Evolve

It’s rare for a big multiplayer game like Evolve to feel so considered and intelligent.

If you are looking for a new shooter that is like nothing else on the market right now, it’s definitely worth giving Evolve a shot.

Evolve is a beautiful amalgam of a first person shooter meets third person that is set in a very engaging gaming universe.

Evolve may not be as fleshed out as other multiplayer shooters, but it’s still one of those rare games that chases after something different and actually succeeds.

With its balanced class-based, teamwork orientated gameplay, great graphics and slick mechanics that keep you playing into the wee hours of the night, Evolve itches that competitive urge and feels a lot more evolved that your standard, run-of-the-mill shooter.

Evolve's matchups offer a lot of replayability and competitive thrills, and I can see myself returning to it consistently in the following months – even if those play sessions do inevitably end with me lusting for more to do in the world.

Evolve offers a unique experience. Warning: you will forget Call of Duty and Destiny. This is a title you will play month after month after month.

In the end, Evolve is a wonderful concept that boasts a surprising, appreciated amount of variety and strategy. Many may not anticipate the level of depth and practice required to really be proficient, which is why some shooter fans might feel a tad misled.

Evolve has great gameplay mechanics and is most likely the best asymmetric multiplayer game that you will find. The problem is that the hunt becomes more repetitive and simple the more you play it. It’s definitely a good game, especially with friends, but we need more complexity to became easy prey for Turtle Rock Studios and 2K.

Evolve has nice graphics and atmosphere, but you may be bored because of long matchmaking times and some bugs. Nevertheless, it is quite fun to play with friends.

Evolve stands as a champion of forward-thinking game design that embraces risk and originality. For that alone, whether you end up enjoying it or not (but play with friends of a similar skill level and you surely will), Turtle Rock deserves respect.

Monstrous fun, tactical and ludicrously replayable online with the right crew. Single-player provides you with great practice, but wants for narrative and reliable team AI. [April 2015, p76]

It's a game so intricately different from what's come before that its tutorials are critical, so new that its own evolution in the coming months will be intriguing.

An excellent multiplayer game with a unique concept and jaw-dropping action. You'll need friends to play it with, though. And now that we're nitpicking: a single-player campaign would have been nice as well.

Evolve is a brilliant concept that, when matched with the right players, can be a lot of fun to partake in. The many unlocks and well-balanced characters build upon that at every step.

Evolve is a game that walks a fine tightrope of success and failure with its setup. Luckily it manages to stay balanced and become a worthwhile purchase.

Evolve is a good game or a bad game, depending on what you are searching for. There's a lot of potential, partially unexpressed because of the necessity of playing with friends (avoid the strangers!) and the absence of loot and crafting. Give it more than a chance, especially if you have previously played L4D.

Evolve is a complex PC game marketed as a console triple A hit. Not everyone will like it, but it's a fresh take on an old concept nonetheless.

Evolve revolves around a very limited concept, but it does stretch the concept as far as it can go. The asymmetrical 4-versus-1 gameplay stays interesting because the well-balanced level system. The adrenaline that comes with hunting and being hunted makes Evolve a thrill ride.

Genuinely designed and offering something so different from what can be played on the market, this game is the current meaning of addiction and replayability. There was a pre-Evolve, and without any doubt, there will be a post-Evolve.

The highs in Evolve are really high, it’s a beautifully polished game that offers a really cool unique multiplayer experience. Unfortunately those highs are completely dependent on the people you play with, making it hard to recommend to solo players.

The addictive class-based rewards, lengthy compendium of achievements, and the overall adrenaline of capturing and killing a trophy monster makes for a compelling game.

Evolve is, in the ideal environment, enjoyable, a game that offers a really interesting experience. However, that environment is hard to attain and weighs down a risky idea, where we miss more content in the form of game modes and where solo mode is, in short, unnecessary.

Evolve is a bold move from Turtle Rock. It's a game that requires time and patience to be fully mastered, and a fair number of matches won't be satisfying for reasons that completely elude the player's will or skill. On the other hand, if you really dedicate yourself to mastering the mechanics, and especially if you have a team of friends to cooperate with, the experience will be absolutely unique. Shame for the lack of starting content, which will require further cash to enrich the lasting appeal.

Each individual piece of the game has been crafted with the knowledge that, should the (imperfect) humans controlling the action play their part properly, the systems are in place to make every hunt look, sound, and feel hugely exciting.

There's a good and very promising game here, full of intense online action. It just seems that Evolve needs more content in order to fully satisfy the player, content that will definitely come in the form of DLC.

Evolve remains an ambitious, daringly original, and largely successful undertaking in four-versus-one play. It’s certainly worth a look for fans of cooperative, class-based games. And if you don’t mind its limiting quirks it could well become your go-to team play.

Evolve has a hint of greatness, but a lack of content at launch and a jarring amount of premium launch and planned DLC hold it back. What we have here is an evolution of the Left 4 Dead formula, not a revolution.