Evolve Reviews
Evolve creates a spectacular first impression that grows dimmer over time. Once the novelty of its asymmetrical multiplayer wears off, you're left noticing all the areas where its ambitions aren't quite met by reality.
In short: not quite the evolution in multiplayer gaming we hoped for. Get friends together or good all-round players and Evolve can be a blast, but anything less than that and you'll be bored in far too short a time.
From the jaws of defeat to glorious victory is an ever-swinging pendulum in Evolve; a constant back and forth filled with blood, teeth and bullets.
Much like Titanfall, Watch Dogs and Destiny, Evolve likely serves as a good proof of concept for what will probably be a superior sequel. Turtle Rock's unique title has enough novelty to capture player interest for the next few weeks, but it is not a Left 4 Dead level game that will keep everyone engaged for years on end.
Overall, I've had fun with Evolve for the time I've had it so far, and I'll probably have a lot more fun as time goes on, as much or more fun than I had with the Left 4 Dead series. If you are looking for a new shooter that is like nothing else on the market right now, it's definitely worth giving Evolve a shot.
Evolve deserves its time in consumer hands and is a game that should not be so easily forgotten, but it does need some work to regain momentum.
Evolve definitely had big expectations to live up for but thankfully developers Turtle Rock Studios have successfully delivered the next big multiplayer epic with flawless gameplay, great characters and a truly powerful monster that kicks severe butt! Sure it does have some parallels to Aliens or Predator but in my opinion, the gameplay is far superior and is easily one of the best multiplayer games that is more than just a first person shooter.
A stunning idea that requires significant dedication
If it bleeds you can kill it
Evolve is fun when it works but has a habit of being hurt by its own ambition. Play with friends to get the best out of this game.
[I]n the end, that [amazing] moment felt like lighting that Evolve can't quite figure out how to get into the bottle.
Aside from the all but obvious graphical leap that this generation of gaming hardware grants us, it's nice to see fresh ideas in terms of gameplay. Evolve and last year's Titanfall are two examples of such originality. While it took the latter a while to get into its stride, it's nice to see Turtle Rock hit the ground running with a surprisingly competent shooter. All of its elements such as the various class options, environmental hazards, and a slew of monster skills come together to make Evolve a frantic, fast-paced game whose appeal is hard to shake off. Barring the quirky progression system that betrays its depth, there's very little else that's wrong. If you're burnt out playing modern day first-person multiplayer shooters, you may want to evolve to better things.
Under the right conditions, Evolve emerges from its chaotic approach as something sublime. But there are too many moments where I feel like a skinny 17-year-old kid hopelessly trying to guard LeBron.
I've had a lot of fun playing Evolve; it's well-balanced, satisfying and wonderfully tense at times. Some elements of the game don't quite match up to the core concept, the maps and the progression system in particular, but it's not enough to hinder the appeal. I hate myself for saying it, but I can see why Turtle Rock has taken the super-DLC route for Evolve. They're going to have a lot of hooked gamers by the end of February, and more than a few that'll be willing to part with yet more cash. That, I think it's safe to say, will be the most important measure of Evolve's success.
The previous limited releases of 'Evolve' have allowed Turtle Rock and 2K to fine-tune the server performance and gameplay. Everything hums along nicely now except for the occasional matchmaking drop, and the 4v1 cat-and-mouse formula works very well. Playing as a hunter is fun and playing as the monster is fun. There are some issues with repetitiveness, but this is one of the best asymmetrical multiplayer shooters in recent memory.
The odd way for Turtle Rock to hide away its characters and the occasional tech hiccup can put a big dampener on these experiences though, as well as the inevitable boring matches you may find yourself running into.
Evolve can be good fun. But between those moments of entertainment, the experience is often interrupted by unbalanced mechanics and matches that are over before they begin.
Whilst currently the only way to gain silver keys is by playing the game, the fact you can buy perks (which improve your character) with a considerable amount of silver keys, and the fact that certain monsters are just upgrades of others, makes me worry for the future of the game. It might be free to play, but it looks like it may be pay-to-win.
Evolve is a handsome, smart and hectic eat 'em up that's surprisingly difficult to recommend. What could have been an underground smash as a budget download has been spread thin to justify a AAA price, leading to grave concerns about its glacial progression, value, longevity and DLC strategy. Though still utterly fantastic under optimal conditions, Evolve asks far too much for an inconsistently enjoyable experience.
Evolve has rare highs hidden amongst tedious lows. When the title hits its stride, it is easy to see why it was designed in this way. Hunting down and killing a Monster or successfully overwhelming Hunters through clever hit-and-run attacks is amazing. Unfortunately, far too often, the game devolves into long, boring periods of wandering around followed by brief, intense moments of excitement. It might be a realistic depiction of hunting, but it doesn't make for engaging multiplayer gameplay. Playing with friends helps alleviate some of that, but it also means Evolve isn't something you can pick up and casually play. Add in some balance issues and a general lack of content, and Evolve is a difficult game to recommend. There's a very fun core game here, but it's so buried that most players won't find it.