The gate is a trap!
Maneater might seem like a wacky shark simulator, but there’s a method to its madness.
Distilled, it’s actually an open world chomper that has a lot in common with games like Assassin’s Creed. In other words, there’s a certain degree of map navigation involved.
Here’s how to get out of the first area, Fawtick Bayou.
Take a good look at the map above.
Fawtick Bayou, the portion highlighted in yellow, is the very first zone you’ll come across after the prologue (which takes place on the right). After completing a number of “main quests” in the bayou (denoted by teal exclamation points), you’ll unlock the ability to move on to the next zone: this is basically the cadence in which the critical path is completed in Maneater.
The thing is, it isn’t immediately apparent how to exit the first zone as there’s several options. The right side is blocked off until you reach the “Elder” status (that corresponds to your level), which is much later in the game. You might be tempted to go south and try to figure out a way past the giant gate to no avail, but that’s not the correct route either. Instead, head west and slam into the grate circled in red in the above image. That’ll take you to Dead Horse Lake, where you can continue the campaign!
While it may seem obvious, there’s no indicator for it, so a lot of you might miss it the first time around.