''Evolve'' was a
first-person shooter
First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
developed by
Turtle Rock Studios
Turtle Rock Studios (known as Valve South between 2008 and 2010) is an American video game developer founded in March 2002 by Michael Booth. It was acquired by Valve in 2008, but was re-founded in 2011 as an independent company by Phil Robb and ...
and published by
2K Games
2K is an American video game publisher based in Novato, California. 2K was founded under Take-Two Interactive in January 2005 through the 2K Games and 2K Sports labels, following Take-Two Interactive's acquisition of Visual Concepts that same m ...
. Announced in January 2014, the game was released worldwide for
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
,
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
, and
Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
in February 2015. ''Evolve'' uses an
asymmetrical multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
structure, where five players—four playing as hunters and one as the monster—battle against each other on an industrialized alien planet called Shear. The hunters' gameplay is based on the
first-person shooter
First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
design, while the monsters are controlled from a
third-person perspective
Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the a ...
. The hunters' goal is to eliminate the monster, while the monster's goal is to consume wildlife and evolve to make themselves stronger before either eliminating the hunters, or successfully destroying the objective.
''Evolve'' was Turtle Rock Studios' first major project after the company split from
Valve
A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...
in 2010. The concept for ''Evolve'' existed prior to the development of their previous game, ''
Left 4 Dead
''Left 4 Dead'' is a 2008 first-person shooter game developed by Valve South and published by Valve. It was originally released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in November 2008 and for Mac OS X in October 2010, and is the first title in the ...
''. Inspired by hunting games such as ''
Cabela's Big Game Hunter'' and ''
Deer Hunter'', the idea is to have prey that can strike back at the hunters. The monster design was originally intended to be esoteric but was later toned down. Turtle Rock found difficulty when seeking publishers that could provide funding and marketing for the game.
THQ
THQ Inc. was an American video game company based in Agoura Hills, California. It was founded in April 1990 by Jack Friedman, originally in Calabasas, and became a public company the following year through a reverse merger takeover. Initial ...
was originally set to serve as the game's publisher, but the rights to the franchise and publishing duties were transferred to
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an American video game holding company based in New York City and founded by Ryan Brant in September 1993.
The company owns two major publishing labels, Rockstar Games and 2K, which operate internal g ...
after THQ filed for bankruptcy in late 2012.
Prior to release, ''Evolve'' received a largely positive reception and won the Best of Show Awards at
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014 (E3 2014) was the 20th E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It began on June 10, 2014, and ended on June 12, 2014, with 48,900 total attendees.
Ma ...
and
Gamescom 2014
Gamescom (stylized as gamescom) is a trade fair for video games held annually at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Since 2018, it has been organised by ''game – Verband der deutschen Games-Branche'' (English: Associa ...
. Upon release, the game received positive reviews from critics, with praise mostly directed to the game's asymmetrical structure, controls, and designs. However, it received criticism for its progression system and light narrative, gameplay, as well as a large amount of
downloadable content
Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
prepared. ''Evolve'' was a commercial success, although the player base significantly dwindled shortly after release. The game had briefly transitioned to become a
free-to-play
Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...
title known as ''Evolve Stage 2'' before 2K Games shut down the game's
dedicated server
A dedicated hosting service, dedicated server, or managed hosting service is a type of Internet hosting in which the client leases an entire server not shared with anyone else. This is more flexible than shared hosting, as organizations have f ...
s in September 2018.
Plot
The game is set in a
fictional future
A future history is a postulated history of the future and is used by authors of science fiction and other speculative fiction to construct a common background for fiction. Sometimes the author publishes a timeline of events in the history, whil ...
where humans have successfully discovered ways to survive outside Earth and have begun colonizing other planets. Humans arrived at Shear, a distant planet located in the "Far Arm" of space, and began creating colonies and industrial factories.
As the colonisation progressed, humans began to meet resistance from
alien life-forms, known as Monsters, that had the ability to evolve by consuming local wildlife. As the Monsters destroyed the colonies on Shear, a former "planet tamer" named William Cabot was brought out of retirement to deal with the threat and to evacuate the remaining colonists from Shear. Cabot assembled a team of
Hunters
Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, et ...
to eliminate the Monsters and protect their communities.
Gameplay
''Evolve'' is an
action video game
An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, and platform gam ...
with a focus on both
co-operative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...
, and competitive, multiplayer gameplay. The game adapts a '4v1'
asymmetrical
Asymmetry is the absence of, or a violation of, symmetry (the property of an object being invariant to a transformation, such as reflection). Symmetry is an important property of both physical and abstract systems and it may be displayed in pre ...
structure where four players take control of the
Hunters
Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, et ...
, while the fifth player controls the
Monster
A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
. The Hunters' main objective is to track and hunt the Monster in a limited amount of time, while the Monster's goal is to evolve and make themselves more powerful.
