Mixed or average reviews - based on 29 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 29
  2. Negative: 14 out of 29
  1. It's not one of those games you'll play forever, but I suspect that for many it will be one of those games that sits on the shelf so that any time you're feeling particularly evil or you've just had a bad day, you'll load it up and go eat some people.
  2. And if you are going to release a game with glitches of this magnitude at least let me save anytime and anywhere I want. Replaying a game because I want to is fun – replaying because I have to is annoying.
  3. The game is fun whether you are playing in small doses or a long sit-down marathon as there is plenty to do, see, and kill along the way. The best part of it all is that it retails for under 30 bucks! That is like a dollar an hour considering that's about how long it will take to find and do everything.
  4. 74
    Though it's correct that JAWS does suffer from a number of bothersome glitches, numerous camera issues, and sometimes-infuriating lock-ups, it also benefits from a number of gruesomely satisfying missions, a large environment to play around with, and unique combat maneuvers that you just can't do in any other game.
  5. Unfortunately, the camera and control issues may give players a headache and some annoyance, so it really comes down to whether or not you can overlook the problems and put up with some aggravation in order to see a fun game underneath.
  6. Now, the circle of Velveeta is complete: Jaws Unleashed is as gruesome as it is cheesy. [Aug 2006, p.81]
  7. I can't recommend this game to anyone, unless someone out there actually enjoys fighting with the controller while blindly swimming the seas in a vain search for their next obscure objective. Best to string up this one by its tail.
  8. Fans of the movies will dig JAWS Unleashed for the most part I'm sure, but be ready to fight the controls as much as you fight the angry Amity Island residents.
  9. The abstruse design and technical flaws leave us cold, but the sheer potential for savage bastardry makes it undeniably fun.
  10. Taking this game seriously is akin to committing intellectual suicide. I can't even believe that this game is tied into the Jaws license. I won't say that the game drags the license down into the depths, but it barely treads water with it.
  11. Jaws Unleashed isn't a terrible game, but it's riddled with control, camera, and difficulty issues that take the fun away. [Nov 2006, p.74]
  12. 55
    Putting the entire flawed premise of Jaws aside, Jaws: Unleashed would be a decent title to play if the camera system, collision detection, and graphics were up to par. But unfortunately, Jaws garners lackluster scores in every one of those categories.
  13. Jaws Unleashed is on par with its classic and memorably terrible 1987 NES counterpart. The only thing going for Unleashed as opposed to the 8-bit rendition is that you finally control the shark.
  14. Instead of playing the role of Jaws, you're playing as Jaws in a generic action-RPG. Combine that with sub-standard gameplay and controls, and a lack of "terror-of-the-deep" moments, and you've got a game that you can freely pass over without any worries.
  15. 50
    Not a disaster. Give it a rent to try out the shark-centric gameplay mechanics, but most Jaws fans will be put off by the mediocrity of the package and wasted opportunity for excellence.
  16. After this miserable showing, the only waters that Jaws will be patrolling are those of the great video game toilet. [Aug 2006, p.84]
  17. With the exceptions of deplorably bad cutscenes and haphazard signposting, there are few significant flaws here that a steadier gestation couldn't have resolved. [Aug 2006, p.90]
  18. 40
    If Jaws Unleashed was a mini game within the confines of an Ecco game, I would have said to myself, "hey this is pretty fun". But as a stand alone title driven by forgettable missions, slippery control and an overall willingness to be mediocre, it's nothing but a blueprint on what not to do when making a game.
  19. One of those "maybe worth a rental" kind of things. But with the frustration this game gives you in pursuit of that simple guilty pleasure, it may not even be worth it for those just looking to wreak a little bloody carnage.
  20. In the spirit of generosity, we'll offer that there's about 30 minutes of entertainment to be had.
  21. 40
    Either way, Jaws Unleashed is best thrown to the sharks. Having your actual torso bitten off by an actual great white might actually be preferable to this.
  22. 40
  24. The aforementioned camera and perspective problems are the worst, but the "hunger meter" seems to fill up and dissipate so arbitrarily that you never know what your stomach needs.
  25. 30
    Could've been fun, but ends up being more annoying than Mario Van Peebles. At least in the original version of that particularly sad little movie, he gave us the pleasure of having the good grace to die.
  26. It's a mess of conflicting design elements, glitches and outdated film trivia, casually entertaining for about five minutes and tear-inducingly frustrating from there on out. It tries, clearly, but it fails on almost every count.
  27. What they've actually done is take that terrible idea, and throw it into a game engine that just isn't capable of performing the task that they've asked it to. The result? Jaws Unleashed is – in a word - appalling.
  28. 30
    Just add impenetrably obtuse missions, ugly models, low visibility, a sluggish camera, and a fish that steers like a truck full of fat kids. Congratulations, Jaws Unleashed, you just killed our (sadistic) inner child.
User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 7
  2. Negative: 2 out of 7
  1. IamNlCK
    Jun 25, 2006
    Kind of a half-assed game you expect from companies who acquire movie licenses. I remember playing the original on NES when I was a kid, Kind of a half-assed game you expect from companies who acquire movie licenses. I remember playing the original on NES when I was a kid, where you have to shoot the stupid shark 5,000 times to kill it. This is a little more fun than that. Probably worth a rental....or if you find it in the $10 bin at any point. Full Review »
  2. AshleyM.
    Jun 11, 2006
    this game is top really fun and bloody everything u want in a game all those critics out there your all idiots.
  3. AlexG.
    Jun 2, 2006
    Jaws unleashed is a title that makes fans cry for joy and 1st time jaws people a good 10 hours of eating people ,seals ,killer whales, and Jaws unleashed is a title that makes fans cry for joy and 1st time jaws people a good 10 hours of eating people ,seals ,killer whales, and tiny fish.Yes the action may be repetative but it is worth the awesome $30 price. I mean how many games let you slice and dice people in 25 different ways? Full Review »