Evolve Reviews
Evolve is a tense and gratifying online shooter.
[C]onsidering some of the subpar game modes, I can't help but feel this package could have been something bigger.
Evolve is a strong co-op title that rewards good teamwork with an amazing experience. Plenty of variety in classes and game types makes every round something new.
Evolve offers something different, even if it doesn't always succeed
Evolve is easy to recommend to anyone looking for something different in the world of big-budget shooting games. Though the game is at its best when you can play it with friends, it also has plenty to offer for single-player gamers. You need to be ready to lose a half-dozen matches while you figure out how Evolve works, but this is a game which will absolutely reward your patience with hours and hours of fun.
In emphasizing level progression, skill growth, and unlockable characters, Turtle Rock smothers Evolve's premise.
Turtle Rock Studios' brand of Asymmetrical Multiplayer in Evolve is right up there with the very best that we've seen, with a complimentary presentation to match. For anyone looking for a reprieve from military shooters, Evolve can be an exhilarating change of pace.
Evolve is a content light asymmetrical multiplayer game that asks far too much from its players, often requiring an organised group to get the full experience. Without any singleplayer content, it is a hard sell to anyone individual.
Titanfall breathed fresh air into online shooters before repetition quickly wore off the sheen. And unless Evolve is properly supported after release, it will likely suffer the same fate. But, as it stands, this is a brave new take on the genre. Its varied mechanics are quick to learn and hard to master, and it's worthy of attention from anyone tired of the endless cycle of military shooters.
Though its long-term ability to survive has yet to be seen, in the short run that this first-person shooter has been out in the wild, it's already proven itself as a beast of a different color, and one that certainly will provide thrills and the joy of the hunt for anyone looking to stare right back at it.
Evolve is brilliant in the right circumstances and with the right people, but it's hard to unreservedly recommend to everyone. Those with dedicated teams will get the most out of the game while those in matchmaking will find mixed results. Still, Turtle Rock deserves recognition for attempting - and almost nailing - such an ambitious project.
When it all comes together, Evolve is the finest vehicle for the player-driven narratives developer Turtle Rock covets, but inevitably pacing can be an issue.
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 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.
Sadly, Evolve stumbles onto the scene and right into the unmemorable category of unremarkable mediocrity.
As an overall game, it offers a basic shooter with a nice gimmick, and I do think you can gather some friends together to get an afternoon's worth of laughs out of it. I don't believe there's enough mileage to have those laughs regularly, though, and certainly not enough to where I'd recommend rushing out and getting it so soon after launch.
We're still in the early days of Evolve. There are still free characters, weapons and abilities to unlock for most of us. While the lack of a real story mode may upset some, most people who purchase this game are doing so for the multiplayer, plain and simple. On that front, Evolve impresses when things go as planned. Get a group together, work as a cohesive unit, and have fun blasting those ugly aliens to hell and back. Or play as a Monster, alone but oh so badass. Evolve has a hint of greatness, but a lack of content at launch and a jarring amount of premium launch and planned DLC hold it back. What we have here is an evolution of the Left 4 Dead formula, not a revolution.
There's an ambitious and wonderfully tense multiplayer game hidden somewhere deep inside of Evolve, and on the rare occasions you can coax it out with perfectly balanced teams and a little luck, you'll understand exactly what Turtle Rock was aiming for. More often than not, however, you'll find yourself stuck in another dull and lengthy traipse through the jungle with an unsatisfying and lopsided payoff, made all the worse by a lack of substance or long-term appeal.
Tactically deep, and bursting with character, Evolve offers a level of nuance rarely found in multiplayer shooters.
A great idea in theory, but in practise the novelty wears out extremely quickly, with a serious lack of variety in game modes, maps, and tactics.