We all know that sharks aren’t actually that dangerous. Sure, cows and vending machines kill more people every year, but that doesn’t stop sharks from having an absolutely terrifying aesthetic. These awesome apex predators have had their fair share of poor representation in film and TV, depicting them as bloodthirsty monsters, but it doesn’t stop there.
A large majority of underwater sequences in videogames jump straight to sharks as the go-to water-dwelling antagonist, and different projects have utilized them to different effects. Whether using them as an effort to prevent players from leaving the map, purely as a visual touch, or as nightmare-inducing boss battles, videogames have a lot to thank the epic creatures for.
8 Resident Evil
Though the legendary horror series is now known for having some pretty unique and unexpected enemies, the introduction of sharks in the first game only reinforced the outrageous and camp nature of the games. Wading waist-deep through crystal clear, shark-infested waters, however, was terrifying due to its nightmare-like nature.
Exploring surroundings and curiously pushing buttons lead to potentially dire consequences, encouraging one of the sharks to bash itself against the glass walls keeping it away from you. After removing the majority of the water from the enclosure, however, players still weren’t entirely safe from the massive predators, which then required electrocution to finish them off.
7 Hungry Shark World
What started as one of the most ridiculously moreish games on Android has since transformed into an equally playable game on consoles. Taking the classic eat-bigger-fish-to-get-bigger gameplay formula, players were given full access to this free roam ocean environment to level up their ferocious fish. Less truly is more in this RPG, as gamers are granted a boost ability and chomp move. Using gut instincts as to whether or not they should battle certain foes, Hungry Shark World gave players maximum freedom in their violent ventures, locations explored, and customizable appearance.
6 Grand Theft Auto 5
We’ve all done it. At some point in GTA 5, way after completing every mission and side mission that we can be bothered to do, we’ve attempted to escape. Not just Los Santos, but the physical confines of the game.
Hopping on a jet ski or taking a plane too far out beyond the ocean, however, and the game will punish you by shutting your engine down. Better yet, you’ll be accompanied by the Great Whites that roam around there. In GTA 5, these sharks are represented as fast and aggressive, and will gladly kill the player without even eating the body.
5 Far Cry: Blood Dragon
As if Far Cry 3 wasn’t already chaotic enough, DLC extension Blood Dragon took things one step further. Jumping headfirst into the early 2010’s-hype of 80’ nostalgia, Blood Dragon was a quintessential example of this obsession with all things lasers, ninjas, dinosaurs, and apparently, sharks. The Terminator-inspired additional game tasked players with killing bad guys, getting the girl and saving the world.
Through its admirable neglect of a thorough storyline, players were treated to all things majestic according to the 80’s filter of the game, including enemies and weapons. Notably, venture too far out into the waters and cyborg sharks could attack you.
4 Battlefield 4
Players were left speechless after discovering one of Battlefield 4’s more bizarre Easter eggs, which came in the form of a Megalodon. If players headed to the Nansha Strike map, which was included in the Naval Strike DLC, and recruited a total of ten players around a buoy adrift in the ocean, they were rewarded with the rare sight of the legendary shark breaching.
The massive Megalodon flies out of the water, flailing in the air before crashing back down to the ocean and disappearing. An unlikely but totally welcome addition to the FPS series.
3 Batman: Arkham City
The modern classic series that is the Arkham Trilogy is well-established for keeping its players on their toes. Though the series generally surprised players with unsuspecting plot twists and irregular gameplay conventions, the occasional jump scare was also welcomed by fans.
Perhaps the most unexpected surprise entry in the series, Tiny the shark remains one of the more memorable appearances in Arkham City. Housed by the Penguin, the massive Great White Shark was a terrifying antagonist that most players weren’t expecting in a Batman game. Treading carefully over fragile ice, the Dark Knight was at constant risk of being exposed to the massive predator and could be devoured if he entered the freezing water by mistake.
2 Maneater
Rather than fleeing from antagonistic shark foes, how about you play as one? Commandeering a hungry bull shark, players can roam a dynamic and active open world in this RPG, feasting on other wildlife and humans. Merging the absurd objective style gameplay of Goat Simulator and rampantly violent chaos of a Saints Row game, Maneater was a divisive game that left many players hungry for more.
With a vast underwater seascape, detailed landscape to explore, challenging boss battles, and numerous customizable elements for your shark, Maneater cements itself as quintessential animal gaming.
1 Ecco The Dolphin: Defender Of The Future
Don’t let the floaty, ambient music fool you, the Great White encounters weren’t anything like the dreamy, utopian ocean scenes that the majority of the game had to offer. Seamlessly hopping in and out of the water only reinforced the terror of this antagonist in Defender of the Future. Controlling Ecco the dolphin, players traveled across the ocean to protect the future of man and dolphin-kind. An encounter with a great white, however, was sure to put a stop to most players’ tracks.
The ominous shark, that could kill with one chomp, could be apprehended by tricking it into following Ecco through a hole too small for it, causing it to get stuck.