JAWS.io
By Paul Semel,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Ad-heavy multiplayer take on classic shark movie.
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JAWS.io
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What’s It About?
Inspired by Steven Spielberg's classic 1975 movie, JAWS.IO has you either being one of many boats that's trying to kill a giant shark, or being a shark who tries to get all those boats to stop bothering you. Why? Well, the game doesn't say, but if you're a boat, it's probably because you want to stop the shark from eating people, and if you're the shark, you're probably feeling a little peckish. Good thing this game has simple controls that just require you to drag your finger across the screen in the direction you wish your boat or shark to go in to accomplish your goal of scoring the most points possible in a round.
Is It Any Good?
While this online multiplayer game is weirdly fun, it's undermined by all the video ads you have to sit through to simply play a round. In JAWS.io, you use the game's simple touch controls to drive a boat full of grizzled old fisherman who are trying to stop a shark. If you're successful, you get to be the shark, while your fellow players man the boats. It's like they turned Steven Spielberg's classic movie into a cartoony arcade game that's essentially that old playground favorite "Kill the Guy with the Ball." Except in the film, the fisherman didn't shoot at the shark, and the shark didn't get bigger as it ate swimmers and destroyed boats. Regardless, the one with the most points at the end of the round is the winner. It's relatively easy to play, and easy to get into, and as long as you're not facing off against someone that's got more experience in controlling the shark or the boars in the game, you can rack up a high score.
It's just too bad that JAWS.io kills a bunch of the fun by running a video ad at the end of every game (well, unless you spring for the ad-free version, of course). Similarly, JAWS.io constantly runs ads that players can watch to earn points for boats or sharks, which feels like it misses the point of the movie or the gameplay in favor of blatant commercialism. But, If you can get past this, though, you'll have fun swimming with the sharks of JAWS.io.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about advertising. JAWS.io runs ads after every match unless you pay for the ad-free version, but do all the ads make the game less fun for you? Why do you think they include so many ads?
Is the impact of the violence in JAWS.io affected by the cartoonish nature of the gameplay? While it makes sense that a shark would eat helpless swimmers, does it make sense that boats would be rewarded for running people over?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPad, Android
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: February 15, 2019
- Category: Arcade Games
- Topics: Ocean Creatures
- Publisher: Universal Studios Interactive
- Version: 1.0.0
- Minimum software requirements: Requires iOS 9.0 or later; Android 5.0 and up
- Last updated: June 19, 2020
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