Evolve is the newest title from the team that brought us Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 but is it bound for similar success? Can the team possibly make lighting strike twice (or thrice if you count Left 4 Dead 2) and offer up yet another addictive co-operative based a multiplayer game or was Left 4 Dead something of a fluke?
The good news is that much in the same way in which Titanfall feels fresh yet familiar, Evolve follows a similar path. It’s not a remix of Left 4 Dead but rather the next big thing that’s currently on track to be some of the most fun you’ll have online all year.
When it comes to Evolve the question isn’t whether it will be any good or not, it’s simply what side will you take?
What Did You Think Of The Evolve Demo?
The demo presented to us was running on PC with the option to play using either mouse & keyboard or the Xbox 360 pad. For the sake of learning the buttons quickly I went with the 360 pad and unlike Left 4 Dead which felt painfully attached to it’s PC roots when played with a controller, Evole had no such problems and handled smoothly on the pad.
Evolve is a 4 vs 1 multi-player based game where one player takes the role of the beast whilst the remaining four team up as hunters in an effort to slay the beast. In some ways this is the Godzilla game that I’ve always wanted and it upsets to think it’s taken this long for someone to make this type of game. As the beast you are the lone wolf who achieves results via sheer brutality whilst the hunters have to resort to smart tactics otherwise the beast is going to punch you across the map, catch up with you and then kick your ass some more.
Since Evolve features what we like to call asymmetrical gameplay, it’s best that this preview is broken in two different portions. First we’ll be taking a look at the beast and then we’ll jump over to the hunters as both play VERY differently from each other although both have the same goal of ultimately killing each other.
The Beast
As the beast your job is simple, survive and destroy anyone who thinks you should go the way of the dinosaurs. Interestingly enough the beast isn’t actually all that powerful to begin with, in fact there’s an additional two forms that you can transform into and it isn’t smart to take on the hunters until you are at least on level two.
This might sound a little strange but as the beast, your first tactic is to run away. Yeah that’s right, the big angry beast you see in the screen shots is actually a bit of a wimp initially. You’ll get a thirty second head start on the humans so it’s highly advisable that you use that time to gain some distance between you and the humans. Once you’ve gained some ground you can begin attacking the various wildlife seen throughout the level, eating them fills up a circular bar and once it’s full you can transform into your next form by holding L & R briefly.
Initially before the start of a match you’ll be presented with four different abilities but you’ll only be able to pick two of them, it’s only once you evolve into your second form that a third ability is open to you and then the final form unlocks a fourth ability. In case you haven’t noticed, as the beast you REALLY want to level up to the next form in order to have plenty of options when dealing with the hunters.
The beast is a surprisingly agile creature, the A button can be used to jump across the map much like you’d see The Incredible Hulk do. Additionally the beast is also able to scale vertical objects by holding the L trigger so navigation through the map is a breeze. If there’s an annoying hunter firing shots at you from the top of a large platform, simply climb up there and unleash hell or alternatively throw a rock at them.
As I mentioned there are four abilities available to the beast.
- Rock Throw: It’s exactly what you think it is, you grab a chunk of the environment and throw it at players. Aim it well and you may even land a critical hit which is always fun.
- Flame: The beast his best Bowser impression with this one, it’s basically a somewhat short range flame thrower.
- Lunge: Get on all fours and deliver a powerful lunge attack which can also be used to cover ground quickly.
- ???: I actually don’t even remember what the last attack was, some kind of punch/elbow drop from a height.
Update: IanVanCheese from GAF has reminded me it’s a ground pound. Close enough…
It may be fun to take the role of a devastating beast but you’ll want to be careful even when you’re not nearby the hunters. As you navigate the environment you’ll leave footprints to which a certain classed hunter is able to highlight so it’s good to leap across the level in order to minimise the amount of clues as to your whereabouts. Holding the B button will allow the beast to “stealth” it’s way around with a slow walk that’s free of footprints although I just prefer to be a dick and do large diagonal jumps in order to throw confuse the hunters. Oh one more thing, avoid the birds as startling them will help expose your location to the hunters.
That’s pretty much it for the beast, end the hunters before they end you and place your remains in Jurassic Park. If you want to be an arrogant asshole then after levelling up to form three you can take on a new objective (which varies per level) in which destroying a generator will win the match. That’s right, you can be a friendly beast and win without actually killing any of the hunters, perhaps only their wallets.
The Hunters
The hunters in my opinion is where the real fun lies as working together as a team to take on a massive beast is always a satisfying experience. There’s just something special about overcoming the odds and trust me, a level three beast is nothing to take too lightly. If you have four players all working as lone wolfs, you will get your ass handed to you.
Much like the beast itself, each of our four hunters comes equipped with various abilities. Since the abilities are class based and unique per character, you’ll want to work together in order to get the job done. You may not have a certain ability but your friend does so you’ll be engaging in a fair amount of chatter on the headset requesting specific players to play specify roles… or just scream for a medic after the beast knocks you down.
Again like the beast, let’s take a look at the various classes and what each one generally does.
- Trapper: You’ll be in charge of finding the beast thanks a sound sensor and once that’s done you’ll be controlling the action. You’ll piss off beast players by using a harpoon to keep the monster in place and you can even deploy a mobile arena (a large bubble shield basically) that traps the beast inside.
- Assault: The Arnold Schwarzenegger class. You’ll generally dish out the most damage to the beast with your rifle and a personal protective shield acts as a safety net for your courageous efforts.
- Medic: Your job is to anger beast players in real life by constantly healing other fellow hunters with your healing ray. You’ll also have a tranquilliser gun to slow down the monster but generally speaking, you don’t want to be too involved in the action. Beast players will no doubt aim to dispose of you first before moving on to the other hunters.
- Support: The all around team member capable of both offensive or defensive play styles. Your mortar attack is great for raining hell on the beast and a cloak allows you to stay out of sight, SUPER useful if you’re the last one standing waiting for your team mates to respawn.
Since the hunters are pathetically weak compared to the beast, the only way you’ll see victory is by working together. Using a harpoon to hold the beast in place doesn’t sound that great but combine with a mortar attack from a fellow team mate and suddenly things get interesting. Oh yes I almost forgot, all hunters have access to a jet packs so you can all be annoying mosquitos to the beast.
On a personal level it’s fun to play as the beast occasionally but working as a team is far more appealing to me. If you see an annoying trapper classed hunter later this year constantly blocking your movements with his harpoon, that will likely be me.
Be Honest, Will It Suck?
From what I have played thus far, I had a great time with Evolve and it’s become one of my most anticipated games of 2014. It’s obviously not going to be a “killer app” so to speak but it reminds me of Crackdown, a game that isn’t the finest piece of software ever burned onto a disc but one that you’ll remember having a great time with years from now.
I don’t know about you guys but in recent years my interest in online gaming has faded away, it feels like it’s always the same stupid Call of Duty vs Battlefield dick waving contest every year with nothing original on the horizon. Evolve however is different and unique, it’s the type of game that will push consumers to pick up a PS4 or an Xbox One and party up with their friends. I’m already pressuring my friends to pick up a PS4 along with a copy of Evolve so we can get some kind of beast slaying team up and running.
It’s not the most visually appealing game, it’s play mechanics can something make it hard to tell if you’re dealing damage and unless you’re playing online with some friends, it’s probably a bit of a throwaway to be honest. With that said, if you’re looking to play something to play online on your new PS4 or Xbox One, I’d recommend you keep an eye out for this one. It seems like an ideal game to bust out on a Friday night after work with some friends.
I call shotgun on the trapper class!