In the beginning of a match, a 30-second headstart is given to the Monster so that they can have enough time to escape before the Hunters parachute from a plane to where the Monster started. Each map features an open world environment for players to explore and play within. To help the Hunters navigate the environments quickly, they are equipped with
jetpacks, allowing them to jump over obstacles and cliffs. The jetpack can also be used to dodge attacks performed by the monster, though it consumes a Hunter's energy. The team can track the monster, as well as place
waypoint A waypoint is an intermediate point or place on a route or line of travel, a stopping point or point at which course is changed, the first use of the term tracing to 1880. In modern terms, it most often refers to coordinates which specify one's posi ...
s on an interactive map. The color of these waypoints are different based on what players have marked. The waypoint mark turns yellow for environment, orange for wildlife or red for the Monster.
The Monster needs to grow stronger in order to fight the Hunters by hunting and killing other local wildlife in order to gain
experience points
An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experien ...
. When it gains enough experience, the Monster can evolve.
Through evolution, the Monster's
health bar
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, Mental health, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World H ...
is extended and refilled, and more abilities are available to the Monster, which makes it easier to kill the Hunters. However, the Monster is vulnerable during its evolution, and if caught by the hunters, the process is disrupted.
The Monster can also enter a "stealth mode", allowing it to avoid detection by wildlife and Hunters.
''Evolve'' features five different modes: Hunt, Nest, Rescue, Defend and Arena, which have different objectives for both the Hunters and the Monster. ''Evolve'' provides two different structures to these game modes: Quick Play, which starts a single playthrough match; and Evacuation, which serves as a five-match, multiplayer story mode. In Evacuation, each match gives the winning side an advantage in the next map, such as having a toxic gas the Monster is immune to, or autonomous
gun turret
A gun turret (or simply turret) is a mounting platform from which weapons can be fired that affords protection, visibility and ability to turn and aim. A modern gun turret is generally a rotatable weapon mount that houses the crew or mechani ...
s to assist the Hunters. The Evacuation mode ends with a 'Defend' match. ''Evolve'' also features an Observer Mode, allowing players to watch a match without playing in the match. The spectator can jump between cameras and view the match from both the Hunters' and the Monster's perspectives.
Normally, five players play in a standard round of ''Evolve'', with four Hunters fighting one Monster. Playing with fewer than five players, including single player, is possible in all modes due to
computer-controlled bots. These bots can control up to four of the characters, allowing between one and four human players in any game mode.
Players can also switch to play as another class instantly in a single-player match.
Hunters
''Evolve'' features a total of 20 different human characters split into four classes, each class containing 5 characters. Each class has different skills and abilities, and players are required to cooperate with each other in a match. Players unlock new characters as they progress through the game, e.g. the fourth Assault character will be unlocked if the player has upgraded the previous three Assault characters. The Hunters class features
first-person gameplay. The ammunition of their weapons is automatically refilled when not in use, and
iron sights
Iron sights are a system of physical alignment markers (usually made of metallic material) used as a sighting device to assist the accurate aiming of ranged weapons (such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow or even compound bow), or less commonly ...
are used in-game. ''Evolve'' does not allow multiple players to play as the same class in a match. Gameplay variations are also present within the characters in the same class.
* Assault: The Assault-class characters serve as the main "damage dealers" to the Monster. They are equipped with heavy weapons such as shotguns, rocket launchers, flame throwers, and mini-guns. Assault-class characters also have shields for their own protection and
land mines
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automatic ...
. The shield provides temporary
invulnerability
Vulnerability refers to "the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally."
A window of vulnerability (WOV) is a time frame within which defensive measures are diminished, com ...
to damage.
Starting from stage 2, the
invulnerability
Vulnerability refers to "the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally."
A window of vulnerability (WOV) is a time frame within which defensive measures are diminished, com ...
ability was changed to Defense Matrix, a new ability that reduces damages when being attacked by enemies.
* Trapper: The Trapper-class characters can use their gear to
track
Track or Tracks may refer to:
Routes or imprints
* Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity
* Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across
* Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
the Monster's movements. As the Monster occasionally scatters local wildlife, such as birds, the trapper can use these 'signs' to find the location of the monster. Trappers also have other abilities and tools that can slow the movements of the Monster. Following the release of the Stage 2 alpha, all hunters gained the ability to use the mobile arena and the trappers gained the plant scanner ability, similar to the monster's smell.
* Support: The Support-class characters provide backup to the other characters. They are equipped with a damage dealing weapon, such as a laser cutter, or a shield that can be used to protect other Hunters. They also have the ability to provide temporary shields for nearby allies. In Stage 2, they gain the ability to charge the shields of their companions hunters.
* Medic: The Medic-class characters' main technique is replenishing the
health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
of team members. Medics are also equipped with a damage dealing weapon. Some Medics also have the abilities to revive teammates that are incapacitated or killed by the Monster. According to ''Evolve''s concept artist, those playing as Medics should stay back and avoid direct combat with the Monster, and only use their abilities when necessary.
Starting from the release of ''Stage 2'', changes were made to the hunter classes. Every class now possesses the ability to deploy a
force field, an ability once exclusive to the Trapper class. It can be used to limit the Monster's movement to a small area. The ability's cooldown time decreases when the hunters deal enough damage to the monster.
Starting from ''Stage 2'', the health of all hunters regenerate if they manage to avoid damage, and they no longer have to rely on the Medic class.
Monsters
There are a total of five Monsters featured in ''Evolve''. Similar to the Hunters, players need to inflict a certain amount of damage before unlocking a new Monster.
