Evolve Reviews

Evolve



Evolve is a first-person, co-op based shooter that has just dropped after months of anticipation. The winner of E3's Best of Show and the Best of Gamescom awards, Evolve had a HUGE amount of hype surrounding it pre-release. So, how did it hold up?

Story
Set on the planet Shear, an elite team of hunters battles the planet's monsters to protect the colonies they are attempting to establish. That about sums it up.

There is no real continuing story mode that flows between all of your matches. Though there are cut scenes in between each mission of the Evacuation game mode, they do not work to develop a continuing story arc. On the contrary, each time you play Evacuation, a brand new story takes place based on whether the monster or the hunters win, and which map/game mode is voted for next.

If you are here for a moving or compelling story, keep looking.

Graphics



Evolve is a beautiful game. It really looks amazing. From cut scenes to the actual game play, it just looks fantastic.

The amount of detail placed in every aspect of the world is astounding. Every creature, plant, body of water, etc., all look great. Everything looks smooth and is flawlessly integrated to create a beautiful gaming experience. There is not really much more to say about it.

Gameplay
The game is a lot of fun. You have the option to play by yourself, or you can take it online to play in co-op and competitive game modes. There are four different game modes available: Hunt, Nest, Rescue, and Defend. Each provides both the hunter team and the monster with varying objectives available to secure victory. What is interesting is the different options for success either side has available to secure the win.

For example, in a game of Hunt, the monster has two options: you can either try to wipe out the hunter team before they can do the same to you, or you can level up to stage 3 and focus on attempting to take out the enemy power relay. So, the game mode provides you the option of how you want to try to win: head on combat, or more stealthy gameplay followed up by taking out an objective. The other three game modes also have similar choices, allowing you to choose how to win.

The game is also different in that it really forces you to rely on your teammates when you are on the hunter team. Though I have experienced this in PC games, it is the first time I have ever seen it well executed on a console. If you have a bad trapper on the team who cannot trap the monster in the mobile arena, the monster will get too powerful and you will lose. If you have a medic focused on sniping rather than healing, the rest of your team will be eliminated and you will lose. Sticking to your roles and relying on your teammates is essential when you are on the hunter team.



Speaking of the hunter team, that allows a good transition to discuss the various hunters and monsters. The game is always 1 v 4, the monster versus the hunter team. There are three monsters: Goliath, Kraken and Wraith. And there are 4 hunter classes, each with three available characters with different abilities to bring to the battlefield: Assault (Markov, Hyde, Parnell), Trapper (Griffin, Maggie, Abe), Medic (Val, Lazarus, Caira), and Support (Hank, Bucket, Cabot). Each monster choice and each character in every role brings something different to the table, allowing everyone to find a role that best suits their play style. Though each will take some time to unlock, any player should be able to find their niche' and fill it. For me, I like to play the medic, and Val is my go to gal. But the variety offered by each character really provides enough options to keep the game from getting stale.

Multiplayer
While the game does not force you to play online with other people, that is what it is designed for. So hop on and either wreck some hunters as the monster, or take down the hunter team once you hit stage 3!

So far, I have enjoyed my multiplayer experience. I have experienced some minor connection and technical issues, but none so severe that they have affected my gameplay. Once in-game, the connection remained stable and I had no noticeable lag or choppiness.

I also cannot speak to the Evolve community yet. It is very early in the game's release, and every match I have played thus far, I have been the only person with a headset. Hopefully it is able to avoid the toxicity and childishness or other FPS games.

Achievements
Upon first glancing at the achievement list for Evolve, it appears rather daunting. Some of the achievements are pretty tricky, and require a deal of skill and finesse.

However, all of the achievements can be unlocked in private and custom games, meaning that most of the achievements can be gained by getting a buddy to play as the monster or hunter depending on what you need. The majority of Evolve's achievements could be knocked out in one boosting session, and I even managed to unlock 15 of the game's achievements without even trying to.

The remaining achievements are all grinds. Whether it is unlocking all of the available playable characters, or bringing them to elite status, those achievements will take time, dedication, and skill. If you are looking to boost your TA score, once this game has been around for a while you will have to look to these achievements to make Evolve worthwhile.

