Review: Maneater (Switch)

• Platforms: Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PC
• Developer:  Tripwire Interactive
• Publisher: Tripwire Interactive
• Release Date: May 25th, 2021 (Switch Version)

On paper the concept of a shark RPG, or “shARkPG”, is absolutely ridiculous. However in reality it is, well, still absolutely ridiculous – but it works. Almost exactly a year ago today Tripwire Interactive took the open world RPG formula to the open water on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, in an experience that is action packed and full of humour, but also riddled with performance issues that could potentially spoil some of its greatest moments. Now Maneater sinks its teeth into the Nintendo Switch, and while it delivers the same entertaining experience with most of the framerate issues resolved, it makes some sacrifices in the visuals and draw distance.

You can’t really dive into the story of Maneater without almost immediately getting into spoiler territory, but simply put it is a revenge tale. You begin your journey as a shark pup, out for blood against a shark hunter known as Scaly Pete. The story of Maneater is presented as a reality television show called Maneaters vs. Sharkhunters, similar to what you’d find on Discovery Channel or Animal Planet. The game is narrated by Saturday Night Live alum Chris Parnell, who does an excellent job of providing humour to the Maneaters vs. Sharkhunters reality show.

Of course, you can’t just swim up to Scaly Pete and take him on as a wimpy little bull shark pup; You’ll need to embark on the full shARkPG experience to become an unstoppable force of nature. In order to evolve and grow from a shark pup to a massive megalodon, you’ll need to gobble up every sea creature in your path and complete a variety of missions in each of the game’s eight areas to gain notoriety. Some of these missions are simple and require you to eat a set number of a type of inferior fish or terrorize a local swimming hole or beach and devour a certain number of humans.

There are two types of missions that are the standouts, the first being the apex predator hunts. Each area in the game is patrolled by a souped-up version of one of the standard predator species you’ll cross paths with, and you’ll need to go toe-to-toe with these creatures in a fight to the death. The other mission type is the infamy rank missions, which are also a necessity to unlocking new areas. The more havoc you wreak, the higher your infamy rank will climb, which will bring all sorts of shark hunters out of the woodwork to take you out. Each infamy rank, up to a maximum of ten, is associated with a unique shark hunter mini boss that will lock onto your position. Taking these shark hunters out, as well as the previously mentioned apex predators, will unlock unique body and organ upgrades that will make your showdown with Scaly Pete that much easier.

Unfortunately, Maneater’s best moments also bring out the ugly moments of the game on the technical side. As your threat level rises and you gain infamy among the shark-hunting community, these shark hunters will unleash entire fleets of their minions your way. But as more and more boats of hunters and divers approach your vicinity, the framerate tends to drop a little, as well as some of the game’s textures disappear or become smudgy. This was a major issue when Maneater launched on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One almost exactly a year ago, and while most of it has been cleaned up there still some framerate hitches during these moments. This was likely alleviated by decreasing the visuals and draw distance of the game for the Nintendo Switch hardware, something that’s very common with third-party ports on the console.

The combat in Maneater isn’t exactly the deepest combat system, but it gets the job done. As a shark, your two main weapons at your disposal are your tail and your jaws, which are assigned to your left and right triggers respectively. For most combat situations you can easily get by with simply chomping away at your enemy and giving your right index finger the workout of its life, but the tail whip comes in handy at times, especially against late game bosses and predators. The lock-on mechanic that allows you to focus on one enemy at a time can also be a little spotty, especially in areas with a dense about of obstacles or in narrow waterways.

For the completionists out there, you’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of collectible scattered throughout all of the areas in Maneater, and they’re all relatively straightforward and simple to find. The cache collectibles contain loads of the precious nutrients needed to level up your body and organ upgrades, while the landmarks you discover provide tons of funny Easter eggs and pop culture references.

Maneater is a game that knows exactly what it is and doesn’t try to overstay its welcome. The game can easily be played to 100% completion in under 20 hours, with not a single minute of that being a dull moment. Maneater throws enough variety and challenge your way, without any need for filler or padding, and despite some minor framerate and texture issues during the game’s most hectic moments, it is highly recommended for any player to sink their teeth into. If you’re an owner of an Xbox Series console or a PlayStation 5, consider checking Maneater out there first, however if the Nintendo Switch is your only option, know that you’re getting an experience that is comparable to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game, with some visual compromises for the Switch hardware.

A Nintendo Switch review code for Maneater was provided by Tripwire Interactive