Review: Maneater is one of the biggest surprises of the year
Source: Tripwire Interactive
There aren’t that many games out there that feature a shark as the protagonist. Beforehand, if you wanted to experience the aquatic life as a feared predator, you had to buy Hungry Shark World on Xbox One and other platforms. However, that game is all about quick play sessions and keeping your shark alive for a few minutes at a time.
Maneater manages to elevate that formula by bringing it to a 3D, open-world setting. There’s even a somewhat compelling story thrown in there in case the larger setting wasn’t enough. All of this makes Maneater one of the biggest gaming surprises of 2020 so far.
Don’t get caught
Maneater
Pros:
- Excellent underwater controls
- Lots of customization
- Looks great on Xbox One X
- Compelling narrative motivation
Cons:
- Starts off slow
- Leveling up feels grindy
- Runs at 30 FPS on Xbox One X
- No mini-map
Maneater story and objectives
Just like Hungry Shark World, the goal is to eat other fish, humans, and even alligators to gain enough DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) to evolve into a larger shark with new abilities. If you take down human bounty hunters and their vessels, as well as other tougher creatures, you gain even more raw materials and experience. All of this is just to make you stronger. The other quests not related to the main one are superfluous.
While progress can be slow to start, if you challenge yourself by going after Level 15 bosses, you’ll become an Adult or Elder shark in less time. You’ll also easily be able to upgrade abilities like Advanced Sonar to legendary levels.
Maneater combat and customization
Source: Tripwire Interactive
To get to this stage though, you’re going to have to play a lot because it’s not easy to tkae down the shark hunters. It took me around 10 hours to become an Elder shark, and the game continues to be quite challenging after that. Keep in mind that the mods are supplementary to leveling up. With each level, you gain a little more health and damage.
Category | Spec |
---|---|
Genre | RPG |
Developer | Tripwire Interactive |
Players | Single-player |
Platforms | Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch |
Price | $40 |
Xbox Game Pass | No |
I found that kiting is an effective strategy when taking down powerful enemies. Attack them for a little bit, run away, eat some fish to heal, and attack them again. Repeat this until the Level 15 alligator is dead.
Maneater additional features
Source: Tripwire Interactive
While you’ll spend the majority of your time eating, there are a ton of secrets and collectibles scattered throughout the open world. Each subregion tells you exactly what you need to find to get 100 percent completion. If you’re struggling to take down an enemy, grinding out these is an easy way to level up because they reward a lot of experience and materials.
Maneater visuals and performance
Source: Tripwire Interactive
Usually, underwater sections of various games are a little difficult to control because of odd camera angles or other glitches. Since Maneater is designed from the ground up to take place in such an environment, it’s a treat to play. Navigating is easy if you use your Advanced Sonar ability, but I still would’ve preferred a mini-map instead of having to reference the world map every few minutes.
Maneater final thoughts
Source: Tripwire Interactive
It’s hard to assign a score to Maneater because you can’t really compare it to many other titles. I think this may be the first shark role-playing game (RPG) I’ve ever experienced. I think judging it based on the enjoyment I received — subtracting the slightly frustrating and grindy aspects — is the way to go here. It’s a unique experience with challenging, yet grindy, gameplay and a quirky sense of humor.
If you own an Xbox One, you should pick this one up. It’s just a blast to play.
Eat the humans
Maneater
Evolve greatly
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
Benchmarking the new Surface Book 3 15 with GTX 1660 Ti and 10th Gen i7
Although it’s too early for a review, here are some initial benchmarks from the new Surface Book 3 15-inch with a Core i7 and NVIDIA GeForce 1660 Ti (Max-Q) and how it compares to Surface Book 2 and other premium laptops. Spoiler: While the CPU is just OK, that 1660 Ti definitely bumps up the Book 3’s potential.
Minecraft Dungeons review: Joining 2020’s top games with a bright future
Minecraft Dungeons is a game that I never knew I wanted. Combining the best of Diablo with accessible action RPG elements that are easy to learn, and deep to master, Minecraft Dungeons casts off the Diablo “clone” status and sits among the best action RPGs of the gen.
Microsoft Edge Stable channel picks up extension sync and much more
A new update is available for the Microsoft Edge Stable channel, and it brings a whole lot to the table. The highlight of this release is the addition of extension syncing, but there are a ton of other features to check out as well.
Our top 10 picks for survival games on Xbox One
There are a wealth of survival games on Xbox One, with gameplay that revolves around hunger, thirst, and oftentimes, finding shelter (or even building your own). These uniquely challenging games are plentiful on Xbox, and here are our favorites.