Conclusion
Like so many next-gen games, Evolve focuses on multiplayer interaction. However, the 1 v 4 game modes, variety of characters, and different methods to achieve victory make it completely different from any other game in recent memory. Evolve is a lot of fun that is easy to pick up, but will take a lot of time to master. I am definitely looking forward for the countless hours to come.

*Update 02/19/15*
I have to drop my score for this game due to the number of issues I have found with the game. I have now put a lot of hours into this game, and the number of glitches is rather high. The most frustrating issue I have found is being kicked from the game, and the game just shutting down. This has happened to me and my friends while we have been playing, and has caused us to lose match bonuses, character progression, and even the large Evacuation XP bonus after the final match. To play a game for 45 minutes to an hour and then be booted when close to victory is beyond frustrating. I have also found issues with matchmaking, joining games, and the in-game voice client. If 2K is able to fix all of these issues then my score will go back up, but for now I have to drop it from a 4.5 to a 3.5 due to all of the issues I have encountered.

By Donyea "MR BLACKMAGIK" Cooley-White

*Originally posted on http://www.DRMGamecast.com*



This Evolution Needs More Time

Welcome to Evolve, a third-person, asymmetric, multiplayer shooter from the creators of the original Left 4 Dead. The core of the gameplay revolves around four Hunters fighting against one player-controller Monster. The Hunters have to use teamwork and communication to take down the Monster, as they individually don't stand a chance. There are four classes for the Hunters, each with three unique character that have their own set of equipment and abilities. There are also three different Monsters each with their own playstyle and abilities.

Evolve has four game modes: Hunt, Nest, Rescue and Defend. Plus Evacuation which is a combination of the four. Evacuation mode is the multiplayer replacement of a traditional story mode. Evacuation pits four hunters against a player-controller (or AI) Monster in a five game series of matches that mix in each game mode. After each match both sides get a bonus for winning or losing. The winning side is rewarded with a map bonus that alters gameplay. Map bonuses can include extra wildlife or a companion minion for the Monster, and friendly survivors or clear skies for the Hunters. While the losing side gets an overall boost to their abilities to help balance the next match. These additions add an extra dynamic that keeps Evacuation mode different every time you play. The overall winning team at the end of the five matches also receives a large XP reward that can be the equivalent of six individual matches depending on how well you did. Evolve also offers Solo and Custom options which can be played with friends or against A.I. opponents.

Evolve's greatest strength is also it's greatest weakness. Unlike most multiplayer shooters, Evolve requires a tremendous amount of teamwork from all four Hunters to successfully win against the Monster. Each class has a specific role to play, and each role is a vital key to victory. The Assault is the primary damage dealer, the Support buffs teammates with extra bonuses, the Medic heals and revives teammates, and the Trapper tracks down and traps the Monster in a dome. This is a far cry from games like Call of Duty, Battlefield, or even Rainbow Six where one skilled player can carry the rest of the team. The major issue here is that Evolve only works when you have four people who are communicating and know what they're doing. One slacker can have a serious impact on the whole team.

Hunters

Another glaring issue is how the Hunter characters are setup. To give a quick rundown, there are four classes of Hunters each with three characters. The characters are as follows:

Trappers: Maggie, Griffin, Abe
Assault: Markov, Hyde, Parnell
Medic: Val, Lazarus, Caira
Support: Hank, Bucket, Cabot



The starting characters for each class (Maggie, Markov, Val, and Hank) are the most well rounded. They serve as the starting point for players of all skill levels to immediately jump in and starting playing. But the successive characters, the characters you have to unlock through progression, aren't always better than the originals. In most cases they are more difficult to play with and in some cases are flat out worse. I'll use the Assault and Trapper classes as an example.

The first Assault character, Markov, is equipped with a Lightning Gun that automatically hits any close range target as long as you are aiming at it. It basically creates a constant stream of lighting directed at the target as long as you can stay close and have a decent aim. His second weapon is a standard Assault Rifle which can be used at close, medium, and long range. He also has a personal shield to deflect all incoming damage and Arc Mines.

