Evolve The game in which you are either four hunters fighting a giant monster, or a
giant monster fighting against four hunters. Either way, it’s a pretty epic battle. Created by Turtle Rock Studios and published by 2K Games, this game takes first-person shooters to a new level of awesome.
There are a few important points, however, to note about this game. There is no campaign mode whatsoever; you are playing in a team-based arena battle where all you do is hunt a monster or be the monster…and for no apparent reason. There is also precious little back-story and no plot progression to speak of. There is only, in a word: ACTION. Often this is not a bad thing. In Evolve‘s case, however, it is.
For a game that costs approximately $60 (USD) or €55 (EUR), you would expect a little more bang; something to do besides fight against other players or AI in burst matches lasting from 2 to 8 minutes. Even then, battles aren’t really that interesting. Playing as the monster, you must “feed” until you can evolve into what’s called a “Stage-Three Monster”. Then you must wreck the base that the heroes are trying to protect. In another scenario, you must protect your eggs while feeding, and then kill the hunters as they are being evacuated. Playing as the hunters, it’s the same thing but reversed. You are always out to kill the monster, period.
Playing as a hunter is definitely more interesting than as a monster.
There are currently four classes to choose from Trapper, Assault, Medic, and Support. The Trapper endeavors to physically restrain the monster. The Assault tries to damage the monster with weapons. The Medic heals your team. The Support…well…supports your team, primarily by creating a special dust cloud that can reveal the monster when it’s cloaked. However like in any good strategy game, if the Medic goes down you are pretty well screwed (unless you have much experience or are a very advanced fighter).
Within each class are individual characters who bring to battle a small amount of personality, albeit not enough to fill the game’s overall variety void. Certain entry-level characters are playable right away, while more advanced ones can only be unlocked after leveling up the entries. Thi
s is done over and over, rinse and repeat until you have unlocked all the characters.
Despite the impressive graphics, the overall gameplay is dry and tasteless. It left me disappointed; wishing there was more to this big-money title. But there wasn’t.
You don’t get to play the characters long enough for them to be really memorable, and it feels as if the game is desperate for your attention.
Ultimately, is the game worth it? Absolutely not. If I wanted to fight a really powerful being in a massive group I would go all Saxton Hale mode in Team Fortress 2. It too has no campaign mode and offers a similar style of arena battle. Yet it’s FREE to play!
If Evolve was free to play, or at least in the $15 (USD) or €13 (EUR) range, it would be worth it. 2K Games could offer “pay to unlock” characters and just sell skins to make a profit, as well as host tournaments for squads and guilds. At its current price and degree of variety, I cannot recommend Evolve.
An autistic gamer with opinions on games who also enjoys making dumb videos on the internet!