An elephant gun won’t quite cut it with the beasties you’ll be stalking in Evolve.
But is it a case of DLC taking priority here?
We want to give gamers more choice.
4v1
Evolveis one of those rare things in the gaming industry, a unique shooter.
At this point, its more than enough to take down four hunters.
The hunters are made up of four types.
Theres the assault, trapper, medic, and support.
Hes a tank, able to both dish out and take more damage.
The trappers role is to track down the monster and when found, trap it.
Theyre also equipped with a sniper rifle that can damage a monster and create weak spots.
Finally is the support.
Support can also deal out a large amount of damage, although not as much as assault.
Monster mash
The monster is a very different, ahem, beast.
Players of the monster need to be both aggressive and stealthy.
The monster has no revives like the hunters, and so has to be careful.
Once the meter is full, an evolve can be triggered, advancing the monster to the next level.
There are three monsters at launch, with more to come via DLC.
Finally we have the Wraith.
If the hunters kill the monster, they win.
If the monster kills them all, or destroys the level objective, it wins.
The faster its killed, the easier the task will be.
Its the most straightforward mode, but also one that showcases the games unique gameplay the most.
At first the game seems very simple, and also overly frantic.
Its a jarring mixture of tempo, and at first I dont doubt many will be a little unimpressed.
Tracking is the most important element in many ways, though.
The myriad of tactics and approaches you could take in combat in Evolve is one of its stronger points.
And this, in many ways, is where one of Evolves major issues comes to light.
Asymmetrical, or unbalanced?
Evolve, like most games of this bang out, is better with friends.
For best results, change roles each match, even if you prefer the monster over the hunters.
Online-centirc games always change, so this situation may well not be the case in future.
This includes Nest, in which hunters need to destroy six monster eggs to win the round.
Here the hunters must defend a series of objectives from monster and minion attack.
If they hold out for the timeer to tick down, or kill the monster, they win.
If the monster and its minions destroy the final objective, or kill all hunters, it wins.
We… are… leaving!
This mission is made easier for the side thats won the previous matches, just like previous outings.
As its different every time, though, its always fun.
Playing with friends is the only real way to get the most out of this mode.
Simply put, its just not as much fun as the hunters.
Well, not so.
Whats more, the third person camera removes much of the immersion, and also plays badly.
The POV is a fish bowl-like affair, and one thats horrible to look at in my opinion.
The hunters have issues too, in particular I found the jetpack to be a little obnoxious.
It also makes fast movement painful, as four or five bursts is all you get.
It can be augmented with perks, but these dont make a huge difference.
Then theres the stability.
Load times are also plenty and prolonged, even after the 3GB day one patch.
Finally, we have the DLC.
Yes, it had to rear its head, but not in the way you may think.
Thats if it keeps its promise.
Instead, well pay for extra hunters, monsters and aesthetics like skins.
Thats just plain greedy.
With some refinement, and less dependence on DLC, it could be great.
Rating:
4 out of 5
