Evolve, the first game from Turtle Rock Studios, is looking to be one of the first major releases of 2015. The winter months are typically pretty barren in terms of new games, so debuting an original IP with some fantastic-looking multiplayer during the doldrums was definitely the right call to make.
That being said, Evolve is a complex game, and one that's distinctly different from just about everything else on the market. Most multiplayer games are based on even sides and similarly-powered opponents - even Left 4 Dead, which was created by many of the same people working on Evolve, had evenly-split teams. Evolve is all about 4 vs. 1, which sounds extremely unfair at first, and could be confusing to those who haven't been following the game's development.
That's what this guide is for: an introduction to all things Evolve. You may not know the difference between Daisy and a Kraken just yet, but by the end of this guide, you'll be hunting with the best of them.
The Gameplay
Evolve is, as previously stated, all about 4 vs. 1 combat. While that may sound ridiculously one-sided, it's not as if the teams feature identical opponents. The team of four is made up of Hunters, and is the more traditional team. These four players, each with special abilities and mechanics, are tasked with working together in order to hunt down and kill the monster.
On the other hand, the monster itself makes up the entire other team - again, it sounds one-sided, but the creature's ridiculous amount of armor and ability to do huge damage means that the number of Hunters doesn't really matter.
This isn't a standard deathmatch, either: the monster's goal is to eat wildlife in order to evolve into a more powerful form, while the Hunters track the monster down to prevent that from happening. A well-coordinated team of Hunters can track a monster down early for an easy kill, but a fully-evolved monster can wipe the floor with even the best teams of Hunters. There's a back-and-forth present that's more akin to traditional boss fights than standard multiplayer, and it's a great change of pace.
The Hunters
So, you've decided to play as one of the Hunters. It's your job to work together with your team and track down the monster - but before that happens, it's time to pick which role you'll be filling on the battlefield.
The Assault is the most straightforward of the bunch: it's all about dealing damage. He's typically most useful in mid-range combat, with a heavy focus on machine guns and assault rifles. The Trapper is just as self-explanatory, and focuses on keeping the monster close. Keeping the monster in one spot means it can't get away and heal itself, and knowing when to throw the traps is essential to success.
The Medic is all about healing (obviously) and is more about falling back and helping out than doing direct damage to the monster. A Medic is usually the monster's first target, as there's usually no other way to revive fallen teammates. Finally, the Support is a bit of a wildcard: depending on which character you choose, you'll either be shielding teammates or deploying sentry guns.
That's right: after you choose your class, you'll choose the specific hunter. There are plenty of unlockable characters, and while each has specific abilities and weapons, they all still fit well within their specific classes. Don't expect an Assault character to do any healing...ever.
The Monsters
If you're feeling like more of a lone wolf (or a villain), you can choose to play as the monster. At first, it may seem like options are limited - there are only three monsters, after all - but once you dive into the gameplay and learn the nuances of each, the differences between the different monsters become clear as day.
The Goliath is the first monster you'll want to play as, and he's the one that's been dominating the game's marketing. His different attacks include a powerful rushing Charge, Fire Breath, a massive Rock Throw and a Leap Smash. You'll want to power him up quickly, as his armor isn't that great when the game first starts. For the most part, you'll want to specialize in mid-to-close-range combat, though there are definitely some long-range options.
The Kraken is the long-range fighter of the bunch, and focuses on lightning barrages and mines to take Hunters down. While the Lightning Bolt and the Banshee Mines are all about taking foes down from afar, the After Shock and Vortex moves are all about pushing the Hunters back. It goes without saying that, while the Kraken is fine if combat closes in, you'll definitely want to keep your distance.
The Wraith is all about stealth and keeping the Hunters separated. The drawback here is that the Wraith doesn't have a whole lot of health, especially when the game first starts - you'll need to be stealthy in order to survive. The Abduction skill will be your main weapon, as the Wraith quickly swoops in to pull a Hunter away from the group. The Wraith's other attacks are all extremely varied: Warp Blast is a targeted teleportation move that creates a devastating explosion, Decoy creates a doppelganger that's perfect for quiet getaways, and Supernova is for trapping Hunters inside a small arena while simultaneous buffing the Wraith to a ridiculous degree.