The five different Monster-types also have different abilities, both offensive and defensive.
Players control the Monster from a
third-person perspective
Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the a ...
, and it features gameplay similar to an
action game
An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, and platform gam ...
, unlike the Hunters. More abilities are given to a Monster after its evolution. Gameplay mechanics do not change much after the release of ''Stage 2'', but monsters are made more powerful. They are given more health, stamina, armor, and skill points to unlock all abilities. Cooldown time abilities also shortened and recharge rate becomes significantly faster.
* Goliath: The Goliath is the starter Monster, available to all players. It has the strongest armor and health among the monsters. Goliath can charge and throw large rocks at Hunters, which can temporarily stun them, as well as perform attacks, such as
breathing fire
''Breathing Fire'' is a 1991 American martial arts film directed by Lou Kennedy in his directorial debut, and co-directed by Brandon De-Wilde. The film stars Ke Huy Quan, with a supporting cast of Eddie Saavedra, Ed Neil and Jerry Trimble. The f ...
and "Leap Smash". Every monster has the ability to traverse the environment, Goliath’s movement ability is to jump in the direction he is facing.
* Kraken: The Kraken is the second monster players unlock. The Kraken is electricity-based, and can unleash attacks such as "Lightning Strike", "Vortex" and "Electrical Blast". The Kraken can also set up traps such as mines in a map to hurt the Hunters. The Kraken’s movement ability allows him to hover around in the sky and is the only monster that can fly.
* Wraith: The Wraith is the third unlockable monster. The Wraith can
warp
Warp, warped or warping may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Books and comics
* WaRP Graphics, an alternative comics publisher
* ''Warp'' (First Comics), comic book series published by First Comics based on the play ''Warp!''
* Warp (comics), a ...
towards a Hunter and unleash a blast, dealing damage to the Hunters. They can also launch a small arena within a map which grants them bonus armor and strength. The Wraith also has the ability to teleport between places and kidnap a Hunter whilst in a group. The Wraith’s movement ability allows him to zoom forward very fast.
* Behemoth: The Behemoth is a
DLC character. The Behemoth can unleash abilities such as "Lava Bomb" and "Fissure", which can stun Hunters. The Behemoth can also create "Rock Wall", which can isolate a Hunter from their companions. The Behemoth’s movement ability is to turn into a ball and roll, you can run Hunters and other wildlife over to damage them a little bit.
* Gorgon: The Gorgon is also a DLC monster, The Gorgon has abilities such as"Acid Spit", and "Web Snare" which can slow down Hunters. The Gorgon also has two abilities that use a 'second Monster' called "Mimic", which allows the player to control a clone-version of Gorgon that explodes to deal damage to Hunters; and "Spider Trap", which sends a smaller version of itself to trap Hunters. Gorgon’s movement ability is similar to how Spiderman moves around. She shoots webs that allow her to traverse around the map.
Development
Origin
''Evolve'' was developed by
Turtle Rock Studios
Turtle Rock Studios (known as Valve South between 2008 and 2010) is an American video game developer founded in March 2002 by Michael Booth. It was acquired by Valve in 2008, but was re-founded in 2011 as an independent company by Phil Robb and ...
. ''Evolve''s creative director, Phil Robb, and lead designer, Chris Ashton, are the co-founders of Turtle Rock Studios alongside Michael Booth.
The team had a heritage of developing competitive multiplayer games, such as
Valve
A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...
's ''
Counter-Strike
''Counter-Strike'' (''CS'') is a series of multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video games in which teams of terrorists battle to perpetrate an act of terror (bombing, hostage-taking, assassination) while counter-terrorists try to preven ...
'' series and the ''
Left 4 Dead
''Left 4 Dead'' is a 2008 first-person shooter game developed by Valve South and published by Valve. It was originally released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in November 2008 and for Mac OS X in October 2010, and is the first title in the ...
'' series.
According to Robb, the team wanted to build a
co-operative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...
, multiplayer game because it gave the team a chance to play with their family and friends together, instead of against each other, and found it offered a more enjoyable experience than competitive multiplayer games. The concept for ''Evolve'' was completed in 2005, before the development of the first ''Left 4 Dead'' game.
However, the ''Evolve'' project was put on hold, as Turtle Rock thought that the technology at that time was not advanced enough to handle the game's design.
Turtle Rock Studios merged into Valve in early 2008 but split away later the same year. When the company reestablished, it had only 13 staff members. As a new company, Turtle Rock Studios hoped to make use of the popularity of the ''Left 4 Dead'' franchise to create something ambitious and massive before people forgot about the company.
When
eighth generation video game consoles were released, the team realized they could create almost anything they wanted. They reviewed some of their previous projects and eventually chose ''Evolve'', which seemed to be the most "straightforward" concept. The team also considered the new project as their "proving ground", a project that could show their ability to build a large-scale game beyond providing assistance to Valve.
The development of ''Evolve'' officially began in early 2011.
Design
''Evolve'' was inspired by hunting games ''
Cabela's Big Game Hunter'' and ''
Deer Hunter''. Members of Turtle Rock Studios, including Robb and Ashton, thought that the gameplay of these hunting games, such as
animal-tracking, was seldom incorporated in an
action game
An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, and platform gam ...