The third Assault character, Parnell, who requires players to complete three 1-Star challenges with Markov and Hyde to unlock, isn't all that much better. He is equipped with a Rocket Launcher and Shotgun for his primary and secondary weapons. Both are very high damage weapons, but the Rocket Launcher obviously requires skill on the part of the player to hit a target, and the Shotgun also requires the player to get extremely close to the opponent. He also has a personal shield and an ability which makes him move faster. This combination can be better than Markov's but it is highly dependent of the skill level of the player, especially when playing against the fast moving Wraith. While Markov's setup is well suited for any situation.



Another example of this is with the Trapper class. Maggie, the first Trapper, has a pet Trapjaw named Daisy. Daisy can not only revive teammates but she also acts as a fifth player on the team who has to be killed in order for the Monster to win. Not only that, she also tracks down the Monster without the need of visual or audio cues. This alone makes Maggie one of the best Trappers to choose from. But she also has a Harpoon Launcher which snares the Monster after being placed on the ground, a Machine Pistol which does a low amount of damage, and the Mobile Arena which traps the Monster in a dome to allow the Hunters to deal as much damage as they can before it escapes. The primary requirement of the Trapper isn't to deal damage but to track and trap the Monster, and Maggie exceeds in doing both.

The second and third Trappers, however, are equipped with Sound Spikes and a Tracking Dart Pistol respectively. The Sound Spikes trip an alarm and show the position of the Monster if it passes by. However, the Monster can simply crouch past the Sound Spikes to avoid detection and the Hunter can only place five at any one time. The Tracking Dart Pistol is equally useless. It tracks the Monster by either a direct hit, or tagging a wild animal and hoping the Monster eats it. Both of these are extremely difficult to use in tracking down the Monster, especially when playing on one of the larger maps. The key to victory for the Hunters is to find and deal as much damage to the Monster before it can evolve to stages 2 and 3. Griffin and Abe both have the Mobile Arena, but the Sound Spikes and Tracking Dart Pistol pale in comparison to the Daisy-Maggie combo.

In a multiplayer focused game, progression should be the main focus to keep people playing. That progression can be in the form of better weapons, more attachments, a leveled up character, new powers, or anything that gives the player a reason to keep playing. Evolve gives the player the best, and most well-rounded characters at the very beginning and rewards them with increasingly difficult to use characters thereafter. The Monsters aren't an exception either!

Monsters



The base game comes with only three Monsters: Goliath, Kraken, and Wraith. The starting Monster is the most well rounded of the three, just as the Hunters. His abilities are well suited for close, medium, and long range, he can jump to cover long distances, and has 10 bars of armor. The Kraken and Wraith, while both strong in their own right, aren't as well suited for any situation as the Goliath is. The Kraken can fly and has good ranged attacks, but isn't very good in close-range situations. The Wraith is very fast and can easily out maneuver the Hunters, but the Wraith significantly lacks in health and armor.

Again, this is a case of the base character being the most well-rounded of the three and suitable for players of any skill level. This isn't to say the other two Monster are bad, but they both require the player to change their playstyle to fit the abilities of the Monster.

Achievements

All of the achievements can be unlocked in Custom or Solo matches. Except of course for the 4 player match achievement which is very easy. Other than that, you can gain Mastery Points, XP, and any other achievement against A.I. opponents or a friend, making Evolve's achievement list a little grindy but fairly easy to complete.

Conclusion

Evolve can be a very fun multiplayer game... as long as you have friends to play it with or don't mind finding new ones. The game almost deserves two separate reviews, one from a solo player and one from a group player. I personally only played with one other friend during my time with the game and that is what this review is based on. Combining this fact with the unrewarding progression system, convoluted pre-order bonuses, the threat of major glitches, and server issues will make Evolve a hard sell for any customer. Some people will be able to overlook these grievances but I simply cannot applaud a multiplayer focused shooter for not implement essential components required by any multiplayer video game.


- Difficulty when not playing with a party of four
- Successive unlock characters not being better than the previous
- Ridiculous amounts of retail exclusive pre-order bonuses
- Small number of Monsters (at launch)
- Minor graphical glitches
- Server connectivity issues
+ Fun if you have teammates that communicate and work together
+ Evacuation mode
+ Solo and Custom match options

6.5/10

*Originally posted on http://www.DRMGamecast.com*

(I know its kind of early for a review, but its a multiplayer only game that I spent pretty much all day playing.)

