've played all the way through and got all the unlocks. Cool game design, really accurate shark visuals, and great storytelling. Don't understand the mediocre reviews... awesome game!!!
  2. Krazykronik
    Jul 27, 2021
    10
    I loved it game was so much fun best time waster I have played in years I would recommend it for sure especially since its 19.99
  3. kisama68
    Feb 14, 2021
    8
    Lots of fun! Playing and exploring from the shark point of view! Controls are solid. Graphics are good.
    I wish the game is longer, a bit too short.
    Meanwhile never have any problem losing levels or game crashing on PS4.
  4. TheQuietGamer
    Jan 30, 2021
    9
    Ever since Steven Spielberg conquered theaters back in 1975 with the hit movie Jaws, the gaming scene has been in need of a good shark game. While there have been a handful of titles over the years that have let you take control of nature's most dangerous aquatic predator, some even bearing the "Jaws" moniker, none have really delivered on the full potential of the premise the way ManeaterEver since Steven Spielberg conquered theaters back in 1975 with the hit movie Jaws, the gaming scene has been in need of a good shark game. While there have been a handful of titles over the years that have let you take control of nature's most dangerous aquatic predator, some even bearing the "Jaws" moniker, none have really delivered on the full potential of the premise the way Maneater does.

    As you grow from vulnerable pup to unstoppable ocean terror you'll battle your way to the top of the underwater food chain by eating everything in your path to gain experience points and valuable nutrients that will allow you to level up and upgrade your various body parts and abilities respectively. The ultimate goal being to escape the backwater bayou you're tossed into, reach the open ocean, and take revenge on the shark hunter who killed your mother. The story itself plays out as a parody of reality shows like "Swamp People" and features an ever-present narrator played by Archer's Chris Parnell who regularly delivers amusing quips about whatever you're doing, making it clear that the game never takes itself too seriously.

    Things get over-the-top in best of ways as you can breach the water's surface to hunt humans on land and even mutate beyond what nature intended as a result of chemical pollution. This leads to a surprising amount of customization options for your shark that include things like bone armor and electrically charged fins.

    The core gameplay loop revolves around entering new areas and engaging in a little bit of population control of the local prey to draw out the region's apex predator for a boss battle before moving on. It's definitely a repetitive cycle, but it never got old for me as there's a constant sense of growth. Plus, exploring every beautiful environment for collectibles and side-objectives is a blast due to the amount of diversity in the scenery and Maneater having the best swimming mechanics of any game ever. Combat took a bit of getting used to due to the lack of a traditional lock-on system, but once I got the hang of darting around and realigning the camera to find my target I felt as powerful as one would hope to when inhabiting the body of massive bull shark.

    As far as flaws go, there aren't many. I did encounter pretty regular frame rate issues when swimming near the surface, particularly whenever boats were around, and one time I accidentally caused a boss to glitch out and not be able to fight back by knocking him from a larger body of water into a smaller one. All relatively minor things though that didn't really hinder my enjoyment, so I don't have much to complain about.

    In fact, Maneater is simply the shark power fantasy I've always wanted. Even after unlocking the relatively easy platinum trophy I still find myself wanting more of its cathartic thrills and the strangely serene feeling I got from just swimming around the map. This has led to what should of have been a stupid, B-movie level good time at most unironically being one of my favorite games of 2020, if not my personal GotY, and I highly recommend that everyone check it out for it's originality alone.

    9.2/10    … Expand
  5. Itregularity
    Jan 5, 2021
    10
    Excellent game albeit repetitive. Tremendous amount of fun though story is fine for what it is
  6. CyberneticState
    Sep 29, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Maneater is one of the most fun and funniest game that I've played this year. Who though that playing bull shark who causes havoc and rampage would be so much fun? Its one of those games that you can just sit back and play casually since the game is not hard (it's only hard if you try to go up against a predator that is many levels higher than you when you're still a low level shark since this game is an rpg). Great gameplay and good graphics. Great sound design and great soundtrack.

