Let's make one thing perfectly clear: I went into this knowing that the game was not very good. Reviews could be charitably described as "mixed" but more accurately described as "abysmal." Even so, I was completely unprepared for just how bad this game is.
Jaws is one of my favorite movies and the idea of playing a game based upon it is enticing if naive. How could a game possibly capture the excellence of the film? Even a game that is great in its own right would probably not compare favorably. I would say that you'd have to put all of that aside, but there hardly seems to be any point since all games based on Jaws have been terrible. The NES game, published by the notorious LJN was, basically like the random encounters from an RPG like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, only the map is pathetically tiny and there is nothing else to do except get random encounters.
I was hoping that Jaws Unleashed would at least be brainless fun, particularly given the premise: the player controls the shark. The idea of cruising about and eating swimmers could be, nay, should be good if shallow fun. But it isn't and I can sum up why in eight words:
Jaws steers like a cow on roller skates.
At that's all there is to it. All of the other problem with bugs and even lock-ups are dwarfed by the simple fact that getting the shark to do anything is like trying to force toothpaste back into the tube with a toilet plunger in one hand and an electric belt sander in the other. The shark is way to touchy and any attempt to steer will result in overcompensating. There are a variety of special moves, but getting into the proper position to execute any of them is just an exercise in frustration.
Also, I noticed that there are ofter targets on the sea floor that you'll need to smash, such as submersible robots that will drain your hunger which can kill you (Don't ask. I don't get how that works either) and the underwater walking tunnel at the Sea World aquarium, but for some reason you can't get very close to the sea bed. So skimming the surface to build ramming speed is not an option.
Poor handling could be forgiven if the game was set up to use this so that you have to swim by a target, try for it, miss, and then circle back to try again. But it isn't set up for this at all. The game requires precision handling in tight spaces. And you simply can not do this. It is impossible. They add insult to injury by filling the environments with lots of nooks and crannies where the shark will get stuck. Note I said "will get stuck," not "can get stuck." You will get stuck in these little holes.
The poor handling is made even more problematic with the camera, which has the usual issues. But also the camera will shift quickly from underwater to the surface, which completely louses up your view when trying to track a target.
There are options that are made to help, but I have yet to find anything that makes the shark handle better. The smart targeting option just makes things light up, it doesn't make them any easier to catch. I mean, my problem wasn't seeing the diver shooting spears into me. My problem was steering my toothy yap in his direction.
Overall, this game is a disappointing experience. I can't help but think that it would have been better if they had spent more time making sure the basic controls worked. Not to mention making sure the environment is nice and smooth so you don't get stuck every five minutes. It's all just basic handling issues which should have been worked out during the development. Especially considering the game was developed by Appaloosa Interactive who'd made the Ecco the Dolphin games and should have already worked out these handling issues. I never played those games, but if Jaws Unleashed is any indication, I hope I never do.
So, this is a game to skip completely. It's not even worth going in when you're expecting a bad game. It's just not very good.
Jaws is one of my favorite movies and the idea of playing a game based upon it is enticing if naive. How could a game possibly capture the excellence of the film? Even a game that is great in its own right would probably not compare favorably. I would say that you'd have to put all of that aside, but there hardly seems to be any point since all games based on Jaws have been terrible. The NES game, published by the notorious LJN was, basically like the random encounters from an RPG like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, only the map is pathetically tiny and there is nothing else to do except get random encounters.
I was hoping that Jaws Unleashed would at least be brainless fun, particularly given the premise: the player controls the shark. The idea of cruising about and eating swimmers could be, nay, should be good if shallow fun. But it isn't and I can sum up why in eight words:
Jaws steers like a cow on roller skates.
At that's all there is to it. All of the other problem with bugs and even lock-ups are dwarfed by the simple fact that getting the shark to do anything is like trying to force toothpaste back into the tube with a toilet plunger in one hand and an electric belt sander in the other. The shark is way to touchy and any attempt to steer will result in overcompensating. There are a variety of special moves, but getting into the proper position to execute any of them is just an exercise in frustration.
Also, I noticed that there are ofter targets on the sea floor that you'll need to smash, such as submersible robots that will drain your hunger which can kill you (Don't ask. I don't get how that works either) and the underwater walking tunnel at the Sea World aquarium, but for some reason you can't get very close to the sea bed. So skimming the surface to build ramming speed is not an option.
Poor handling could be forgiven if the game was set up to use this so that you have to swim by a target, try for it, miss, and then circle back to try again. But it isn't set up for this at all. The game requires precision handling in tight spaces. And you simply can not do this. It is impossible. They add insult to injury by filling the environments with lots of nooks and crannies where the shark will get stuck. Note I said "will get stuck," not "can get stuck." You will get stuck in these little holes.
The poor handling is made even more problematic with the camera, which has the usual issues. But also the camera will shift quickly from underwater to the surface, which completely louses up your view when trying to track a target.
There are options that are made to help, but I have yet to find anything that makes the shark handle better. The smart targeting option just makes things light up, it doesn't make them any easier to catch. I mean, my problem wasn't seeing the diver shooting spears into me. My problem was steering my toothy yap in his direction.
Overall, this game is a disappointing experience. I can't help but think that it would have been better if they had spent more time making sure the basic controls worked. Not to mention making sure the environment is nice and smooth so you don't get stuck every five minutes. It's all just basic handling issues which should have been worked out during the development. Especially considering the game was developed by Appaloosa Interactive who'd made the Ecco the Dolphin games and should have already worked out these handling issues. I never played those games, but if Jaws Unleashed is any indication, I hope I never do.
So, this is a game to skip completely. It's not even worth going in when you're expecting a bad game. It's just not very good.
