Jaws Unleashed

"If Captain Planet were a shark..."

He'd be named "Jaws."

Ok first off let me say I'm not a huge fan of the Jaws Movies, however if you at least liked the first movie or are a fan of free roaming games you should give this game a try. If you're a Jaws Enthusiast however, I might suggest a few good retailers… Anyway onto the scoring!

Plot: 4/10

Yes, there is a plot in this game. It's a shallow plot, but it's still better than nothing. The jist of it is you play as the ever ferocious man-eater Jaws. You just happen to kill some rich dude's son and now he wants you dead. Of course this man is a huge polluter and general idiot so feel free to hate and chew on all his limbs freely. (See, you're like a vicious and toothy Captain Planet!)

Game Play: 7/10

I wish I could score this higher, I really do, but, the game locks out certain environments completely once your past them and that just cuts down on the free roam exploration. Personally I would love to explore the ruins of the places I've destroyed, but sadly I am limited in my search capabilities. Other than this seemingly minor flaw the game play is quite engaging and gives you many options and tasks to keep yourself busy. Of course there are some minor bugs in the game that may result in teleporting you under the sea floor as well…

Controls: 8/10

Again another thing I wish I could rate higher, but the camera is the big issue here. Other than that the controls are actually quite flawless once you get used to them. The camera however, has a tendency to lock into some odd positions; particularly while swimming close to the surface and trying to dive really quickly. Still it is easily remedied, but annoying.

Characters: ?/10

The characters in this game are pretty shallow (no pun intended), even the last remaining Brody is hard to believe in his acting, but this isn't an Oscar wining movie so it's forgivable. Jaws on the other hand is an avatar so you really can't say if he's deep or not… All in all the jury's still out on this one…

Humor: 9/10

Whether the ridiculousness of Jaws' power and the stupidity of the people was intentional, I'll probably never know; however, these two things combined can make for some funny and truly unique moments.

Sexuality/Drugs: 1/10

You're a shark in the water… Besides the chicks in the bikinis there's nothing even remotely sexual about this game… unless you're a necrophiliac… Then you're just creppy…

As for drugs, the closest you get is the electro shock therapy of an electric eel or venom of several variety's of poisonous fish.

Violence: 10/10

Hmmm... a game based off of Jaws, how violent could it possibly be?

How about: More violent than GTA. Yup, this game makes the resident crime lords of Libert yCity, Vice City and San Andreas look like a bunch of playground bullies.

I'm serious this game is visceral (literaly) when it comes to killing things. The ripping nd tearing of victims is not only encouraged, but rewarded with doses of health. Still, you're playing as a shark and sharks kill to eat. All in all keep this game away from kids who have trouble telling whether they're a shark or no.

Conclusion: 8/10 (Not averaged)

If you can handle the quirky controls, shallow (and short) mission mode and are just looking for a good game to cozy up to for some mindless entertainment than you're in luck this game is just for you. However if you're looking for some MGS type depth to the plot keep chumming the waters, one day your shark will bite.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/30/06