Jaws: Ultimate Predator

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Shark sim death match has relentless bloody attacks.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Jaws: Ultimate Predator is a simulation game in which you play as a shark. Based loosely on the Jaws movie,  players are put in the role of Jaws, an emotionless killing machine. While there may be some sense that this game is a depiction of the kill-or-be-killed food chain and underwater ecosystem, the volume of creatures to destroy and the inclusion of human scuba divers included in the killing rampage add a level of intensity to the experience. There are splashes of blood that appear when Jaws kills a victim, but the entire game is presented with less-than-realistic graphics and a clunky interface that may lessen the overall impact.

  • This game is played from the perspective of the killer shark Jaws. Players attack any and every creature that comes in their way, including fish, other sharks, and even seemingly innocent scuba divers. It is meant to glamorize the thought of killing without remorse.
  • Unlike the movie on which it is based, since this game is presented from the shark's point of view, the human element and themes of survival against all odds are erased. There is no positive role model in this game since the playable character, Jaws, is simply bent on destruction and mayhem.
  • This game suffers from clunky controls. But they are simplified and basic, so that players should have no trouble navigating around the ocean and taking out the fish and humans that get in their way. In addition, many of the underwater creatures present almost no challenge to Jaws and are easily destroyed. A few of the boss battles require more attacks and strategy, but most of them just require patience and constant attacking.
  • This game is all about killing. Players control the shark Jaws as he tears through every creature in the sea, including innocent fish, other sharks, and even human scuba divers. Any time Jaws takes out one of these underwater intruders, a small puff of blood appears. Jaws is also constantly under attack and can be hit with a torpedo, which results in a glamorized explosion. It is not the depiction that is necessarily the issue, but rather the theme of relentless and remorseless killing. However, there are no flourishes (slow-motion effects, loud sound effects, etc) when players attack other creatures.
  • Not applicable.

What's it about?

JAWS: ULTIMATE PREDATOR is based on the inimitable film Jaws, but make no mistake -- the connection is flimsy at best. Players are put in the role of Jaws, a shark that is fighting off a constant barrage of human divers. As players evade attack after attack -- while destroying as many scuba divers and other sea creatures as possible -- they explore areas ranging from the infamous Amity Island to Hawaii, the Great Barrier Reef, and beyond. The story is inverted from the original movie -- Jaws is the "victim" and has to avoid the humans who are trying to kill him. Of course, along the way players are encouraged to kill as many things as possible, from jellyfish to other, even bigger sharks. Players are successful if they kill everything around them and are not killed themselves.


Is it any good?

 

Jaws: Ultimate Predator is a repetitive, uninspired game that puts players in an unending loop of the same gameplay over and over again. Other games that follow this same basic premise have incentives for players to continue, and shake up the gameplay and strategy as they progress. This game fails to provide any of that. Even the background story, which unfolds as players complete each level, is sloppily packaged and is doesn't present a reason to keep playing. This is all assuming players can manage the awkward controls in the first place, which make performing any of the special attacks more of an exercise in futility than anything else. Plus, the graphics are somewhat crude and not on par with many other games on the current-generation consoles. In short, this game fails on every level to live up to the heralded franchise it tries to represent.


What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about the level of violence in this game. Do you think this game glamorizes violence? How much different would it be if the scuba divers were not so easily killed?

  • Does this game change the way you think about the food chain and natural ecosystem?

  • Have you ever been confronted with a dangerous situation?


This review was written by Mark Raby
Parent
April 21, 2012
 
ok if you like jaws
I have jaws unleashed and i like it so i will prop like this one

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This review was written by Mark Raby
Topics:ocean creatures
Platforms:Nintendo Wii
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Simulation
Developer:Majesco
Release date:December 1, 2011
Price:$29.99
ESRB rating:T for Blood, Violence

This review was written by Mark Raby
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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