.
As a result, they came up with the original concept of ''Evolve'' in which, if players failed at hunting the animals, they could be attacked by their targets. Instead of typical
big game animals such as elephants and lions, the team imagined it to be a "
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...
",
which changed to an alien monster. The team picked a
sci-fi
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universe ...
setting, allowing them to add creative and unrealistic things into the game. The team also took the concept of
boss battles
In video games, a boss is a significant computer-controlled opponent. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight. Bosses are generally far stronger than other opponents the player has faced up to that ...
, and expanded upon it by using the concept as a key idea when developing ''Evolve''. The team envisioned ''Evolve'' as a video game version of ''
Predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
''.
The goal of ''Evolve'' was to create an experience that was new to video game players.
While ''Evolve'' carried some
game mechanics
In tabletop games and video games, game mechanics are the rules or ludemes that govern and guide the player's actions, as well as the game's response to them. A rule is an instruction on how to play, a ludeme is an element of play like the L-shap ...
from ''Left 4 Dead'', others were discarded. The team originally thought that it could be added to the
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
system of ''Evolve''s wildlife, but was later scrapped. They thought that the core experience offered by ''Evolve'' should be tracking and hunting the monster, instead of getting attacked by wildlife constantly. The team also thought that it would become an irritation if they added too many complex mechanics for the wildlife.
The developer also intentionally chose not to make ''Evolve'' action-packed all the time, and introduced segments that would require players to slow down and track the Monster. Robb explained that the design team wanted to create a contrast, so that players could appreciate the action and chaotic moments after experiencing the less exciting segments.
When the design team was deciding on the number of Hunters in a match, they chose four as they believed it was the optimal number in a team, as players would not lose track of the
stats STATS may refer to:
* Statistical Assessment Service
* STATS LLC, a former name of Stats Perform
Stats Perform (formerly STATS, LLC and STATS, Inc.) is a sports data and analytics company formed through the combination of Stats and Perform.
T ...
and
health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
of other players. It also allowed the players to work collaboratively with each other, so that no character would get left behind, or neglected, by the team. From the Monster's perspective, the design team thought that having four Hunters engaging in combat with the Monster would provide a challenge for the Monster, as they could find difficulties in keeping track of the Hunters, and this would make a match feel more balanced. The Hunter team was divided into several different classes because it "makes senses" according to Turtle Rock. In order to showcase the features and abilities of different classes, each class has different variations, in both appearances and costume colors. It was designed to make characters more recognizable and memorable. Another reason was that the design team wanted the Monster to adapt and use different strategies when dealing with different Hunters. Turtle Rock considered this a way to effectively extend ''Evolve''s
replayability and would add more variety to the gameplay.
There were originally four Hunter characters in ''Evolve'', but after the design team experimented with the
free-to-play
Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...
model, the list of characters was expanded to 16.
The titular "Evolve" game mechanic was inspired by the "bomb planting" mode from the ''
Counter-Strike
''Counter-Strike'' (''CS'') is a series of multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video games in which teams of terrorists battle to perpetrate an act of terror (bombing, hostage-taking, assassination) while counter-terrorists try to preven ...
'' series. The Monsters started out as a relatively weak creature that could be defeated easily, but becomes stronger and gains more skills as it evolves. Early playtesters complained about the game mechanic, as they thought that this would bring an unfair disadvantage to the Hunters, since they do not "evolve" like the Monster. However, the design team still chose to maintain the game mechanic, as they thought that it would create an engaging experience. Ashton added that such game mechanics can create a "turning the tables" feeling for the Hunters, and that he thought that the sudden change in strategy – from offensive to defensive – could help deliver a dynamic experience to the players.
The Monster was originally intended to play from a
first-person perspective
A first-person narrative is a mode of storytelling in which a storyteller recounts events from their own point of view using the first person It may be narrated by a first-person protagonist (or other focal character), first-person re-teller, ...
but was later shifted to a
third-person perspective
Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the a ...
during development because the first-person control system was considered to be clumsy and confusing, and that the first person perspective took control away from players. The design team considered designing third-person gameplay a challenge, as they had no prior experience in creating such games. On the other hand, the design team implemented the first-person gameplay for the Hunters when ''Evolve''s development started. The design team thought that the first-person perspective would provide a sense of tension as players would not be able to see what was behind them.
''Evolve''s environments are based on Earth's as the design team wanted to create a world that felt believable for players and had regions that made geological sense after an early concept design was found to be too extreme. As a result, the design team drew inspiration from real-world landscapes.
The design team wanted ''Evolve'' to be set in lush forests so that Hunters and Monsters could hide from each other. The design team tried using the
Source game engine
Source is a 3D game engine developed by Valve. It debuted as the successor to GoldSrc in 2004 with the release of '' Counter-Strike: Source'' and ''Half-Life 2''. Updates to Source were released in incremental versions, with the engine being suc ...
to create a forest landscape but they ultimately failed. The design team then researched
Crytek
Crytek GmbH is a German video game developer and software developer based in Frankfurt. Founded by the Yerli brothers in Coburg in 1999 and moved to Frankfurt in 2006, Crytek also operates further studios in Kyiv, Ukraine and Istanbul, Turkey. ...