    Some of the flaws with this game is that due to to the fact that you play as a shark, you are very limited with what you can do . You can bite, thrash prey, do a tail swipe, dodge attacks, and that's about it. Due to this, the game can get repetitive after a while, but fortunately, it doesn't overstay its welcome as the game is anywhere between 15-25 hours long. The story is just ok, nothing really special, you play as a female bull shark who has to get revenge on a hunter named Scaly Pete who killed her mother and disfigured her when she was just a pup and you do eventually get revenge at the end, but at the cost of her life.
    Another thing that I found disappointing with the game is the AI behavior of predator animals. In other open world games like Far Cry, you see predators attacking other NPCs. In this game, predator only attack you when you get too close to them and that's about all they do. They don't try to attack and eat other prey animals, other predators, or humans. Due to this, don't be surprised if you find yourself getting double or even triple teamed on by predators of different species, which is just stupid.
    The game also has issues with performance as the frame rate can drop to the low 20s on both PS4 and PS4 Pro during intense fights with shark hunters. The game has also crashed on me like 3 times during the 23 hours I spent playing it and it crashed when I obtained the platinum trophy.
    The asking price of $40 is a little too high IMO for the amount of content in the game. I waited for a price drop and its a good thing I did, I got it for only $30.

    All in all, Maneater is a solid 8/10 and maybe its not game of the year material, but it still is a very fun game that I recommend if you're looking for something that a bit different.    … Expand
  7. Sinister_Soup
    Jul 29, 2020
    8
    This game surprised me on how good it is, upgrade system is good, swimming around as a shark can be cool sometimes.
  8. GoodBloke
    Jul 28, 2020
    9
    Craps all over The Shambles that is TLOU2. Superior in every conceivable way.

    It is a lot of fun albeit a bit repetitive. It’s an ot game full of blood, guts and lunacy. A silly good time that doesn’t force any sanctimonious SJW crap down your throat.
  9. Dima_rus
    Jul 26, 2020
    9
    Good game, friends ....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  10. JoelMart
    Jul 13, 2020
    8
    Simple but really fun game. I had a blast with it!
    It reminds me of a GTA but with sharks if it makes any sense xD
  11. Fl4kattack
    Jul 9, 2020
    8
    This game is genuinely great fun, a breath of fresh air compared to the last of us part 2 which really disappointed me. Maneater is a concept that shouldn't work but it just fits and provides hours of fun starting to restore my faith in the gaming industry.
  12. SomeoneWhoPlays
    Jul 2, 2020
    9
    Generally a really good game and a really fun gameplay.
    I would recommend it. I give it a 9/10
  13. Warpath75
    Jul 2, 2020
    10
    Storytelling so much better than some highly rated triple A game. Revenge story with quality
  14. Count_Willis
    Jul 1, 2020
    8
    The campaign was a bit silly, but exactly what you would've wanted from a game about playing as a giant shark. The $40 price tag plus a pre-existing love of sharks since i was very young made this an easy decision and delightful surprise. The game starts off with you setting up the revenge story as the antagonist kills our shark's mama, and marks the protagonist shark with a scar so he'llThe campaign was a bit silly, but exactly what you would've wanted from a game about playing as a giant shark. The $40 price tag plus a pre-existing love of sharks since i was very young made this an easy decision and delightful surprise. The game starts off with you setting up the revenge story as the antagonist kills our shark's mama, and marks the protagonist shark with a scar so he'll be able to identify the shark "When i see her again." The game then drops you into a bayou filled with catfish, turtles and groupers to feed on, as well as predatory muskellunge and very difficult to topple alligator. As your shark grows, you gain evolutions allowing you to do unnatural abilities for a shark, my favorite being a lightning evade where the shark literally turns into lightning and dodge incoming attacks.

