Maneater: Truth Quest Critic Reviews

Maneater: Truth Quest is for those Maneater fans who only stopped playing because they completed everything the base game had to offer. This new expansion ups the challenge, but at the cost of repeated mission types. The narration steals the show throughout every moment of gameplay. Now, you can add conspiracies and bull shark facts to the useless knowledge Maneater has taught us, and yet, I’m all here for it.

Overall I had a fun ten or so hours uncovering the “truth”, the DLC’s final encounter was an adequate challenge that had me at the edge of my seat. Although what slightly mars my experience was the several Unreal Engine crashes I experienced during gameplay and one of these crashes actually created a soft lock which I cannot recover because of my reliance on the game’s auto save system. So while my Truth Quest Progress will never reach 100%, I can only hope other players will not have completion slip from their grasp. At the price of $14.99, Maneater: Truth Quest is a good extension to the Maneater experience and for those inclined…it’s out there.

Maneater: Truth Quest might not completely deliver on its irreverence this time around, but being a mega still delights.

Maneater: Truth Quest isn’t without its issues. At times, the lack of mission variety can make you feel like you’re treading water. And while the new setting and commentary on the ridiculousness of internet conspiracy theories work well, the gameplay doesn’t feel like a cohesive part of the narrative. In Maneater, you had a tried-and-true tale of revenge with exciting twists and a satisfying conclusion. Truth Quest certainly offers witty writing and flawless narration. It’s just a shame that they almost feel wasted without meaningful missions to support them. Despite these issues, Maneater: Truth Quest still manages to dredge up more of what kept the base game so addicting. Upgrading your shark into a radioactive killing machine is hugely entertaining. And the new bounty hunter missions and apex hunts are fun and deliver a meaty challenge to those eager to dip their fins back in the water.

Players who loved Maneater will surely find more to appreciate in Truth Quest, but it doesn't do enough to truly expand on what made Maneater so memorable in the first place. The DLC is an obvious choice for those who simply want more of the world of the base game, but anyone looking for some major leaps in either the gameplay loop or its iterations will be left a little wanting.

Maneater: Truth Quest is an enjoyable but unessential expansion for Maneater. Westhaven is an entertaining narrator but his over the top conspiracy theories just aren’t as entertaining as his documentary narration in the base game. The new missions end up falling into the same type of repetition the other missions. The new atomic shark powers are actually one of the better parts of the expansion and having a green nuclear energy ball fly from a tail whip attack was a great addition. While taking on the new sea life monstrosities provided an enjoyable challenge, Truth Quest is a necessary reason to return to the water for only the most devoted Maneater fans.

Truth Quest doesn’t add much to Maneater’s shallow sandbox, but the stuff it does add is over-the-top, ridiculous fun. Unfortunately, it’s buried under even more mindless quests in a repetitive RPG that really didn’t need more of them. The cool new atomic powers, amusing dialogue from the narrator, and excellent final boss are highlights, but are barely enough to make the rest of this return to Maneater’s seas worth your while.