Evolve Reviews
The 4v1 formula is original but inherently limited; how long Evolve holds your attention will depend on how much you enjoy the hunt.
That is of course, if the community remains active. Reviewing games that focus themselves so centrally on a mutliplayer environment is difficult.
Evolve convolutes its simple idea with too many mechanics, dulling what should have been a great experience.
At its simplest, Evolve is one of the best new ideas to be turned into a game of recent times, invoking so many monster and alien films along the way. Its attention grabbing hook can only take it so far, though, and Evolve needs you to persevere through the first few hours as you get to grips with the hunt and learn how to play the game. Admittedly, it can be hit and miss when paired up with AI players through matchmaking, but as with so many games, it can be pure gold when played with friends.
The class-based rewards, compendium of achievements, and the adrenaline of capturing and killing a trophy monster makes for a compelling game.
Evolve is really good fun. With its four-player co-op matches sharing so much base DNA with Left 4 Dead, it's great that it feels like something completely different. It still shares that pace - extended moments of quiet followed by massive bursts of excitement - but provides it in a very different manner. There's not a huge amount of content in Evolve compared to many unlock-led games, but by keeping things tight the game always stays focussed on what's important: the thrill of the hunt. The almost absence of variety in the map design may well hack down Evolve's lasting appeal, but what's here in the main game is perfect for many great hours.
Evolve's premise is never capitalized on, although it's strong core is notably well done. However, appeal is low in long term appeal and high in gratuitous DLC.
Fortunately, the hunts in Evolve stand out as the game's greatest strength. There's no denying that some players will find the formula repetitive after a short while, and the lack of other great game modes contributes to that repetition.
While the game is most fun when played with friends or a team with communication in the strength column, it's just as enjoyable to get into a solo match and hunt, be it a monster, or hunters.
Evolve may not be as fleshed out as other multiplayer shooters, but it's still one of those rare games that chases after something different and actually succeeds. It's built for incredible, player-driven stories; when you just barely triumph over a level three monster, or when you wipe out a group of hunters within a few minutes. Our biggest fear going into Evolve is that it would only be fun in short bursts, but every time we play the session lasts for hours. Even now, there are still so many things we want to get better at and experiment with. Needless to say, we're going to be hunting on Shear for the foreseeable future.
Evolve is a novel take on the cooperative and competitive multiplayer genre. The game is packed with interesting ideas but some work better than others. The fact that characters are locked at the beginning weighs it down by a wide margin and the erratic matchmaking also puts a damper on the whole thing.
Evolve broke my heart.
Fun, if overly frantic, Evolve is a genuinely unique online offering. Its intriguing ideas don't always pay off, and content-wise the game is a little bare bones, but hey, monsters!
Despite repetitiveness in modes and characters, Evolve offers replayability thanks, in part, to its addictive competitive nature.
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.
If you can find four people who are willing to sign a blood pact to convene for a ritual night of Evolve once or twice a week, then by all means enjoy the hunt (and where do I sign?). If not, you have to ask yourself if you are really prepared to deal with the peaks and frequent valleys of the experience. Personally, I think there are better ways to spend your time than gambling on a decent match, hoping one or two of your friends can make it on sometime over the weekend.
Like Left 4 Dead before it, Evolve is a game that feels slightly under-nourished at times, but which takes the crummy old co-op FPS wheel and totally re-invents it.
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.
In the end, Evolve is a wonderful concept that boasts a surprising, appreciated amount of variety and strategy. Many may not anticipate the level of depth and practice required to really be proficient, which is why some shooter fans might feel a tad misled. Then again, I hesitate to even call this game a "FPS" because it's just so much more, and it's different when playing as the Monster.
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.