    I felt this game delivered exactly what i wanted it to deliver when firing it up. Let me be a shark and do ridiculous shark things, whether thats infiltrating an orca enclosure at Water Park, or literally flopping up on land and attacking the humans who couldn't react quick enough. Chris Parnell was perfect for this, and the only thing wrong was that there wasn't enough of him. He definitely helped give this game a nature channel show vibe and the back and forth between Scaly Pete and the cameraman was very entertaining in the limited cutscenes. Another major plus was the Apex Predator fights, where your shark goes toe to toe with a variety of unique versions of the natural wildlife ( the orca had the Free Willy fin, which i found hilarious). These typically occurred when you cleared enough of the side quests in a given area to unlock the apex. I also really enjoyed the location hunting, which saw your shark biting street signs that immediately led to a very short scene of the location and a witty description from our narrator Chris Parnell. A fun example was "Longest First Date" which was a sunken rowboat with two skeletons that was not cleaned up due to jurisdiction issues between two areas police departments.

    As far as downsides go, I was unfortunately one of the folks who was affected by the corrupt save issues, finishing 2/3 game at 100% and then having your save corrupt was mind numbingly frustrating, but I felt as if I had enough game left to go to be able to jump back in. Credit to Tripwire, who were open to the issues and clearly outlined them as they fixed them. The campaign is not terrible long, and completing the entire game 100% only took me about 20 hours. (please note there are $60 games that don't have campaigns that long.)

    The camera was very wonky at times, and i wish the camera was easier to lock on opposing creatures and ships while in combat, but overall not game breaking. The missions did get a bit tedious, and honestly I'm not sure there are any sea turtles or seals left in the Caviar Key after all those population control missions.

    Overall, this was a blast. Tripwire absolutely nailed the feeling of being an oceanic god.

    Positives:
    - Just an absolute blast, expect a silly fun campaign and you will not be disappointed
    - Chris Parnell's narration
    - Tons of customizable ways to play your shark with the evolutions
    - Apex Predator fights

    Negatives:
    - SO. MANY. ALLIGATORS.
    - Wonky Camera
    - Corrupt save issues
    - Tedious side missions

    8/10    … Expand
  15. Joeldeserverdbe
    Jul 1, 2020
    10
    This game fills with awesome carnage and fills out the desire to play as a frickin shark and has become my favorite game 10/10
  16. lan19
    Jun 30, 2020
    10
    Stunning game, excellent storytelling that builds upon the unforgiving ocean. Top notch gameplay for its genre. Another masterpiece by Tripwire Interactive.
  17. VyzeTV
    Jun 30, 2020
    10
    Better than The Last of Us Part 2.
    This is the true game of this generation.
  18. Zeydlitz
    Jun 30, 2020
    9
    This is best GTA-clon ever, much better than stupid GTA5. It's allow shark to kill all humans and bit a whale. Well, its not perfect, but close.
  19. carlos1x1
    Jun 28, 2020
    10
    çsajlodkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkogbosadfngbaosljudngbsdoingbaodsfighpoaujbgfnpoiusajdfghb
  20. Ty1991
    Jun 28, 2020
    10
    Thia game is awesome! Its the only one ive ever gotten platinum trophy becuz i just kept playing and playing
  21. Lokithegoatking
    Jun 20, 2020
    8
    Have you ever wanted to go on a rampage as a shark? This is a really weird game to review. There are some pretty basic sidequests and I experienced some glitched. But it is so much fun swimming around as a shark and going on a rampage! The story is a weird mix between an 80s horror movie and a nature show. I love it
  22. Reviewbot0101
    Jun 20, 2020
    8
    Fun game, enjoyed the story can't wait for some DLC. Did crash for me a couple times but other than that had no problems
  23. Daniel0809
    Jun 6, 2020
    8
    Great game! Exciting, Intense BUT repetitive side missions and frame rate when fighting the mako shark drops terribly. Hope they make another.
  24. bersi84
    Jun 7, 2020
    8
    This review takes in account experiences made on a PS4 Pro with SSD and patch version 1.04. For me this game is fun-wise a 10 but it lacks variety and even after some much needed patching the game does not run perfectly smooth. If you are fine with button mashing and kind of repetitive open world gameplay you are up for an amazing ride, lots of fun and a not so serious story that will haveThis review takes in account experiences made on a PS4 Pro with SSD and patch version 1.04. For me this game is fun-wise a 10 but it lacks variety and even after some much needed patching the game does not run perfectly smooth. If you are fine with button mashing and kind of repetitive open world gameplay you are up for an amazing ride, lots of fun and a not so serious story that will have you laugh.