I'm not really one for writing reviews, but I'm seeing a lot of opinions being thrown around for this game so figured I'd give mine a shot. Taking some cues from other guides so feel free to let me know if I should add anything

Because of the unlocking method (see below) I haven't gotten to test every character (since I didn't pre-purchase the game). I will change monster descriptions accordingly when I test them.

Story -
The game only really has 1 cutscene and can be compared to Titanfall in the story regard. It's there, but not really relevent.
Your team of hunters is tasked with keeping the monsters at bay while trying to evacuate as much of the planet as you can. That's about it.
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Graphics -
What we've come to expect from most next gen games nowadays. Par for the course. I did have 1 map where I was getting MAJOR clipping issues (I could see the outlines of everything through walls) but hopefully that's remedied soon.
It IS a fairly dark game (depending on the map) so you can stumble into animals and plants (which can be fairly annoying) but those are the dangers of wandering through a jungle.
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Gameplay -
Evolve is a 4 vs 1 multiplayer-focused game that pits a team of hunters against a monster.
The hunter team is always made up of one of each class - Assault, Support, Tracker, and Medic.
When you start the game, you get to set your preferences for class (from 1 to 5), so that when you matchmake at least you have more than a random chance of getting what you want.

As its a team-based game, playing the hunters can be frustrating if you don't have a party. It seems many people aren't very good at playing the various classes. The game does, however, give you a short video tutorial for a character the first time you play it, and there are plenty of other in game resources to learn how to play the classes. At least for me it makes it so I never want to play Assault since I want to leave the 'easy' class to less experienced players.

You only start with 1 of each class (3 characters per class in total). You need to use the classes 3 abilities to unlock he second character. (not counting the 'shared' ability) and you need to do challenges with the second character to get the third. Can be difficult depending on the gametype (as I will note below.)

Game Modes
- Hunt - 'Deathmatch'
- Nest - Destroy (Hunter) or Protect (Monster) the eggs on the map. Monster can hatch eggs for baby goliaths.
- Rescue - Save (Hunter) or Kill (Monster) 5 survivors. Honestly found this gametype really difficult for the monster.
- Defend - Defend (Hunter) or Destroy (Monster) the power generator before the time limit is up. Also seems unbalanced towards the monsters (except maybe the Goliath.)

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Classes/Characters -
Assault - The main damage dealing class and generally the easiest to play. Meant for the front lines.
Trapper - Meant to find the monster or keep them in view.
Medic - Keeps the team healed.
Support - The supports are a bit more varied than the other classes since 'support' is kind of broad.
- All supports have a cloaking field
- Hank - Second best character for dealing damage after assault. Has a good weapon, an orbital barrage, and shield projector (shields player in crosshair.)
- Bucket - Has a guided missile launcher, deployable turrets, and a deployable UAV (which leaves him immobile.
- Cabot - Has a railgun, a damage amplifier, and a dust tagger (tags all creatures within a certain radius of the character. Essentially the hunter equivalent of the monsters 'smell' ability.)

Monsters - Haven't gotten much chance to play the monsters yet and will edit this if I learn different.

Goliath - Seems to be the most balanced monster so far, which makes sense since he'd have the most play time hours under his belt. Plays like the game says he should (weak at 1, balanced at 2, strong at 3). Has a Rock Throw, Charge, Leap, and Fire Breath. The 'tanky' monster.

Kraken - The 'ranged' monster and thus the least played. Sadly I haven't seen much of this monster yet. Has a damage dealing lightning field, tracking mines, a repulsor field, and lightning strikes.

Wraith - From what I've seen, it seems them most unbalanced. Definitely the most mobile of the monsters, it can easily reach level 3 and wipe out the hunters in Hunt mode. Conversely, it isn't very good in the 'objective' game types. It takes too long to get the 'oomph' needed to fight the hunters in Nest and Rescue. In Defend, his armor isn't really good enough to keep him in the fight at the generator. Could be people just don't have its playstyle down.
The 'rogue-like' class. Can abduct hunters; teleport and then explode; cloak and create a decoy; or go Supernova. Supernova involves the Wraith unleashing a flurry of blows against the hunters, and can do massive damage.

