Video Game Review - Maneater: Truth Quest DLC

Rob reviews Maneater: Truth Quest DLC on Xbox Series X...

Tripwire brought something fresh to the table with their 2020 shaRkPG Maneater. The tale of Man Vs. Shark in a GTA style setting was both crazy and quite good. Whilst its mission structure outstayed its welcome, the open world, the shark, and narrator Trip Westhaven were the shining diamond within the rough. 

Not content on letting sleeping a bull shark lie, Tripwire are back with Maneater: Truth Quest. This new piece of DLC continues the story of Trip Westhaven whilst also trying to explain the why to the many mutations our shark gains throughout its journey. It's a very tongue-in-cheek conspiracy journey that'll much like the base game - doesn't take its self too seriously. 

The shining star of this new DLC is Chris Parnell - the voice behind Trip Westhaven. Parnell sells the narrative behind Truth Quest as he rants about conspiracy theories whilst dishing out random bull shark facts. There are some pretty random moments too when Parnell seems to go off-script. Whether he does or not is up for discussion but it all works in highlighting both Trip Westhaven's paranoia in finding the truth. 

Aside from more Chris Parnell, Truth Quest brings us a new location. Set away from the sights of Port Clovis, we're sent to a shady military base that's got plenty of shady elements going on. Everything from secret submarines, heavily armed soldiers and giant monsters in cages make up this new location. While it's not as large as Port Clovis, there is plenty to see with the DLC letting you explore every nook and cranny. 

Much like the main story, the same mission rotation makes its (un)welcomed return. Truth Quest will still see you having to eat "X amount of this enemy", or "fight this apex predator", but you'll also be tasked with destroying communication towers and the odd time trial. Each mission is also pretty hard as the human population has had quite an upgrade. Considering your now attempting to eat military personnel, they're now armed with assault rifles and the like. The biggest upgrade is the newly named bounty bosses. If you thought the final fight against Scaly Pete was tough then you're in for a hard time. The picture that battle, then add everyone in the same boat! 

Thankfully to offset this difficulty the level cap has been raised. With this new cap, you're also given one more organ slot which can make all the difference as you progress. I found that equipping my shark with a fully upgraded electric set helped, but the DLC was still a challenge. For those who want more, the expansion also introduces a new evolution set that's centred around radiation. You'll end up getting the full set as you complete the story, and you're also able to take it back to Port Clovis. The only problem here is that without a new game plus mode, there's nothing worth going back for. So unless Tripwire either add yet more DLC or an NG+ mode, then once Truth Quest is over it's back to the shelf for Maneater. 

All in all this new expansion is for those who want more. It doesn't add a lot to the main Maneater experience that's not already available. Aside from a couple of new missions, it's the same old style through and through. The real star of the expansion is Chris Parnell who makes everything believable. If you're yet to experience Maneater then Truth Quest will keep you playing, however, if you've already finished rampaging across Port Clovis, it's not worth coming back to! 

Rating 7/10 

A code was kindly provided for this review.

Maneater: Truth Quest is out now and can be purchased via the Microsoft Store by clicking here. 

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev