Evolve Review: An Addicting Experience

There are two types of people in this world: those who fight, and those who flee. It’s our body’s way of responding to threats. But when there’s no place to run, and no place to hide, there’s only one option left.

Evolve forces you to fight. The game pits four hunters against one gigantic monster; all of which are player-controlled. Players have the option to choose between four different types classes (Trapper, Support, Assault, and Medic), and one monster. The hunters are brilliantly designed, each one demonstrating a unique set of abilities and personalities.

 

The Trapper’s role is self-explanatory: trap the monster. While the role is obvious by nature, it’s not necessarily the easiest of the group. Trappers utilize an array of different weapons to track down the monster; for example, Maggie comes with a pet Trapjaw named Daisy, a dog-like creature that sniffs out the monster and leads the group straight to it. Daisy, in a sense, holds your hand. When you’re forced on nothing but your own senses, the intensity of the match skyrockets, leaving you constantly searching the screen for a glimpse of the monster.

In addition, there’s Abe and Griffin, who both sport weapons such as sound spikes and tracking darts, which are also helpful to alert hunters of a monster’s location, or just tagging edible wildlife. More often than not, players who take on this role will find themselves at the front of the group. Trappers, in a sense, are the leaders.

The Support class can be vital when battling against the monster. They can deal out a decent amount of damage while protecting fellow hunters. Support characters employ a laser-cutting gun, UAV drop, shield projector, missile launcher, and more. The UAV drop can be a great way to diminish a monster’s health, raining mortar bombs from above and thus depleting its shield almost instantaneously. The shield projector guides a shield onto teammates, which can be vital to protect them while under attack. From the mortar drops to the cloaking field ability, Support proves to be as effective on offense as they are on defense.

Next we have the Medic class. Their job, as you might guess, is to heal the team. The Medic plays a crucial role in the outcome of the match. Depending on your playstyle, this may be the class for you. In my case, not so much. I do my team a favor and avoid this class altogether. While the Medic equips a number of weapons/abilities, the Lazarus Device proves to be most useful-allowing players to revive fallen teammates.

 

Assault is an important class, as well. Their sole responsibility is to dish out damage on the monster. So if you’re the kind of player that likes to get up-close-and-personal, then this class is for you! If not, then..don’t play as assault. Players will get their hands on flamethrowers (arguably the most powerful weapon in the game), lightning guns, mines, and more.

 

From leveling up your hunters, players will also have the option to unlock different perks. Some of these perks include: damage resistance, jetpack recharge rate, movement speed, and more. Depending on your class, character, and play-style, you may want to choose wisely.

 

One thing that’s definitely hindered my success within the game are the jetpacks. The jetpacks allow you to climb up mountains, and catch up faster to the prey. The fuel within them, however, is not the greatest. Once you fall behind, it’s hard to catch back up. For someone like me, who plays as the trapper, this can seriously hurt the team’s chances of finding the monster.

 

Now, let’s discuss the monsters side. Once players unlock all of the monsters, they’ll have three to choose from: the Goliath, the Kraken and the Wraith. While all of them deliver a terrifying experience in their own way, there are definitely things that bother me. Coming from a hunter’s perspective, the Goliath and Kraken are both great monsters to play against (even when you’re losing). The Goliath is a good choice for those who like a brutal match more than a stealthy one. The Goliath features abilities such as rock throw, leap smash, and fire breath.

The Kraken has speed on its side. For players who specialize in ranged attacks, the Kraken is your best fit. This monster shows off abilities such as lightning strike, vortex (an energy wave that knocks enemies back), and banshee mines (pulsating orbs that deal moderate damage to hunters).

Lastly, there’s the Wraith. In my opinion, every match against the Wraith is a nightmare. The Wraith is a completely overpowered monster currently, and it needs to be fixed. Depending on your class, it may seem as if the Wraith is immune to some of your weapons, because of its speed. Simply put: you don’t necessarily need to know what you’re doing to succeed with the Wraith. With abilities such as decoy (a diversion) and abduction (monster teleports to target, and back to initial position), the Wraith seems nothing short of unfair.

 

When playing as the monsters, the point of the game is to evolve, as hinted by the very title of the game. Monsters will eat Shear’s wildlife and evolve to stage three. As you evolve to each stage, you’ll have the option to spend three skill points. These skill points gain you the different abilities. Once players reach stage three, they’re able to take down the power relay. In order for a monster to win the round, they either need to destroy all four hunters, or take down the relay.

There are several different modes in Evolve. The central mode is the fairly self-explanatory Hunt: you hunt the monster. While it’s the baseline mode, it usually goes on one of two different routes: an endless chase where the monster brutally murders you in the end, or a short match where hunters destroy it within five minutes. Don’t get me wrong, there are good matches, and that’s why you play, for the thrill.

In addition, there’s Nest, where the hunters have to locate and destroy six eggs scattered throughout the map. Be aware, if the monster gets to the egg first, they have the power to hatch them into minions. Hunters need to destroy all eggs and minions within the time limit to win, while the monster needs to protect the eggs.

 

Then there’s Rescue. Again, the objective of this mode is fairly simple: you rescue survivors. Hunters need to locate, revive, and protect these survivors, while ensuring they make it back on the drop ship safely. The monster will need to kill all survivors to win.
Lastly, there’s Defend. In Defend, a refueling station has come under attack by a completely evolved monster, alongside its minions. The hunters must stop the monster from destroying the station, while the monster needs to take down both generators in order to win the round.

While the game is repetitive (as expected), after logging in about 50+ hours, it has yet to get dull for me. The world of Shear doesn’t look “next-gen”, to say the least, but it’s enough to keep me interested. Shear takes players to a world exotic and new, littered with wildlife around every corner.

Creatures resemble those of Earth, but vary enough to make you jump. With the constant “what was that?!” running through your head, players find themselves immersed within the environments. Maps don’t necessarily differentiate from one another, but if you look close enough they all have some advantageous vantage points and caverns to trap the monster in.