RATING AND CONTENT
Recommended for ages 14 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Ease of play: 3 out of 5
Violence: 4 out of 5
Sex: 0 out of 5
Language: 0 out of 5
Drinking, drugs, and smoking: 0 out of 5
Consumerism: 5 out of 5 (Are products/advertisements embedded? Is the title part of a broader marketing initiative/empire? Is the intent to sell things to kids?)
APP DETAILS
Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
Price: Free
Release date: May 5, 2016
Category: Action Games
Size: 413.00 MB
Publisher: Ubisoft
Minimum software requirements: iOS 8.0 or later; Android varies with device
Parents need to know that Hungry Shark World is a game where you take control of a shark and make it as big as possible by killing and eating sea creatures and people. To stay alive, sharks must stay in motion and constantly eat, and the highest-value targets are human tourists. Both sea life and humans bleed when attacked, and human attacks result in screaming and crunching sounds. It’s possible to play without spending money, but free gameplay requires watching a lot of commercials for other apps, and a slow upgrading process encourages players to break out the cash. Read the app’s privacy policy to find out about the types of information collected and shared.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Hungry Shark World doesn’t have much of a narrative; it simply gives you control of a hungry shark and lets you eat everything in sight. The idea is to eat nonstop, avoiding bigger predators and harmful objects, thus growing as big as possible and taking on bigger prey. Steer your shark via the touchscreen and use occasional boosts to swim around various oceans looking for food. Schools of fish, crabs, turtles, and swimsuit-wearing tourists are all fair game. Without a steady stream of food, you die. Without spending real money on upgrades, it takes quite a bit of gameplay and ad watching to advance your shark to the next level.
IS IT ANY GOOD?
Though it takes time to get the hang of steering your starter shark, once you do the fun really kicks in. The two virtual thumbstick controls are mostly pretty good, and the movements of the AI fish are just random enough to look real without it being impossible to catch them. Early on, the life meter counts down very quickly, and schools of tiny fish are just not enough to keep your shark alive. Survival depends — at first — on eating humans. Yes, hapless swimsuit-wearing tourists must be mercilessly devoured in a cloud of blood if you want to get anywhere, and although the cartoony graphics mitigate this some, it’s still disturbing. On the other hand, players not fazed by dead-eyed fish with rows of razor-sharp teeth eating people are in for a lot of fun. It’s cool to level your shark, not to mention buy upgrades for it with gold you’ve earned by eating. It’s also fun earning the experience needed to unlock bigger sharks and different ocean maps. Of course, if you’re not the patient type, unlocks are easily purchased. Aquatic phobias aside, this is one underwater eating contest that’s well worth entering.
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Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit organization offering unbiased ratings and trusted advice to help families make smart media and technology choices. Check out our ratings and recommendations at www.commonsense.org.
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