's
CryEngine
CryEngine (stylized as CRYENGINE) is a game engine designed by the German game developer Crytek. It has been used in all of their titles with the initial version being used in ''Far Cry'', and continues to be updated to support new consoles and ...
, which powers games like ''
Far Cry
''Far Cry'' is an anthology franchise of first-person shooter games, all of which have been published by Ubisoft. The first game, ''Far Cry'', was developed by Crytek to premiere their CryEngine software, and released in March 2004. Subsequent ...
'' and ''
Crysis
''Crysis'' is a first-person shooter video game series created by Crytek. The series revolves around a group of military protagonists with " nanosuits", technologically advanced suits of armor that give them enhanced physical strength, speed, ...
''. As the design team felt that ''Far Cry'' and ''Crysis'' set new standards for in-game environments, they decided to utilize CryEngine for ''Evolve''.
''Evolve''s maps were designed to be dark and mysterious, so that the various characters can hide from each other, as well as presenting a sense of surprise when players are ambushed.
As ''Evolve'' is multiplayer-focused, the design team put less time and focus into developing ''Evolve''s narrative and campaign.
Conversations between characters were reduced during the multiplayer mode as the design team thought that it would negatively impact on the conversations between players. However, the story and narrative became more significant in the single-player mode. ''Evolve'' does not adapt traditional storytelling methods, nor use a
campaign mode
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A '' campaign'' is a series of individual adventures, and a ''campaign setting'' is the world in which such adventures and ca ...
, instead, players learn about the Hunters' backstory and the fictional world of Shear by slowly progressing through ''Evolve''. Playing as different characters would also lead to different conversations and dialogues between characters.
''Evolve'' features a
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is a fictional cosmic entity created by writer H. P. Lovecraft. It was first introduced in his short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published by the American pulp magazine ''Weird Tales'' in 1928. Considered a Great Old One within the pan ...
-inspired artstyle. As a result, much of the wildlife were intentionally designed to feature tentacles. Robb had previously drawn a lot of esoteric monster designs but the publisher,
THQ
THQ Inc. was an American video game company based in Agoura Hills, California. It was founded in April 1990 by Jack Friedman, originally in Calabasas, and became a public company the following year through a reverse merger takeover. Initial ...
at the time, thought that while the designs looked unique, they would not benefit the game. The team then began developing "marketing monsters" with a more stereotypical design.
The original Goliath was based on a lobster, but changed to "a hybrid between
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...
and
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
", according to ''Evolve''s producer, Robb. Anthropological design features were later added to Goliath's design to make the players feel more connected to the Monsters, especially when they are killed in the game.
For the second monster, Kraken, the team wanted to create an electricity-based creature and looked at marine creatures, such as
eels
Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...
, for inspiration. The third monster, Wraith, was inspired by
sirens
Siren or sirens may refer to:
Common meanings
* Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies
* Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology
Places
* Siren (town), Wisconsin
* Siren, Wisco ...
. The team noted that the key feature of this monster was its abduction ability, which the design team felt would capture the tense and exciting moments of classic monster movies.
The team had designed more than three monsters, but many of them were dropped due to technical issues with ''Evolve''s artificial intelligence system, abilities that were deemed to be too powerful, and animation problems.
![Jason graves image2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Jason_graves_image2.jpg)
''Evolve''s soundtrack was composed by
Jason Graves
Jason Graves is an American television, film, and video game music composer. His works include the musical scores for ''Dead Space'', ''Alpha Protocol'', ''Tomb Raider'', '' The Order: 1886'', ''Until Dawn'', '' Evolve'', ''Dungeon Siege'', and ' ...
and
Lustmord
Brian Williams is a Welsh industrial musician, sound designer and film score composer. He is often credited for creating the dark ambient genre with albums recorded under the name Lustmord. His experimental work has been described as "not tra ...
. Graves composed the Monsters' soundtracks, while Lustmord composed the Hunters' soundtracks. According to Graves, much of the music was inspired by the ''
Aliens vs. Predator
''Alien vs. Predator'' (also known as ''Aliens versus Predator'' and ''AVP'') is a science-fiction action horror
media franchise created by comic book writers Randy Stradley and Chris Warner. The series is a crossover between, and part of, th ...
'' series. Graves stated that he intentionally chose not to use an
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
-based style for the music, instead, Graves used
synthesizers
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
to create sounds that he described as "odd". According to Graves, ''Evolve''s soundtrack has "evolved" as the game development progressed, and that it had shifted to become more
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
and synth-based. The Hunters' soundtracks are more futuristic and synth-sounding, while the Monsters' soundtracks are more drum-intense and distorting.
Publishing
''Evolve'' adapts an
asymmetrical multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
structure, a new concept in the video game industry during its development. It was so new that the developer itself worried and wondered why no one else was working on such project. The design team was also uncertain about whether the 4v1 structure would work or not.