Hunter Quips - Like the Wraith being good/bad based on the game some hunters are really stunted depending on the gametype. Some hunters also have a hard time completing their character progression. Maggie is the most obvious example.

Maggie - The base tracker has a pet (Daisy) used to track the monster. Daisy is fairly useless in the Nest and Defend game modes (saves survivors in Rescue). Also, one of Maggie's progression challenges is for following Daisy, which you shouldn't even do in those gametypes.
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Achievements -
Currently just about every achievement can be done in private matches, so I don't see any of them being too hard (either by boosting or by skewing the game settings in your favor.)
Some, however, will be a real grind. Namely - killing 1400 animals or reaching Elite Status (Max Progression) with every character.
Nothing really too unique or standout.
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DLC -
If you've looked into this game at all I'm sure you've seen the controversy.
Currently, their 'plan' is to release at least one more hunter per class (4 total) for $7.50 each, or you can get a $25 dollar 'season pass' which gets you these 4 hunters plus a skin for each monster.
Also, they plan on releasing more monsters... for $15 each. This is further muddled by the fact there was a free monster with pre-orders, so you're essentially getting a $15 pre-order bonus.
To further make them look bad, at release, the game already has $60 worth of downloadable skins. I wouldn't have really minded this if there were more than a few skins in game already. I believe in the base game, every class/monster only has 2 skins, and you only get the second one for maxing progression.
People are very up-in-arms about this, so maybe the controversy will eventually cause them to back down, but we'll have to see. If its anything like Titanfall, the passes should be on sale rather quickly.

They have tried to counter the controversy by saying any maps will be free, but we'll have to see where this goes.
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Summery -
Overall, I think this is a really fun game, but the heavy teamwork emphasis really brings the game down as many players seem to be inexperienced. Can't say if that's really the games fault but it can get frustrating. You're definitely better-served playing this game with a group of people. As such while my personal rating is a 4, I'll bring it to 3.5 for those who don't have a group to play with.

Evolve

The idea behind Evolve is fantastic. Multiplayer games that face humans off against monsters make for fertile creative ground as seen in Left 4 Dead, the Beast Mode of Gears of War, and the online component of criminally forgotten shooter Singularity. Evolve takes this fundamental idea and attempts to run with it, using the hunter vs. beast dynamic as the basis for an entire game and pitting four well-armed hunters against a singular, but potentially devastating, alien creature. The trouble with Evolve is that a good concept can only carry you so far, and it doesn’t take long at all to find out how swiftly a game can run out of fuel when carried almost entirely by a unique, but thoroughly limited, premise.

Each game of Evolve begins as a cat-and-mouse chase through a deadly extraterrestrial environment. The monster enters the match in its most vulnerable state, small and relatively underpowered. It can still deal hefty damage to its enemies, but not enough to survive for long, so it has to stay one step ahead of its would-be killers, sneaking through the map while feeding on the abundant wildlife. The four hunters are attempting to locate the creature as it feeds, using clues such as frightened birds, discarded carcasses, and the tracking skills of their “sniffer dog,” Daisy. If the monster can successfully elude the hunters by sneaking around, stealthily killing its prey, and routinely smelling the air to pinpoint opponents, it can successfully feed on enough animals to evolve – growing in size, durability, and strength, as well as being able to invest points in its special cooldown attacks. The creature can evolve from a Stage One to a Stage Three, where it’s at its most powerful. Should a monster get to Stage Three, it’ll be strong enough to stand a good chance of wiping out the hunters entirely, and can also destroy a power relay for an instant victory.