    Earlier versions of the game suffered save game corruption and worse performance issues, so 1.04 was the moment I decided to buy the game (still for full price). You start as a small shark and basically eat and explore your way up to the top of natures food chain. Gaining experience, new mutations so you can be poisonous, electric or just brutally strong. Unlocking mutations is done by progressing and unlocking the world or fighting shark hunter bosses.

    Whatever you kill gives you ressource on 4 different ressource pools that you need to upgrade secondary skills or mutations. If you do a thorough playthrough (aiming for 100%) you will most probably never be in the need to explicitly farm for ressources. Have a bite here and there go for story missions and cash in sub-quests for a constant flow of ressources. If you upgrade and pick the correct secondary skills you benefit from more ressource income while healing yourself. Every area will have you find collectibles, ressource treasures, fight special shark bosses and climax with a story progression fight. Thats the basic game loop you will progress over multiple areas.

    The world and atmosphere is well done. The shark feeling and immersion is fun and well installed. The beginning feels a little bit bothersome but oh well which early steps in life are easy. If you can get beyond the first area the game takes a big leap and also the scenery gets way more interesting. Sadly the game does not look as beautiful as on PC but it still has some amazing moments. Some regions suffer lack of detail in my opinion and could need a wider horizontal view. I can only think of performance reasons behind this.

    Controlling the shark felt a little bit confusing at the beginning. I have to admit that I had to take small breaks at earlier stages because camera swaps are hefty but it gets better when you know what you have to do. There is no real target lock only a target view, which might be the better choice but it is something you have to get used to and also get into some serious button mashing.

    Overall I had so much fun with this game that I would ve never thought of. It was this "only one more boss, only one more area, only one more upgrade" and in the midst of the night I had nearly 80% of the game done. Even going completionist the game will (depending on your personal skills) probably only take around 10 to 14hrs which is a little bit sad. The developers missed some opportunities to make the game more worthwhile and last longer. I think more variety in quests and extended sub-stories would ve helped. The game is still very fun. 40 bucks is the full price, maybe you want to wait for a small discount but the game is still fun after all so why wait if you are truly interested.

