Jaws is one of the most iconic movies of all time. It’s a movie you can watch over and over, and never get sick of. I wish I could say the same for Jaws HD ($2.99) for the iPad. The replay value is just not there.
In this game, your only objective is to rescue swimmers from being the shark’s next meal. The controls consist of tapping on the swimmer, and dragging a path to the beach or rescue boat. The more people you rescue, the more stars you earn. The later levels require a certain amount of stars, so you can’t just get by with one star for each level.
The gameplay is simple and repetitive. As you try to rescue swimmers, the danger meter at the bottom of the screen will grow. When it becomes full, the shark will appear on screen and swim in a straight path. If you don’t move the swimmers out of the way, they will be eaten. A pool of blood will indicate you have lost a swimmer. Lose three swimmers, and it’s game over. There is some strategy involved. If you move swimmers too fast, they will start to panic, and the shark will come back sooner. So, you have to find the middle ground between getting them to shore or onto boats quickly, but not so quickly as to make the shark appear often.
At times, you’ll be able to utilize a gunboat to shoot Jaws. The shot won’t kill him, but will prevent him from attacking the swimmers. Other than this gunboat, there are no other weapons to unleash on Jaws.
The game is only mildly entertaining, and for a short while. The gameplay quickly becomes repetitive, and there are only 10 levels. The value just isn’t there. Until additional content is added, I cannot recommend making the purchase.
