Evolve

Turtle Rock Studios' brand of Asymmetrical Multiplayer in Evolve is right up there with the very best that we've seen, with a complimentary presentation to match. For anyone looking for a reprieve from military shooters, Evolve can be an exhilarating change of pace.

Evolve is the most fun and unique multiplayer game that I have played.

Evolve stands as a testament to Turtle Rock's unique approach to online multiplayer, and is one of the most enjoyable competitive and cooperative experiences we've had so far this generation.

Evolve accomplished what it set out to do, and I am having a blast learning all the concepts it delivers. As long as I have friends to play with, it will continue to be in my rotation of games to play. My only concern is fatigue setting in with some players, and the base dwindling. This will kill the game, as playing solo is simply not the route to go.

At long last, the final game is here, and remains true to what we've seen before; Evolve is a concentrated and highly replayable experience, if you can accept the limitations of its unique format.

Designing a multiplayer game with inherent asymmetry is quite ambitious. To make it a white knuckle action title geared towards seriously competitive players could be considered lunacy. Yet, this is what Turtle Rock attempted, and, for the most part, made work.

Content-wise, it is anything but exceptional, and survives only thanks to the variety of its gameplay. The fineness of the game mechanics and the quality of the experience with friends, however, are so high that we find it difficult not reward it.

Evolve is exactly as satisfying as the people you're playing with. It serves a concept that is so precise that anything less than perfect unison between participants results in a confused mess. But when it all comes together, when your fellow players are all singing from the same hymn sheet, there’ are few more striking multiplayer experiences to be had.

The main Hunt gametype is an exceptional experience that, although featuring some familiar mechanics, feels unlike anything else in the genre. The matches have huge diversity, and all create some thrilling rhythm from the mix of hunting and chasing and fighting.

A good asymmetrical game that fails to deliver a complete experience due to its lack of variety on game modes and a player progression that doesn't hit the right trigger. Evolve is not a game that you are going to remember because of its variety, but it's pretty damn fun.

Evolve has some of the best ingredients to make a good multiplayer experience, but it's up to the community to make this a game that's constantly in rotation.

When Evolve is at its best, it is one of the greatest co-op experiences ever crafted. Few games require so much teamwork and are as satisfying when everything falls into place. Conversely, it can be a complete mess when played with hunters that are incompetent or not playing their position.

Like Left 4 Dead before it, Evolve is a game that feels slightly under-nourished at times, but which takes the crummy old co-op FPS wheel and totally re-invents it.

Evolve is a good multiplayer game, but combat suffers due to the design focus on the evolution aspect of the monster. Monsters are forced to flee during 15 minutes and Hunters to chase marks on the screen rather than to hunt it down with the help of their skills and the environment. There is only so much joy you can derive from playing Evolve; it rapidly reaches a plateau and loses the thrill of the hunt.

Evolve deserves its time in consumer hands and is a game that should not be so easily forgotten, but it does need some work to regain momentum.

Evolve isn’t perfect, but it is fun. I haven’t decided if it has enough content to justify its full retail price tag, so it’ll be interesting to see how long the community sticks with it.

Still, despite my issues with the hunter role outside of battle, I can’t deny I’ve had some fun with Evolve. It’s certainly a memorable experience, more so with a group of friends working together, but still enjoyable with random online players in tow.