Winner of several Best of E3 2014 awards, Evolve is without a doubt one of the most anticipated games of the first half of 2015. It has already demonstrated that it’s a unique AAA title, something seldom seen in today’s gaming climate. It has a chance to start off 2015 with a bang.
Related: Evolve Hands-On Preview
In preparation for Evolve‘s February 10th debut, we’ve put together a guide that includes all the essential information you need to know to prepare yourself for its launch. Check it out below.
Evolve - Everything You Need to Know
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Asymmetric multiplayer
Evolve is trying something bold and creative. It features a 4 v 1 environment, where four players assume control of Hunters, and one player suits up as a Monster. The experience of playing on either side is radically different, with each having a different style of play and objectives. While Hunters are tasked with trapping and killing the Monster, the Monster moves around feeding on wildlife, staying out of harm's way, and eventually delivers utter destruction to the Hunters. There are no respawns, so life holds great value in Evolve.
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Our species challenged
Evolve is set in the distant future following humanity's colonization of space. While humanity has been largely successful in spreading its influence around the universe, a group of dangerous monsters begin to invade.
A team of Hunters is assembled to combat this threat to humanity's existence.
Sound simple? It is. Evolve is much more of a multiplayer game than it is a story-teller, but the world's existence is substantiated with some lore.
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Meet the Hunters
The Hunter team in Evolve consists of 12 characters split between four classes. They are all human, and mortal, utilizing technology and teamwork to overcome their great disadvantage against the Monster.
- Assault - The primary damage dealer and receiver of the squad.
- Hyde
- Markov
- Parnell
- Medic - Keeps team members alive with powerful heals.
- Caira
- Lazarus
- Val
- Support - Reinforces team members with shields and backup firepower.
- Bucket
- Cabot
- Hank
- Trapper - Tasked with snaring the Monster to open up high damage opportunity for team members.
- Abe
- Griffin
- Maggie & Daisy
- Assault - The primary damage dealer and receiver of the squad.
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Meet the Monsters
Although only one Monster is allowed on each map, there will be four to play as at launch. Below are the abilities for each Monster.
- Behemoth (Pre-Order/DLC) - It might be slow and unable to jump, but it's incredibly powerful, equipped with the highest armor and health of any Monster.
- Fissure
- Lava Bombs
- Rock Wall
- Tongue Grab
- Goliath - Durable and versatile. Leaves no major weakness to exploit.
- Charge
- Fire Breath
- Leap Smash
- Rock Throw
- Kraken - Is capable of high-mobility with flight. Deals damage from range.
- Aftershock
- Banshee Mines
- Lightning Strike
- Vortex
- Wraith - Relies on trickery and stealth to do its bidding.
- Abduction
- Decoy
- Supernova
- Warp Blast
- Behemoth (Pre-Order/DLC) - It might be slow and unable to jump, but it's incredibly powerful, equipped with the highest armor and health of any Monster.
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16 maps at launch, all future maps added at no cost
Turtle Rock Studios has confirmed that there will be 16 maps available at Evolve's launch. At the time of this writing the map list hasn't been released, but we do know that there are no plans for paid map DLC. Instead, everyone will be able to download and play on additional maps at no charge.
Below are the maps we do know about:
- Refueling Tower
- Rendering Plant
- Shear
- The Armory
- The Dam
- The Distillery
- The Fusion Plant
- The Orbital Drill
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4 game modes
While Evolve's Hunt game mode is the one that has been demonstrated the most, there are a total of four game modes. They include:
- Hunt: The Hunters must protect a power relay, while the Monster tries to level up to stage 3 to destroy it. The Monster may also choose to kill all four Hunters, winning the game in the process.
- Nest: The Monster is tasked with defending six eggs scattered around the game map. Meanwhile, the Hunters seek to destroy them within 10 minutes. The eggs can be hatched, turning into minions that do the bidding of the Monster.
- Rescue: The Hunters seek to locate, revive, and protect injured colonists around the map before escaping. The Monster wants the colonists dead. The first to either save or kill five colonists wins.
- Defend: The Hunters must defend power generators from Monster attack. If they succeed, they can escape via starship.
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Ridiculous pre-order bonuses
Evolve has had a lot of positive press since its debut, but some of that has been scarred by what many consider ridiculous pre-order bonuses. By pre-ordering the game you instantly get an additional Monster, the Behemoth, valued at $14.99. This is just one of several examples of what Evolve is doing to separate those who buy early with those who buy after launch.
Put simply, it puts those who pre-order at a significant disadvantage, and urges consumers to buy the game before they can read post-launch impressions of it.
You can read more about the situation here.
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Made by the Left 4 Dead team
Developer Turtle Rock Studios might ring a bell, and for good reason. The studio manufactured the award-winning Left 4 Dead franchise. So, you can say that this isn't its first rodeo.
If you ever played Left 4 Dead's Versus mode, you have a good idea of what to expect with Evolve.
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Online or offline, it's your call
Although it previously appeared that Evolve would be a multiplayer-only game, offline play was confirmed just days ago. Whether playing alone or online, you can dive into quick matches, or even participate in the game's Evacuation Campaign. Though, the nail-biting competitive play that Evolve already has a reputation for will be exclusive to online multiplayer.
There is no split-screen co-operative play.
