Evolve Review

Evolve

Release: February 10, 2015
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Turtle Rock Studios
Genre: MMO, Shooter
PEGI: M
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Evolve Review

The terrain of the planet Shear is devastatingly dangerous and exceptionally beautiful. The planet was populated in an effort to establish colonies far in the distant future. However, when vicious and ruthless monsters began to destroy the civilization, the plant became a warzone. The graphics and story created for the new hit FPS MMO Evolve are unique and enchanting and tell the story of Shear’s birth, death, and rescue with beautiful style. The planet is equal parts treacherous and stunning and the hunters who sneak through its terrain to hunt down the invading monsters are sure to find a new surprise around every corner.

A Five Year Break

In 2008 the at-the-time relatively-unknown game company Turtle Rock Studios released what would become one of the most iconic zombie games of the century, Left 4 Dead. The online co-operative play introduced was a first for zombie games that usually focused on a single player experience. The game was hugely well received and spawned an even more praised sequel. Whether it was inter-company issues or the fear of following up Left 4 Dead 2’s success, some unknown force made it so Turtle Rock went silent for almost five years. When trailers for Evolve started to spread through the community it was clear that Turtle Rock was back with a vengeance, attempting to once again add a new dimension to online play.

The World of Shear

Early beta testing for Evolve had fans immediately reeling at the beauty of the foreign planet created exclusively for the game, and already falling in love with the barrage of unique and interesting playable characters. Evolve tells the story of a team of hunters brought together by a one of the best retired monster hunters in the universe, William Cabot. The team is sent by dropship to Shear to exterminate the monster terror before it destroys them first. The hunters (a group of five) work together using their individual skill sets to track each monster down and end it. The four classes, Trapper, Medic, Support, and Assault, all have a vital role to play, and with three unique personalities for each class there is someone for every gamer.

Each hunter class has a variety of weapons, and by playing each character extensively the player can unlock decorative graphics for their player badges and even new character skins. The Assault class is burly demolition men, the Trappers are sneaky survivalists, the Support a powerful combination of help and agro, and the Medics are intelligent, nimble-footed scientists. Evolve offers a mixture of weapons ranging from portable shields, harpoon guns, mines, and heat-seeking missiles to shotguns, ensure that every player will be able to find a favorite character and preferred strategy. And of course, if no hunter is striking your fancy, you can always play as the ruthless monster yourself.

Hunt, Nest, Rescue, Defend

Evolve, due to its nature being MMO, of course offers players the chance to challenge themselves against and align with other players all over, building powerful teams or crushing them as the beastly monster. In addition to the standard hunt, players can also build custom matches for themselves and bots, or with friends. The game also offers three other game modes: Nest (destroying Monster eggs), Rescue (protecting survivors as they travel to safety), and Defend (keeping power stations in tact as the clock winds down). These options give new players a chance to hone their skills before diving into the arena with random players, or let them level up certain weapons they may be having trouble applying in a normal game. Searching for a team online can also take a very long time if the player is attempting a party at a bad time of day.

Evolve has proven that Turtle Rock Studios has once again redefined online co-operative play. With a creative idea as their base, beautiful originality and design to back it up, and just-plain-fun gameplay, they are sure to have another hit. While the $60 price tag will turn some away, you must also consider how much real game time you are paying for. Matches can last anywhere from five to thirty minutes and you have the chance to make new friends along the way. One of the most original and fun co-op games in years, Evolve is one game you’ll want to hunt down.

Positives

• Creative and engaging world
• Variety of game modes
• Large amount of unlockable and achievements
• Fantastic graphics

Negatives

• Long lobby loading time
• Hard to run on even slightly out of date computers

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