Finally, the Behemoth is scheduled to be released as DLC further down the line. There's definitely going to be a focus on massive power and damage at the cost of speed, but seeing as how the only footage released so far is extremely early test footage, there's a lot that could change before release.
The Modes
So, you've chosen a side, and now it's time to go up against one of those hideous abominations of nature or a tiny, fragile human. However, before you get to the actual killing, you need to choose how you'll do it.
Hunt is Evolve's standard mode - if you've played in any of the pre-release tests, then you've played Hunt. The mode is Evolve's 4 vs. 1 gameplay with no extraneous bells or whistles: it's just the monster versus the Hunters on a variety of different maps.
The other modes are where things get a bit more specialized. Nest is all about eggs: the Hunters seek to destroy them before the monster can help them hatch. Destroying the randomly-generated eggs will nab a win for the Hunters, while hatching the eggs will provide the monster with minions - which are pretty handy for overwhelming the Hunters.
Rescue is basically the opposite of Nest: the Hunters are tasked with escorting a number of weak, lightly-armed NPC humans across the map. Of course, the monster is tasked with annihilating everything that moves - if the NPCs can escape, the Hunters win; if the monster takes the escort out, it wins.
Defend has been compared to MOBAs like League of Legends or DOTA: Hunters are tasked with defending a series of unique structures, while the monsters attack. The minions carry over from the Nest mode, and provide the player-monster with additional support. The Hunters can turn it around with sentry turrets, which keep the back-and-forth momentum going.
Everything comes together in Evolve's other marquee mode, Evacuation. Here, a string of five matches are strung together in a pseudo-campaign: depending on who wins what match, the next round will be completely different from the last. For instance, if the Hunters win the first match, then the second match may be populated with sentry turrets that inflict additional damage. There are balances in place so that a victory in the first round won't spell a game over, but winning is definitely easier with a few boosts.
The Downloadable Content
Let's say you've somehow burned through everything Evolve has to offer. What does the future hold for the game? Will there be updates, or new monsters, or new teams of Hunters?
First things first: Evolve's DLC plans have been under scrutiny for some time, simply because of how confusing things get. There is a lot of planned DLC for the game, and it can get tricky to keep track of everything...but that's exactly what this sort of guide is for.
The first piece of DLC you'll find is already in the game - customizable skins. The Savage Goliath skin is available for those who pre-order, but if you're looking to give your Hunter some extra flair, you'll need to shell out the cash for extra costumes. That being said, these are completely cosmetic: you won't be getting a boost to your Trapper thanks to some new threads.
After that, it's all about the Hunting Season Pass. For $24.99, you'll be able to download and play as four new Hunters upon release later this year. Don't worry about not being able to play with your friends who have the extra characters - you'll be able to play with the new characters, just not as them. There are also three new skins for existing monsters as well - though you may be thinking to yourself, 'what about new maps?'
There's a reason for that, map packs aren't in the Season Pass. Turtle Rock Studios has made it clear that it won't be charging for additional maps at any point during the game's life cycle. Traditionally, map packs are a huge part of a Season Pass, but the studio doesn't want to split its player base between those who have and don't have DLC. That means that, whenever a new map is released, you won't have to pay a penny for it.
The Behemoth monster will also be available as DLC, though it won't be included as part of the Hunting Season Pass: instead, the Behemoth will be free for those who pre-ordered, or will cost $14.99 further down the road.
Though it may seem like Evolve is shallow at first, it's clear that the game really opens up once you get into it. There's a lot here that simply hasn't been done before, and with more and more asymmetrical multiplayer games being announced, it's clear that Turtle Rock Studios was ahead of the game when it came up with Evolve.
What are you waiting for? Get out there and get hunting!
