A 15 minute clip crammed with gameplay footage of Evolve has arisen, and the asymmetrical multiplayer game looks fantastic. Check out the clip here.
The game is being developed by Turtle Rock Studios (who also developed the Left 4 Dead and Counter-Strike series). We see four player controller Hunters against one alien Monster (who is also played by a player). The monster must hunt other NPC wildlife in order to eat them to reach the next stage of evolution, whereas the Hunters are out to kill him. Once the Monster reaches it’s third and final evolution, it has the option to either wipe out the Hunters, or to destroy a power source, winning the game. Hunters win the game by slaying the Monster.
The Hunters are split up into four classes, Assault (standard run and shoot class), Medic (can revive dead teammates), Trapper (who can trap the Monster via forcefields and harpoon cables) and Support (who can protect players via shields and cloaks).
There’s a variety of Monsters for the fifth player to choose from, in the video we see the hulking Goliath tear its way through the forest.
It may seem unbalanced, four against one. But the Monster has several tools at his disposal. They’re very agile, able to parkour across the map, leaping from rock to rock, easily evading the Hunters. Their smell ability also locates the Hunters even through walls, and finds wildlife for you to devour. Once you devour enough, you must find a safe place to evolve, evolve in the open and you just might be shot in the act.
What I adore about this game so far is the interesting gameplay mechanics. There’s a surprising amount of stealth involved in the game. While the Monster is in its first stage of evolution, he isn’t really that strong. In this stage I can imagine most players evading the Hunters, desperately trying to hunt wildlife as quietly and sneakily as possible. Whereas for the Hunters, this seems more like a horror game. Quietly trying to find the Monster, catching glimpses of him leaping around, hoping to God that he doesn’t appear behind you and burn you to a crisp. There’s definitely a cat and mouse mechanic involved, but it leads to a brilliant sense of tension.
The maps are also designed fantastically. There’s a sense of vertical height, which provides ambush points for the Monsters who can clamber up walls, and for the Hunters who can escape with their jetpacks. The game looks gorgeous as well, splashing in the puddles and the cracks that appear in the ground when the Monster pounds, all of this really gives an impression of attention to detail.
Speaking of attention to detail, the Monster has to tread lightly (so to speak). Knock over a tree or stomp near birds, and a little ping will appear on the radar for the Hunters to see. This really adds to the stealth aspect for the Monster player.
Teamwork seems vital in this game. Similar to Left 4 Dead, if one Hunter wanders off alone, the Monster can easily take him on. But attacking a group of Hunters together proves to be more difficult. If the Trapper traps you in a bubble of forcefield as well as tangle you in wires, you’re in a lot of trouble. There’s a lot of tactical play behind being the Monster, running and clawing just won’t do it in Evolve.
My opinion on the game so far? It looks great, there are some really interesting mechanics in play. The stealth aspect highly appeals to me, and the variety of Monsters available will keep the game fresh over and over again.
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