You're not ready for Maneater's tragic backstory

(Image credit: Tripwire)

Maneater is a game about a shark with a real taste for human flavored snacks, but at PAX East 2020 we got a look at the psychology behind the big, wet killing machine with new story gameplay. 

"The premise of the game is that it's a reality show called Maneaters, and it's following our antagonist Scaly Pete," explains Tripwire CEO John Gibson. In a cutscene that vegetarians might want to look away for, we see Scaly Pete mutilate a female shark, cut out her baby, and then slash that shark pup's fin. That shark pup? That's the rightfully angry hero of Maneater. And your revenge starts with a little taste of Scaly Pete's arm before he flings you into the ocean. 

"From here you take on the role of the baby, the pup, exploring the world, and learning what it's like to be very vulnerable as a small shark and then that journey to becoming a very powerful shark."

You can see more of the open-world RPG gameplay above, including how the shark uses its tail to turn its fellow ocean dwellers into deadly projectiles. Shocking to know that David Attenborough has never caught this behavior on camera. 

Maneater will be released on May 22, 2020 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. 

See what else is on the way this year with our guide to the best upcoming games of 2020. 

Rachel Weber
Managing Editor, US

Rachel Weber is the US Managing Editor of GamesRadar+ and lives in Brooklyn, New York. She joined GamesRadar+ in 2017, revitalizing the news coverage and building new processes and strategies for the US team.