According to Turtle Rock, when the publishers heard that the original creators of ''Left 4 Dead'' were making a new game, they were interested. However, the design team encountered difficulties when they were pitching the game, and used two months to prepare for the pitching process. According to Robb, publishers were conservative and unsupportive about the idea and "
ttemptedto poke holes" in their pitch. Even though the representatives from these publishers were excited about their pitch after they knew that it would be an extension to the Tank mode in ''Left 4 Dead'', they questioned the ability of Turtle Rock making a
triple-A video game,
and were uncertain whether it was a project they should invest in.
After multiple failures, the Turtle Rock team looked for a business partner, a company that supported the idea and was in need of a
co-operative shooter to fit into their game's lineup. They eventually partnered with
THQ
THQ Inc. was an American video game company based in Agoura Hills, California. It was founded in April 1990 by Jack Friedman, originally in Calabasas, and became a public company the following year through a reverse merger takeover. Initial ...
for ''Evolve'', which would serve as the game's publisher and help with funding.
According to Robb, they had to show the game on their
iPad
The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating s ...
, as they forgot to bring the battery for their laptop.
THQ's then president,
Danny Bilson
Daniel Bilson (born July 26, 1956) is an American writer, director, and producer of movies, television, video games, and comic books. Together with his frequent collaborator, Paul De Meo, he is best known as the writer for the film ''The Rocket ...
and later,
Jason Rubin
Jason Rubin (born 1970) is an American video game director, writer, and comic book creator. He is best known for the ''Crash Bandicoot'' and ''Jak and Daxter'' series of games which were produced by Naughty Dog, the game development studio he co- ...
were also excited about the idea. However, at that time, THQ had already entered financial difficulties, suffering from a severe decline in profits. Turtle Rock also knew that THQ had internal problems, but Turtle Rock decided not to part with THQ.
THQ's financial situation continued to worsen and they declared
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...
on December 19, 2012. ''Evolve'' was listed alongside other unannounced titles from
Relic Entertainment
Relic Entertainment Inc. (formerly known as THQ Canada Inc.) is a Canadian video game developer based in Vancouver, founded in 1997. The studio specializes in real-time strategy games and is known for series such as ''Homeworld'', '' Warhammer 40 ...
,
Vigil Games
Vigil Games was an American game development company owned by THQ. It was formed by comic artist Joe Madureira and David Adams (video game designer), David Adams in 2005.
History
Vigil Games was founded in 2005 by Joe Madureira, David Adams, Mar ...
, and
THQ Studios Montreal in court documents filed by THQ. With THQ unable to continue its publishing and funding roles, an
auction
An auction is usually a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from the lowest bidder. Some exceptions to this definition ex ...
was held for other publishers to acquire these titles. Publishers interested in the game visited Turtle Rock Studio to see their "secret project".
The team was frustrated, as they felt that the situation was "out of their control". Rubin later contacted Ashton and Robb, and suggested that they should bid the game themselves. They bid $250,000 for their own project, which Ashton described as "what
hey
Hey or Hey! may refer to:
Music
* Hey (band), a Polish rock band
Albums
* ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014
* ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980
* ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
had in the bank".
However, they were outbid by
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an American video game holding company based in New York City and founded by Ryan Brant in September 1993.
The company owns two major publishing labels, Rockstar Games and 2K, which operate internal g ...
, which paid $11 million to acquire the game and to secure the rights to the entire franchise, and its publishing label.
2K Games
2K is an American video game publisher based in Novato, California. 2K was founded under Take-Two Interactive in January 2005 through the 2K Games and 2K Sports labels, following Take-Two Interactive's acquisition of Visual Concepts that same m ...
then served as the game's publisher. Despite being outbid, the Turtle Rock team was still "super excited" to collaborate with 2K. On January 8, 2015, Turtle Rock and 2K announced that ''Evolve'' had been declared
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
, indicating it was being prepared for duplication and release.
Release
When ''Evolve'' was leaked in THQ's court document, it was expected that the game would be released on their 2015
fiscal year
A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many ...
. The partnership between the two companies was revealed on May 26, 2011, and the game was re-revealed by gaming magazine ''
Game Informer
''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...
'' on January 7, 2014. It was announced that the game would be released for
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
,
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
and
Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
globally on October 21, 2014. However, 2K later decided to extend ''Evolve''s development time frame, so as to allow Turtle Rock to further polish the game, as well as to "fully realize the vision for ''Evolve''". As a result, ''Evolve'' was delayed to February 10, 2015.
Prior to release, the game had been
playtest
A playtest is the process by which a game designer tests a new game for bugs and design flaws before releasing it to market. Playtests can be run "open", "closed", "beta", or otherwise, and are very common with board games, collectible card games, ...
ed multiple times by the general public. An
alpha
Alpha (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἄλφα, ''álpha'', or ell, άλφα, álfa) is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the Phoenician letter aleph , whic ...
version of ''Evolve'', called the 'Big Alpha' was released for
Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
on October 31, 2014, The alpha version of ''Evolve'' was originally set to be released for the
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
a day later on October 31, 2014, but was delayed to November 3, 2014 due to technical issues related to PS4's firmware update. As compensation, the duration of the demo was extended by a day, and ended on November 4, 2014 for all platforms. Players can play as the four classes of Hunters as well as the Goliath and Kraken in the alpha version.
Turtle Rock expected 100,000 people to participate in the alpha. The team hoped that through the alpha testing, they could test the functionality of the game's servers, and make adjustments to the game's balance.
