Evolve E3 2014 Preview: Who Will Win the Battle of Man Versus Monster?

by David Sanchez June 22, 2014 @ 10:59 am

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Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel wasn’t the only thing 2K Games was showcasing at this year’s E3. Another shooter on the company’s priorities list was Evolve from Left 4 Dead developer Turtle Rock Studios. The four-on-one multiplayer shooter switches things up by teaming four players together to take on a lone wolf who takes on the role of the boss. It’s a fresh spin on traditional squad-based play, and I was pretty stoked to get my hands on a different kind of shooter at the show.

For those unaware with exactly what Evolve is all about, four players select characters of different classes. These classes are fairly standard — you’ve got Trapper, Support, Assault, and Medic characters, each of which fulfills a different style. Depending on which class you select, you can lay down traps to keep your prey stuck within a designated area, release pet characters to help you out, heal other players, and so on. It’s a nice mix of styles that gives each character — and more importantly each player — his or her own unique tasks to fulfill.

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It’s easy to appreciate the fact that not everyone will be doing the same thing when playing. If all four players ended up being trigger-happy Assault classes, things would get a bit too hectic too fast. Or if everyone played as the Medic, they’d have the power of healing but lack that oomph necessary to hunt down massive behemoths, which is kind of the main attraction of Evolve. As it is, the inclusion of four distinct classes could make for a game with plenty of gameplay variety, giving each player something important to do.

The fifth — and probably most important — character class you’ll play as in Evolve is the Monster. One player takes control of this beast, in essence becoming the game’s boss. Fret not, though, because being outnumbered doesn’t necessarily mean you’re at a disadvantage. The Monster comes equipped with its own set of skills and abilities, and given the damn thing’s large size, it can utilize its attacks to deal great doses of damage to those pesky characters who are relentlessly chasing it.

When I played Evolve at E3, I was put in control of the Monster class. I wasn’t just any monster, though. No, I was the legendary Kraken, which was as rad as it sounds. There’s an astonishing sense of empowerment when you’re playing as the Monster class. Despite the fact that I had four aggressors to deal with, I couldn’t help but feel like they were the ones in danger, even when they dealt crazy amounts of damage to my trusty Kraken.

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As the Monster, you have to do as the game’s title says and evolve. While largely threatening in your first form, it’s imperative that you reach level 3. In order to do so, you must eat any and all wildlife you come across. You can kill these critters by using your basic attacks, and once you’re standing over their carcasses, you can eat to your heart’s content as long as you don’t have enemies blasting away at you.

The more you eat, the more your Evolve Meter fills. Once it completely fills up, it’s up to you to find a hiding spot to pull off the evolution process. If you’re interrupted, you’ll have to fight your way past the enemy onslaught and look for another secluded hiding place. Because the Kraken can fly, it wasn’t too difficult getting away from the four enemy players and finding solace behind massive boulders. Still, I can see things getting a bit more complex once players get the hang of the game and play much more aggressively.

While the Monster class has several advantages, it’s not immune to enemy fire. In fact, I found myself tethered to the ground courtesy of some pesky traps on multiple occasions. I was able to get away, but every time I found myself in sticky situations, I realized that I couldn’t just mistake my enemies’ puny size for weakness. The human characters are small, yes, but because they attack in numbers, they’re still largely formidable.

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Retreat is the name of the game if you’re the Monster. You need to attack when you get the chance, run (or fly) away when you’re being overwhelmed by the other four players, and seek sanctuary. Once you find a hiding spot, it’s important to eat up the animals you come across. Only then will you evolve to level 3, thus granting you the best possible chance of destroying your foes.

Speaking of leveling up, you’ve got different attacks at your disposal. As the Kraken, I was able to deliver a vortex attack that pushed enemies back and gave me necessary space. I was also granted the ability to unleash devastating thunder from above, causing major damage. Leveling up allowed me to enhance these skills, making them more powerful and giving me an even better opportunity to defeat those tenacious gun-toting characters, which I did (of course I was going to mention my victory).

Playing Evolve at E3 was an interesting experience. As weird as this may sound, I was reminded slightly of Monster Hunter — a more futuristic Monster Hunter with guns and energy attacks, that is. Being able to join up with other players to hunt a large creature, also controlled by a human player, makes for a nice, action-packed experience. Quite frankly, I’m excited to see more of Evolve when it launches on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC this October.

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