This Game’s Got Bite – “JAWS Unleashed” Thrashes onto Xbox, PC and PS2

by Louis Bedigian

“JAWS Unleashed is all about devouring and destroying everything!”

It’s coming!  You can’t fight it.  You can’t run from it.  You can’t do anything to escape the danger that lurks deep within the water.  A danger so powerful even the toughest of creatures, including humans, may not make it out alive.

It’s hungry.  It’s vicious.  And even when they tell you it’s safe to go back into the water it’s not.  Because he will never stop craving the scrumptious taste and mouthwatering smell of…

…Red polygons!  JAWS Unleashed is a sharp shark adventure game with a delectable dose of deadly gameplay mechanics.

Most movie-based games have you control the good guys.  The so-called heroes of the film who must still be alive when the credits roll.  Not this time.  In JAWS Unleashed you control the shark.  Instead of running you’re constantly hunting, searching for that irresistible kill.

We couldn’t wait to sink our teeth into this one.  No one understood that desire more than Sean R. Scott, Producer of JAWS Unleashed.  He tells us what it means to be a shark, and why once you go JAWS, you’ll never go back.

We all remember Ecco the Dolphin.  He was kind and friendly.  Now you're playing as a Great White Shark whose only purpose in life is to eat!  How does this exciting concept translate to an exciting game?

Sean R. Scott: It's an opportunity to play an action game from a unique perspective-one that lets you experience firsthand the awesome destructive power of nature's deadliest predator.  JAWS Unleashed is all about devouring and destroying everything!   

Did you use Ecco the Dolphin as an outline for JAWS Unleashed?  Will players recognize certain traits introduced in the Ecco series?

SRS: Appaloosa, the developer of Ecco, has improved upon their technology to offer players a new experience in an underwater environment.  You can expect to see beautiful and realistic underwater locales like those from Ecco, but they will now be fully destructible.

Can you actually eat humans, or just scare them?  Can you destroy boats, discourage tourists, and cause other damage to the world?

SRS: You can eat humans, creatures, objects (license plates, tires, etc), but you can also cause terror and watch people run in fear.  You will be able to destroy all types of watercraft too (boats, jet skiers, mini-subs, etc) as well as the surrounding environment (piers, pilings, aquarium facility, etc.). 

Is this classic or what? 

The control system: what is it going to be like?  How do you swim, attack, change the camera, etc.?

SRS: We wanted to keep the controls simple so it's easy to pick up and play the game.  We will have a few preset configurations to choose from.  There are also combo moves that you earn throughout the game that require the use of several buttons/keys.

Are there any shark vs. shark battles, or battles where you have to fight other sea creatures?

SRS: Definitely.  You will be able to fight all sizes and types of creatures from small electric eels to seals to gigantic blue whales.

How can humans defend themselves against the player who is controlling one of the most ferocious creatures on Earth?

SRS: Their boats will be well equipped with fishing equipment and weaponry like machine guns, harpoons and depth charges.

“No Bob, there’s nothing below these waters.  Nothing at all.”

“Just checking.  I didn’t want a little fish to catch me.  Ha-ha-ha-ha!”

What are the game goals?  Can players swim around all day, wreaking as much havoc as possible, or are there specific tasks that must be completed?

SRS: There are two types of gameplay styles.  1) Free Roaming: You can swim all around the island wreaking havoc and the police or Coast Guard will hunt you down.  You can also complete various Side Challenges.  2) Story Missions: You can traverse through story missions that involve Michael Brody (the son who survived all the movies) and Cruz Ruddock (a renowned shark hunter) who will try to capture and kill you.

Were game ideas floating around the development team's heads before the project began?  Or was it the acquisition of the JAWS license that sparked ideas?

SRS: The idea originated from our product development team and then we quickly teamed up with Appaloosa and Universal to bring this concept to life within the instantly recognizable JAWS universe.

Making a game is never easy, and making one based on a hit movie seems to be even harder.  Were there any moments of fear or worry where the team watched the JAWS movies repeatedly, hoping to extrapolate as much of its essence as possible?

SRS: We wanted to give the fans something to look forward to so we repeatedly watched the movie to get game play ideas. There are lots of connections to the movie within our game but since you play as the shark, our game is not a literal interpretation of the movie. Above all else, the game has to be fun to play so the freedom we've had with the property has been focused against delivering a great game. 

He must have an excellent dental plan.

Thus far the graphics are coming along nicely.  Can we expect some really amazing water effects, and/or any other visual treats?

SRS: Definitely.  The team is working hard to add touches to all the effects to make everything look beautiful.

Tell us about your experience working with game composer Tommy Tallarico.  I've spoken to him about JAWS and his music ideas sound great.

SRS: Working with Tommy has been great.  He was excited to be on the project and delivered some fantastic tracks for us that work well with the signature John Williams score that will also be featured in game.