Open beta trials of ''Evolve'' on
Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
were held January 14–19, 2015. A limited test for the PlayStation 4 and PC was held January 16–19, 2015. Players could play as the first eight Hunters as well as the Goliath and Kraken in the beta. The Evacuation mode was also added to the beta on January 17, 2015.
In addition to the game's standard edition, players can purchase the game's Season Pass, Deluxe Edition and PC Monster Race Edition. The Season Pass features four additional Hunters and a set of "magma" Monster
skins. The Deluxe Edition features all the content of the Season Pass, as well as a new Monster called Behemoth. The ''PC Monster Race Edition'', which is an exclusive for
PC players, features the content of the ''Deluxe Edition'', as well as the fifth Monster and two additional Hunters. After ''Evolve''s release, a new season pass, called ''Evolve Hunting Pass 2'' was released on June 23, 2015. It features new skins, Hunters and a new Monster.
Other media
On January 21, 2015, a mobile game titled ''Evolve: Hunter Quest'' appeared briefly on the iOS
App Store
An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the co ...
and was later removed. The game was released by 2K on January 29, 2015 for
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
,
Android,
Windows Phone
Windows Phone (WP) is a discontinued family of mobile operating systems developed by Microsoft for smartphones as the replacement successor to Windows Mobile and Zune. Windows Phone featured a new user interface derived from the Metro design la ...
and
Fire OS
Fire OS is a mobile operating system based on the Android Open Source Project, it is developed by Amazon for their devices. Fire OS includes proprietary software, a customized user interface primarily centered on content consumption, and heavy ...
devices. The game is a
free-to-play
Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...
tile-matching
A tile-matching video game is a type of puzzle video game where the player manipulates tiles in order to make them disappear according to a matching criterion. In many tile-matching games, that criterion is to place a given number of tiles of the ...
video game, as well as a companion app to ''Evolve''. In ''Evolve: Hunter Quest'', players match three tokens of the same colour in order to unleash attacks on enemies, fill up energy bars to activate special Hunter abilities and earn mastery points to level up. Mastery points earned in-app can then be applied to characters in the main ''Evolve'' game on any platform. Players who download the app can also unlock unique game art and watch replays of online matches from a top-down view.
''Evolve'' was launched with several
merchandise
Merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to displaying products that are for sale in a creative way that entices customers to purchase more i ...
items. Handled by Merchandise Monkey, the ''Evolve''s merchandise collection includes T-shirts and different figurines.
Funko
Funko Inc. is an American company that manufactures licensed and limited pop culture collectibles, best known for its licensed vinyl figurines and bobbleheads. In addition, the company produces licensed plush, action figures, apparel, accessories ...
also made several toys for ''Evolve'', including tall figurines of Markov, Val, Hank, Maggie and Goliath, each part of the first characters available to a player. A Goliath statue, standing at tall, was also available for purchase.
Post-release
In an interview with ''
Official Xbox Magazine
''Official Xbox Magazine'' (or OXM for short) was a British monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released at E3 2001, with another preview issue in November 2001. Th ...
'', Ashton claimed that ''Evolve'' would have the "best support for
downloadable content
Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
ever". However, many of the downloadable content packages are not covered by ''Evolve''s Season Pass On November 21, 2014 Turtle Rock Studios co-founder Phil Robb confirmed with IGN that all DLC maps will be free of charge. Robb stated the reason for this is "to allow people who don't have the DLC, to still play against those who do, the only difference is that they can't play as those hunters or monsters".
Despite Turtle Rock claiming that all DLC maps would be free to all players, the high number of paid DLCs has attracted criticism from fans who feel that it constitutes a large amount of content being deliberately withheld to be sold. A large number of players who purchased the game wrote negative reviews for the game on
Steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
, complaining about the excessive amount of DLC planned as well as the general direction of the game, leading to an overall userscore of "Overwhelmingly Negative" on the platform.
Turtle Rock Studios countered this by claiming that as much content as possible was packaged with the main game, with DLC only including content created after the completion of ''Evolve''s development. At release, ''Evolve'' launched with 44 different paid-DLC skin packs. Free updates were added to the game. The Observer mode was added on March 31, 2015, and a less strategic mode, the Arena mode, was introduced on May 26, 2015.
Robb thought that the game's format has the potential to become an
eSports
Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams. Although orga ...
game. 2K expressed similar enthusiasm, and added that they would allocate resources into developing eSports-centric features to ''Evolve'' if fans of the game expressed demands for it. Turtle Rock and 2K collaborated with
Electronic Sports League
The ESL Gaming GmbH, doing business as ESL (formerly known as Electronic Sports League), is a German esports organizer and production company that produces video game competitions worldwide. ESL was the world's largest esports company in 2015, ...
and
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, ac ...
to host a special tournament, in which players have to battle Chappie, the titular robot from the film ''
Chappie'', in February 2015. A
Pro-Am Tournament of ''Evolve'' took place on March 6, 2015 during
PAX East
PAX (originally known as Penny Arcade Expo) is a series of gaming culture festivals involving tabletop, arcade, and video gaming. PAX is held annually in Seattle, Boston and Philadelphia in the United States; and Melbourne in Australia. PAX was ...
