JAWS Unleashed – PS2 – Preview

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.