Jaws Unleashed - Chum the Waters with Sean Scott

Brody said, "You're gonna need a bigger boat", and he was right. Jaws was and still is a cultural icon that feeds on peoples' fear of the water and the unknown terror that lurks beneath. The movie filled audiences with fear, and while the inevitable sequels that followed have become more of a running joke, it is that original movie that still stands as one of the all-time classics of modern cinema. This summer, the folks that brought us Ecco the Dolphin will again be taking to the open ocean, but this time they will be putting players at the helm of one of nature's most efficient eating machines with Jaws Unleashed. We had the opportunity to sit down and speak with Producer Sean Scott about his role on the project, as well as what player can expected from this unusual game when it ships in August.

First of all, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to speak with us today. What has your role been on this project? What other titles have you been involved with prior to coming into this game?

I am the game's Producer at Majesco Entertainment. The last two games I produced were Guilty Gear X2 #Reload and Ultra Bust-A-Move.

Having players take the role of the shark rather than the humans is an interesting paradigm shift. What was the inspiration that led to the team going with this particular gameplay model?

Majesco is always looking to provide new experiences to players. Why play from the human perspective when it's much more interesting to play as the ultimate predator? And if you're going to be the shark there's no better shark to play than the most universally known predator of them all--Jaws.

Besides hunting down people and other tasty morsels, what can players expect to do in Jaws Unleashed? For example, are there missions, and if so, what are they like?

There are two styles of game play-free-roaming and story missions. Free-roaming game play enables you to swim around the entire island wreaking havoc on the human and animal population. Side Challenges are also available to test your skills as you explore the ocean. Story Missions involve destruction, escape, stealth and chasing and as they sound, these missions advance the game's story.

Besides the namesake, is this game wholly independent of the films, or are there events that transpire that are in line with what was depicted in the various movies? For instance, can players expect to be able to sink their teeth into Robert Shaw?

Our story takes place 30 years after the original Jaws movie. Michael Brody, the son of the
chief, has survived all the movies and is a main adversary in our game. He is now a renowned research scientist and is trying to catch you, the shark, for research. We have other events similar to the movie such as our own acclaimed shark hunter who will be trying to hunt you just like Quint hunted Jaws in the movie. The game also has many other connections with the film including one particular Side Challenge that requires you to grab a girl and bang her against the buoy just like in the opening scene of the movie.

Was there any notable struggle in securing the rights to use the Jaws license from Peter Benchley for this game?

No. Universal Interactive has been great in helping us acquire the necessary rights.

The team at Appaloosa has obviously had a great deal of experience creating water-based games thanks to the Ecco the Dolphin series. How has the team leveraged off this experience in creating Jaws?

Players can expect to see very alive, very convincing, underwater environments that will make you feel like a part of that environment as Jaws explores them. Appaloosa has also improved on their technology to offer destructible environments and a free-roaming world.

Are you envisioning any notable differences between the PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC versions of the game? Specifically, will players be able to hunt down other players online for some shark-on-shark combat?

We are concentrating on the single player game mode to ensure that we offer players a solid free-roaming experience. The gameplay experience will be the same on all three platforms since this is a simultaneous release.

What aspect of the game is the development team currently working on today, and how is it coming along?

We're tweaking AI, adding more creatures and optimizing. There are a few challenges left but we'll tackle those in our remaining development time and ensure the final product offers a well rounded game play experience.

Is there something about that game that you are particularly proud of, or conversely is there something that you wish could have been done better but was not able to?

I am happy that we were able to give players a free-roaming experience. This adds a tremendous amount of depth to the game. I am also glad we were able to include so many sea creatures and a large variety of humans. You will encounter creatures from small sea horses to colossal squids to gigantic whales. There will be people swimming, riding jet skis, water skiing, in helicopters, on boats, etc.

Lastly, thanks you again for your time. Is there anything else you'd like to share before we let you out of the shark cage?

Jaws Unleashed is a game about destruction AND exploration. As the shark you will have a wide range of underwater, surface and air attacks to help you wreak destruction in the waters around Amity Island. We have more than 50 types of sea creatures in the game and a variety of environments including underwater caves, a ship graveyard, and beaches. Players can look forward to a very unique action game this August on Xbox, PlayStation 2 and PC.

Jun 7, 2005 - 12:00 am | 0 comments
Jason Dobson