Evolve Reviews
This is a shooter with ambition, designed with skill and craft, and rich with tactical possibility. If it had the punch and physical feedback of some of its less-intelligent genre mates, Evolve could have been a classic. As it is, we'll have to do with a monster with plenty of bark, but not quite enough bite.
Tactically deep, and bursting with character, Evolve offers a level of nuance rarely found in multiplayer shooters.
A refreshingly asymmetrical FPS with terrific competitive depth, but the thrill of the hunt eventually begins to wane.
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.
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!
The 4v1 formula is original but inherently limited; how long Evolve holds your attention will depend on how much you enjoy the hunt.
Evolve is a tense and gratifying online shooter.
Evolve offers something different, even if it doesn't always succeed
A solid multiplayer experience that's fun to play over and over again until you've mastered it.
Evolve is somewhat difficult to recommend outside of a fairly limited context. The core gameplay is great, but everything surrounding it is problematic. As Bob says in his second opinion, hunting a monster with a group of friends really is sublime. But its attempts to add value outside of that core mostly fall flat, and its lasting appeal is hurt by the inherently problematic nature of random co-op and the rather shallow pool of available monsters (unless you're willing to shell out the extra money for a Behemoth). It may have been beyond Turtle Rock's resources, but Evolve really could have used a single-player campaign. Without it, it feels unfortunately limited—a single great idea buried under matchmaking queues, unbalanced A.I., and underwhelming tertiary modes. It may eventually be a lot more; but for now, Evolve's weaknesses outweigh its strengths.
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.
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.
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.
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.
[C]onsidering some of the subpar game modes, I can't help but feel this package could have been something bigger.
A fun multiplayer distraction with a twist, if you've got the patience for some lackluster modes. Try it.
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.
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 convolutes its simple idea with too many mechanics, dulling what should have been a great experience.
Evolve broke my heart.