Evolve: First Hands-On Impression, Featuring Happy Hunting Trailer

Getting Our Hands-on with Evolve: The Hunt For Goliath

February 11th, 2014, By Maya Mayfield

In our first ever hands-on experience with Evolve we take a look at four hunters, working their way through the thick jungle of an alien planet. With each cautious step, they are looking around for danger one in particular. The Brute known as Goliath. The Alien Monster has been eating, leaving evidence of cocoon along the dark jungle pathway, exposing its recent evolution to the hunters. As the four hunters make their way, slowly carefully tracing the steps of the beast. The Alien studies their movements from above growling, ready to strike. Moments like these are usually associated with game trailers from video games, however in Evolve it is just another nerve racking moment players are going to have to deal with in the actual game. Turtle Rock Studios creators of Left 4 Dead, is set to release Evolve later this year on Playstation 4 and they brought an early Alpha build to San Francisco to demo their latest development.

Evolve is so much more than just a 4 versus 1 multiplayer shooter. The game feels, looks and plays at such a high level of intensity unlike nothing we have experienced before. The idea  behind Evolve is centered on the action thrill of boss fights.  As most gamers will understand the idea of getting through a games level to now face the final boss of that stage or game is an exciting and exhilarating experience, especially when that boss is a gazillion times bigger than you are. Evolve is unlike other games where players eventually study and figure out the patterns to a boss after several rounds of defeat.

Evolve takes a totally different approach to this idea by putting four players against a fifth player controlling the gigantic boss.  With the concept of both the hunters and Alien Monster being controlled by human players, Evolve instantly becomes something much more than just a pre-programmed boss fight that can be easily studied and eventually figured out.  The game is extremely fun and strategic, relying heavily on team work from the perspective of the hunters if victory is to be achieved.

Those doing the hunting will select between four classes of hunters. Each class  plays a pivotal role and is essential to the overall success of the entire team.  Every match must include a member of each class, as players will be unable to hunt without all four members from each class. During the test Alpha demonstration we saw four distinct characters belonging to each of the four classes. Turtle Rock Studios promised more monsters and hunters will be available in the final version.

The Four hunters we saw at the build were . . .

• Griffin The Trapper

Griffin the Trapper: Specializes in searching for the Alien monster and stops it from getting away. Griffin the Trapper does this by planting sound spikes on ground, alerting the rest of the hunters when the Alien's movements has been discovered. Once the Alien's location has been exposed Griffin uses his Harpoon Gun to prevent the monster from running away. The hunting environment is specially designed in the form of an arena or dome to keep the gameplay centered on the action and to help keep the team from straying too far apart. Griffin also has the use of a submachine gun that gives him decent fire power against the Alien assault when its needed.

• Markov The Assault

Markov the Assault specialist delivers high levels of damage on the Alien beast at an incredible rate. Markov's selection of weapons include a lightning gun that serves a great deal of pain especially at close range, while his Arc Mines can be tactically used to provide a great deal of torture to the monster in and around the environment. Markov also has a personal shield protecting him momentarily during close battles, while his assault rifle gives him the advantage of attack from a distance.

• Val The Medic

Val the Medic is the teams healer, Val can restore the other hunters energy with a mid-range Medical gun (Medgun) This medgun can also be used to heal teams mates that are hurt from a distance. Val's Anti-Material Rifle is useful for piercing the monsters shield exposing its weakest area's of attack, while her Tranquilizer rifle can be used to slow and weaken the beast. Val also has a pop a Healing burst that can induce fast revival in short intervals.

• Hank The Support

Hank the support is a very valuable member to the team and can utilize his Shield Gun to protect his fellow team hunters from danger. Hank has a special cloaking device that provides temporary invisibility for strategies requiring stealth. His trusty laser cutter serves a little bit of damage, but in the most desperate of times, Hank can call in an orbital strike to wreak havoc on the beast or anyone else unfortunate enough to be within the strike area below.

The hunters also share certain abilities within their class, so for example Griffin The trapper will always have a portable arena, however other Trappers apart from Griffin may carry other equipments to complete their overall skills. The four players taking on the role as hunters will view the game in first-perspective mode. The aim is to track down the beast preferably before it Evolves, taking care of any computer AI generated wildlife that stands in your way.

These selection of wildlife adds an extra cover to the hunters strategy, with more advanced versions of wildlife being hunted for  various benefits. But it is worth noting the longer you take on these wildlife creatures, the better chance you give the Alien Monster to Evolve, growing bigger and stronger.

During the demonstration the Monster which is being played by a fifth person gets to view the game in third person mode, allowing for better perspective on the entire map. We only saw one monster during the test build, known as Goliath. Avoiding early detection and giving yourself time to evolve is the key to beating the four hunters as Goliath. Goliath the terrible is an enormous brute of a thing. When you start to play as Goliath you are giving two player selected skills, with the opportunity to gain another with each level of evolution.  Goliath is vulnerable at the start of each match, but once the beast evolves to its third level. He becomes a very imposing threat to those hunting him.


Goliath can evolve by eating wildlife within the area, once satisfied it can enter a cocoon like state to begin its growth. As Goliath Evolves it can also restore some of its missing health, while consuming wildlife adds extra armor supplementing its health gauge. The more advanced wildlife we mentioned earlier can also be consumed by Goliath for additional stat-increase bonuses too.

Now it may appear as if the odds are clearly stacked against the monster, as you consider the 4 versus 1 idea, but goliath does have his own skills to deploy, such as a fiery breath attack and a destructive rock throw. What is more important is that Goliath can also use stealth abilities to evade detection through grassy shrubs, climb cliffs and sniff out enemy presence from a distance, even through objects. Goliath is also super fast, taking advantage of its speed can steer you towards victory as Killing all four hunters will result in a win for the Alien.

Evolve is a combination of  fun, thrilling multiplayer games brought together under one exciting and unique title. It takes advantage of both co-operative and competitive components in its game-play and features skill management and character evolution. This uncommon mix of gameplay is both enjoying and refreshing to the shoot-em-up genre, breathing new life into multiplayer team strategy shooters.

Evolve is expected later in the year on Playstation 4, but is available now to Pre-Order.