So I got invited to the Evolve Pre-Alpha. For those of you that do not know about this game, it is one that I have been hyping up for quite some time. It's by the makers of the original Counter-Strike and Left 4 Dead 1.
Unfortunately, I have lost some credibility when it comes to hyping up games due to my history with Brink. Yes, I was hyping up Brink. To my credit, I quickly confessed I was wrong for hyping up such a terrible game.
With that said, I am hoping to redeem myself with Evolve.
This review is based off of the pre-alpha that I played. The overall feeling I have from the game is that it is 90% complete. They are going to add more monsters and hunters and probably some new maps. I also expect them to polish up matchmaking a bit while also adding spectator friendly features (such as spec mode).
The concept of the game is similar to that of a tank battle in Left 4 Dead. It's one monster vs. 4 hunters. However, the battle itself is a bit different than the L4D tank concept. The hunters initially have the advantage on what is a "weak" monster.
You start off by dropping out of a spacecraft into an area where the monster is running free. At that point, you must track down the monster around the map. Your first few games this might seem tedious and annoying, but as you become more familiar with the mechanics of the game, this becomes a skill that you can grow to appreciate.
There are four classes in the game. Within each class are two characters with different load-outs (they plan to add even more characters).
Assault: This is similar to a "tank" in World of Warcraft. His duties are to deliver damage and take damage. His primary ability is to use a shield.
Trapper: Exactly what it sounds like. Primary responsibility is to trap the monster in a "Battle Arena." This forces the monster and hunters to fight for what I believe is 60 seconds.
Medic: Primary responsibility is to heal and revive teammates. This class also takes a dual role of being recon/sniper.
Support: Primary responsibility is to cloak yourself and your teammates in emergency situations.
I would elaborate on secondary responsibilities for each class, but that becomes character based.
As you track the monster around and trap him into battle arenas, you can make the game a short one. A skilled team can end the match in a matter of minutes. A more challenging / evenly matched game will last as long as 10-15 minutes.
The monster goes through three phases (level 1-3). Level 2 is where the monster can actually pull off a realistic victory vs. a competent team. Fighting a level 3 monster is going to take some serious skills to pull off. The monster "Evolves" by eating wildlife throughout the map. He does this of course while the hunters are tracking him down.
The game has matchmaking and plans to be spectator friendly for competitive communities. I personally think this has the potential of being a legitimate e-sports game (Turtle Rock Studios claims they will be supporting it competitively). It's 1v4, so that's certainly different with e-sports, but I think it would be cool to see a top team of hunters going up against a top monster at a lan.
The game is very polished and it doesn't have many bugs (especially considering it's a pre-alpha). There are great in game tutorial videos that clearly explain your class responsibilities. This is important for first timers.
I recommend playing with a group of friends rather than playing with random pubbers to get started. While you certainly can pull of some heroic moves, it's certainly a teamwork oriented game that requires each individual class to pull their own weight.
Check out their website for more information and insight on the classes/monsters: http://www.evolvegame.com
As of now, I am giving the game a solid 7.8 / 10.0.
_result.jpg)