    I hope they gonna do some DLCs or Maneater 2. I can see this franchise having a bright future and I reallly would want to see an extended update for upcoming consoles to enjoy it once again with even better graphics and details.    … Expand
  25. WhizzleWhip
    May 30, 2020
    8
    I never knew this game existed until it launched and it was all over YouTube. This game is unique, creative and a blast to play! I can't put it down and am pleasantly surprised. I highly recommend you check it out
  26. iCosmic
    May 28, 2020
    9
    I really enjoyed this game. Free-roam where you unlock multiple smaller areas that intertwine with plenty of collectibles, missions and unlockables for your character. I really enjoy the progression, where you do missions for one specified area to unlock the next area. Though all of the pre-mentioned can get a little repetitive, it still feels nice to explore a new underwater area, up andI really enjoyed this game. Free-roam where you unlock multiple smaller areas that intertwine with plenty of collectibles, missions and unlockables for your character. I really enjoy the progression, where you do missions for one specified area to unlock the next area. Though all of the pre-mentioned can get a little repetitive, it still feels nice to explore a new underwater area, up and down! You can even go on land briefly. There are basically only 3 “classes” you can chose from, once you unlock them piece by piece. There is a leveling system that will keep you killing to see what your shark will turn into next! Very easy to 100% the game and get all of it’s trophies… Expand
  27. evildoomfoot
    May 27, 2020
    8
    this is a fun unique game that does a great job of not taking itself seriously. the environments are cool, the controls are solid, and the game play is fun. i can see it getting a little repetitive over time, but I've been playing it in 30min to 1 hour chunks and i'm still having lots of fun. more than anything else its super refreshing to play a game with a different perspective andthis is a fun unique game that does a great job of not taking itself seriously. the environments are cool, the controls are solid, and the game play is fun. i can see it getting a little repetitive over time, but I've been playing it in 30min to 1 hour chunks and i'm still having lots of fun. more than anything else its super refreshing to play a game with a different perspective and setting. Big props to Tripwire for making this happen. bottom line, if you are looking for a fun distraction or want to be a shark for a wile, then this is your game!… Expand
  28. Tsitchom
    May 24, 2020
    10
    Absolutely loved this game, a breath of fresh air and a step in the good direction for the gaming industry overall. I had a blast growing and swimming through the swamp, then lakes, then ocean of the vast map. Contrary to what I’ve read, I did not find this game that repetitive and when I finished it I wanted more. The great shark customization and progression keeps you hooked and givesAbsolutely loved this game, a breath of fresh air and a step in the good direction for the gaming industry overall. I had a blast growing and swimming through the swamp, then lakes, then ocean of the vast map. Contrary to what I’ve read, I did not find this game that repetitive and when I finished it I wanted more. The great shark customization and progression keeps you hooked and gives meaning to the quests. Again, I loved this game and almost can’t say anything bad about it except for some performance issues when my shark was boosted and swimming really fast (have to say I am on first gen PS4). This is a must play for anyone that likes RPGs or anyone that wants a unique and fun experience. I would 120% buy a DLC where you get to play as a crocodile, an alligator or whatever mutant beast they’d like to throw at us ! Huge thanks to Tripwire, first time that I take the time to write a review after completing a game and these guys deserve it.… Expand
  29. Eneas_frazao
    May 24, 2020
    10
    Trata-se de um jogo extremamente divertido, com alguns problemas de performance que podem ser eventualmente resolvidos em atualizações futuras. É uma boa chance se sair d mesmice dos RPGS com temática medieval e mergulhar - literalmente, em um mundo interessante de ser explorado, e diferente do que já vimos antes. Além de tudo, constitui uma nítida crítica à forma como os humanos seTrata-se de um jogo extremamente divertido, com alguns problemas de performance que podem ser eventualmente resolvidos em atualizações futuras. É uma boa chance se sair d mesmice dos RPGS com temática medieval e mergulhar - literalmente, em um mundo interessante de ser explorado, e diferente do que já vimos antes. Além de tudo, constitui uma nítida crítica à forma como os humanos se comportam frente à natureza, caçando, matando e poluindo como se não houvesse amanhã.… Expand
  30. Barry04
    May 24, 2020
    9
    I play the game on a Playstation 4 slim and its really good it makes fun and for 40 €/$ its a good game
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Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 34
  3. Negative: 2 out of 34
  1. DarkStation
    Jul 13, 2020
    90
    Unfortunately, Maneater does not have very much post-game content or replayability, but it’s a tremendously epic, over-the-top open-world action RPG where you dominate the ocean as an apex predator, gaining new and improved bio-adaptations as you rank up. Kindly do yourself a favor and play it!
    Read full review
  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Jun 26, 2020
    80
    A heck of a catch. There’s plenty below the surface: this shark RPG isn’t afraid to comment on cycles of violence and pollution, while also being a gleefully good time. [Issue#177, p.145]
  3. CD-Action
    Jun 25, 2020
    65
    The quests are painfully repetitive, you wouldn’t also call them creative exactly. But throughout the 15 hours of gameplay the ‘one more mission syndrome’ was more than apparent. [07/2020, p.44]
See all critic reviews »