JAWS Unleashed

E3 Preview 2005

Jaws: Unleashed is the first game to be based on the most famous great white shark of filmdom since Jaws on the Nintendo Entertainment System. However, this time around, players get to play the game through the eyes of the shark itself. Developed by Appaloosa Entertainment, the same folks behind Ecco the Dolphin, Jaws: Unleashed is similar in design to the former, although the focus has certainly shifted from being a friendly dolphin to a killing machine. With open-ended gameplay and a nifty dismemberment engine for realistic, er, eating, Jaws: Unleashed is looking like a creative reinvention of a classic franchise.

The premise in Jaws: Unleashed returns to the island resort town of Amity as it begins to lose its small-town draw and becomes overrun with huge corporations. One such corporation is Environplus. All of the industrial activity taking place has drawn your attention to the area, and you end up killing the son of the CEO of Environplus. He then hires a shark hunter to kill you, so your mission is then to evade the hunter (as well as Michael Brody, son of Chief Brody from the first two films and currently a marine biologist) while wreaking havoc on the small island community. 

The Jaws: Unleashed moves a lot quicker than the Ecco games, which had a noticeably deliberate pace to them. When attacking prey, you swoop down on them hard and fast, ripping them apart. The dismemberment engine makes for several different disconnection points on each prey, so tearing them to shreds looks disgustingly realistic. The game is also pretty non-linear, allowing you to go around and explore instead of simply completing the main missions. You have a plethora of side missions that you can complete, and boss battles against enemies like giant squids, orca and huge hunting boats.

Fans of the films and gamers in general should take note because, come this August, it won’t be safe to go back in the water.