New Shark RPG Maneater Trailer Unleashed At E3

When Maneater first popped up at E3 last year, it made quite a splash for being the first and, to our knowledge, only single-player open-world RPG about a shark. That’s right; you play as the sea’s apex predator devouring anything and everything in your path.

Tripwire Interactive, who acquired the IP in the interim, made an appearance during the PC Gaming Show 2019 armed with a brand new story trailer and gameplay footage for Maneater.

Although real-world sharks often get a bad rep, they remain relatively well behaved only venturing in for a chomp when in danger or very hungry. But in Maneater, the rules are thrown out of the window. Tearing through limbs, capsizing boats, diving onto beaches to nab an unwitting sunbather; Maneater is all about killing and eating. Tripwire describes the game as “GTA if you were a shark.”

As for the story, the eponymous Maneater, a bull shark, has a chip on his shoulder, understandably so, having been gruesomely cut from his mother’s belly. He’s got his sights firmly set on villain Scaly Pete, self-professed best fisherman in the gulf, who in turn is out for blood after a shark ate his father. The story is told through the lens of a reality TV show called Shark hunters vs. Maneaters that follows the antics of Scaly Pete.

More than just a brutal chomping sim, Maneater features progression. You’ll start as a small baby shark pup, survive in the harsh waters of the Gulf coast, and making your way to the top of the food chain. The action won’t be confined to the open seas either as coastal areas, swamps and rivers will see maneater head inland in search of his next meal.

The more you eat, the stronger you’ll become. Food/victims/nutrients/boats/etc. act as a form of XP. Amass enough, and you’ll hit critical life phases, opening up new abilities and strength. Each developmental phase opens up evolutions or upgrades to specific parts of the shark’s body like metal teeth to shred through harder materials like boat hulls and piers, a bigger lung capacity to spend longer underwater, and a stronger tail for added jumping prowess.

Unfortunately, still no word on a Maneater release date, but Tripwire is saying they anticipate it to be available before next year’s E3. We also know it’s landing on the Epic Games Store, so it can’t be too far off.