One of the most unexpected hits from 2020, Maneater provides the definitive shark simulator nobody knew they wanted. The game sees the player in control of a nameless bull shark as it eats its way through wildlife and wannabe Captain Quints in the waters surrounding the fictional Port Clovis, a satirical amalgamation of several Floridian coastal cities.
It’s a very simple experience, as one would expect from a title with a shark as a protagonist, but Maneater’s simplicity is its number one strength. Its gameplay loop is less of a loop and more of a straight line with the word “Eat” written on it in big bold letters. Despite this, it’s hard to find fault in a game that delivers so firmly on its promise of being a shark. But after the first game’s success, it’s hard to imagine how a sequel can keep things fresh and interesting. Maybe the best way for a Maneater 2 to move forward is to look back at one of the most dangerous early game enemies from its predecessor.
It's Time for a Maneater Sequel
It has been a few years since Maneater let players take the reins of a shark, and it may be time to wonder about a potential sequel.
Maneater 2 Should Change its Protagonist to an Alligator
An Alligator Player Character is the Next Logical Step for Maneater 2
Next to sharks, alligators are some of the most iconic aquatic predators in the world, to the point where they represented a major threat in the early game of the original Maneater. Instead of a sequel focusing on another shark, it should take the formula established by the original game and apply it to a game about an alligator. The skeleton for it is already in place: eating enemies to grow to massive size, powerful tail whip attacks, and mutating into a horrible sci-fi monster. All these aspects would be very much at home in a game about a gator.
Adapting the existing mechanics and features for alligator gameplay wouldn’t be mechanically difficult, and might actually improve the experience. The first game had an intuitive system that mimicked a shark’s thrashing by having players slam the joystick left and right to devour prey. Gators are known for death rolling to finish off prey, so Tripwire Interactive could simply change the joystick movement to a circular motion.
The first title also featured numerous missions where the player had to exit the water and attack humans on land. Because sharks are strictly aquatic, these Maneater missions involved just awkwardly flopping around on dry land and eating people. This is hilarious at first, but quickly loses its humor after the sixth or seventh time the game requires it. Maneater 2 focusing on an alligator protagonist can fix this, since gators are capable of hunting on land. They’re slower and slightly less dangerous outside the water, but it’s still a place they can be dangerous and control normally.
Alligators Have Endless Potential for Mutations and New Settings
As far as new mutations go, the sky's the limit for an alligator protagonist. The mind instantly goes to a ferocious looking dinosaur monstrosity with jagged teeth and a thagomizer tail, but more subtle mutations can also work as well. The bone mutations from the first Maneater can make a spiritual return as reinforced scales for more damage resistance, and the shadow mutation can return with a bleeding-themed damage-over-time mutation set. The concept of a mutant alligator has been a popular subject in sci-fi and horror for decades, so the team has plenty of inspiration to pull from if need be.
The story was a very understated part of the first game, and to great effect. By framing it as an in-universe documentary show, it avoided anthropomorphizing the shark. One way a Maneater sequel should definitely change, though, is its setting. Instead of Port Clovis, which was clearly a satirical take on cities like Tampa and Miami, Tripwire should set the game in a fictionalized version of New Orleans to make an alligator more in its element. The game can have bayou environments, city-adjacent rivers, and, of course, no alligator simulator would be complete without the ability to lurk in a sewer.
Maneater
- Released
- May 22, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
BECOME THE MANEATER!
Experience the ultimate power fantasy as the apex predator of the seas - a terrifying SHARK! Maneater is a single player, open world action RPG (ShaRkPG) where YOU are the shark. Starting as a small shark pup you are tasked with surviving the harsh world while eating your way up the ecosystem. To do this you will explore a large and varied open world encountering diverse enemies - both human and wildlife. Find the right resources and you can grow and evolve far beyond what nature intended, allowing the player to tailor the shark to their play style. This is fortunate, because to get revenge on the cruel fisherman that dismembered you will take evolving into a massive shark, an apex predator of legends. Eat. Explore. Evolve.
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- Tripwire Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Tripwire Interactive, Deep Silver
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 8 Hours
- File Size Xbox Series
- 19 GB (March 2024)
- Steam User Rating
- 89% (October 26, 2023)