Hunters

The hunters, for their part, are armed to the teeth with plenty of tools to help them search and destroy. Human parties consist of four distinct classes which feature three unlockable characters apiece. Characters have their own unique weapons and gear, but they conform to the basic rules of their class. Assault, quite obviously, deals direct damage to the monster, able to use a temporary personal shield and dish out pain with a range of heavy weapons. The Trapper is all about containing and controlling the enemy, throwing up domed arenas to limit its movement, utilizing harpoons to hold it in place, and working with Daisy to most effectively locate a fleeing beast. Support lays down covering fire with a brutal orbital blast, or can keep a shield active on a single player to soak up damage, while the Medic not only heals damage, but uses rifles to weaken their targets in a variety of ways. The humans all use jetpacks to get around the world, because this is videogames and jetpacks are basically obligatory now. The key to success as a hunter is to coordinate and ensure every class plays its role correctly. If the med isn’t healing, if the trapper isn’t containing, if the support and assault aren’t helping to break their quarry’s defenses, then the cause will be lost.

Monsters

Monsters start with one fiend playable – The Goliath – but can unlock the Kraken and Wraith with continued play. The Goliath is a fairly straightforward prospect, thundering around the map, using a leap maneuver to cross distances, and attacking with leaps, charges, fire breath and a rock throw. Ostensibly, it’s a big red Incredible Hulk, and it’s the most commonly played (and fought) creature in the game. It’s fairly well balanced, and in my time I’ve witnessed it emerge victorious as often as it’s been smushed to an angry crimson paste. The other two creatures are a bit more complex to play, but also seem to enjoy considerable advantages over the hunters. First of all, they both have flight capabilities, allowing for superior freedom of movement, and their attacks are hard to avoid, covering large areas while dealing huge damage. The Wraith is especially intimidating, boasting spectral abilities that see it teleporting across the battlefield, cloaking itself, and overcharging to dish out terrifyingly wild attacks. It’s supposed to be a glass cannon, but it’s a lot of cannon and it’s at least triple-glazed. I know it’s heavily advantaged because even I perform decently as a Wraith, and I’m a terrible monster player.

''Campaign''

The “campaign” shakes things up a little, but not by much. In the five-match Evacuation mode, hunters and the monster face off in a variety of challenges. Hunters may be charged to destroy creature nests, rescue survivors, or engage in a classic hunt, while the monster naturally tries to stop them. The results of one match will effect the next – for example, the hunters failing a mission may cause EMP disruptions in the next one that regularly stop their abilities from working, while a victory could unlock teleporters to get the team around the map quicker. Evolve boasts of thousands upon thousands of ways in which the gameplay might change but… it’s still the exact same thing, with a few tiny distractions thrown in. Despite alternative objectives, the game routinely fails to avoid coming down to yet another battle royale between the humans and the aberration, with victory decided by the last thing standing. It’s a stretch to call it a campaign, for that matter – like Titanfall, it’s a series of barely-connected multiplayer matches containing a few halfhearted nods toward a coherent story.

Achievements

The achievements isn't hard, but they can keep a while to unlock if you're going to do them by yourselve, Boosting it would save you so much time to fully complete the game (achievements)

This game is very fun, but you can easily get sicken when you play it too much (alone)... So I'd say that playing with friends , communicating makes the game much, much better !

Evolve is a game that allows friends to play with each other and experience what it means to cooperate. It really tests you on reliability on your teamates and as well as you.
Evolve has a variety of game modes. Which are related to what the game is trying put out. There is;"hunt(the main game mode), nest,defend,evacuation,rescue,and quick play.
The game has abundant variety of wildlife, that you kill as a hunter or that you eat to gain armour as a monster. They are vicious and ready to defend themselves. They come in all types of sizes and some with special power ability. You can decide to kill them or just bypass them.
It offers fOUR classes of hunters which are; SUPPORT, MEDIC, TRAPPER, and The ASSAULT.
The game comes with three types of playable monster: the Goliath, KRAKEN, and the Wraith. All with very special and unique abilities.


The down side to this game has one problem that no game should not have. That is the game can lose all of your saved rank, progress, character, monster, perks, anything that requires XP points to level up can be wiped, erased, vanish into thin air at anytime in the game. You can literally finish a game mode and the game redirectypu to the menu, and it will clear your saved game, but wait your game doesnt save your last progression or after each game which means the game doesn't save at all making you start from the beginning with adjusting the brightness, screen format, and learning how to play as the monster or hunter.