. During the tournament, they revealed that the eSport future of ''Evolve'' is determined. On June 15, 2015, another tournament was hosted by the Electronic Sports League and 2K.
On July 6, 2016, Turtle Rock announced that the game was transitioning to become a
free-to-play
Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...
game under the title ''Evolve: Stage 2'' due to the game downloadable content controversy and mixed critical reception. The new version introduces new changes, including longer respawn time, non-ranked queue for casual players, and changes to hunters' abilities. Turtle Rock also promised that patches would be released more frequently and that most items featured in the game would be unlocked through simply playing the game. The alpha version of ''Stage 2'' would begin on July 7, 2016, for PC, and will be followed by a beta in August in the same year. Players who purchased the game will be given the Founders status, which gives them exclusive cosmetic items.
In October 2016, Turtle Rock announced that they would end support for ''Evolve'', and that ''Evolve: Stage 2'' would not be released for consoles, but servers for the game will remain online for ‘foreseeable future’. Turtle Rock also revealed that it was 2K's decision to end the game's support. On September 3, 2018, the game's
dedicated server
A dedicated hosting service, dedicated server, or managed hosting service is a type of Internet hosting in which the client leases an entire server not shared with anyone else. This is more flexible than shared hosting, as organizations have f ...
s were shut down, though the game remains playable with
peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer (P2P) computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads between peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the network. They are said to form a peer-to-peer n ...
connection using ''Legacy Evolve''.
In late July 2022, the multiplayer servers for Evolve: Stage 2 became reenabled, and later in October 2022 2K game
acknowledged the game's revivalby reenabling the daily log-in bonus, and distributing free Steam Keys to members of the Evolve: Reunited Discord server.
Reception
Pre-release
''Evolve'' received a largely positive reception from critics upon its initial announcement. It was nominated for six different awards in the
Game Critics Awards
The Game Critics Awards are a set of annual awards held after the Electronic Entertainment Expo, E3 video game conference since 1998. The awards are given to products displayed at E3 with the title Best of E3 of their category.
Format
The nomine ...
, namely Best of Show, Best Original Game, Best Console Game, Best PC Game, Best Action Game and Best Online Multiplayer. It won four of them, and lost the Best Original Game Awards to ''
No Man's Sky
''No Man's Sky'' is an action-adventure survival game developed and published by Hello Games. It was released worldwide for the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows in August 2016, for Xbox One in July 2018, for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Se ...
'' and Best PC Game to ''
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege''. ''Evolve'' was also named the Best Game, Best Console Game Microsoft Xbox, Best PC Game and Best Online Multiplayer Game at
Gamescom 2014
Gamescom (stylized as gamescom) is a trade fair for video games held annually at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Since 2018, it has been organised by ''game – Verband der deutschen Games-Branche'' (English: Associa ...
. Publisher
2K Games
2K is an American video game publisher based in Novato, California. 2K was founded under Take-Two Interactive in January 2005 through the 2K Games and 2K Sports labels, following Take-Two Interactive's acquisition of Visual Concepts that same m ...
stated that these awards indicated that ''Evolve'' could become a defining title for both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. However, the DLC controversy caused backlash from customers, and the game was criticized for serving as a framework for the release of DLC.
Post-release
''Evolve'' received mostly positive reviews. Aggregating review website
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
gave the PlayStation 4 version 76/100 based on 46 reviews,
the Microsoft Windows version 77/100 based on 38 reviews,
and the Xbox One version 74/100 based on 31 reviews.
The game received backlash from users on
Steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
, due to the excessive amount of DLC sold on day one and the game for being overpriced.
The asymmetrical structure of the game mostly received praise from critics. Vince Ingenito, from
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
, thought that the system was smart and has successfully delivered a unique multiplayer experience for players. He added that the system is tactically deep, and that the "evolution" mechanic saved it from being gimmicky.
This was contradicted by Steven Strom of
Ars Technica
''Ars Technica'' is a website covering news and opinions in technology, science, politics, and society, created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews, and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, sci ...
, who stated that the game overall was just a "great gimmick and little else: something we'll play for a month or two, and not much longer."
Evan Lahti, from ''
PC Gamer
''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games ma ...
'', commended the structure and considered it the most compressed multiplayer experience since 2014's ''
Titanfall
''Titanfall'' is a series of video games that mainly feature first-person shooter games. The series was created by Respawn Entertainment and debuted on Xbox and Microsoft Windows; it has expanded to other consoles and platforms.
Gameplay
In ''T ...
''. He added that such structure is something that the genre needs.
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
's Kevin VanOrd also appreciated the structure, which he thought made every battle feel "vicious and intense".
Anthony LaBella of
Game Revolution
''GameRevolution'' (formerly ''Game-Revolution'') is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots ...
praised the asymmetrical idea and felt that the distinct gameplay elements between monsters and hunters successfully introduce ''Evolve'' to a broad audience. However, he noted that such a structure may become repetitive and boring for players after months of playthrough.
Jeff Marchiafava, from ''
Game Informer
''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...
'', also felt the structure to be limited, and that ''Evolve'', even with all the modes, had failed to offer enough variety and challenges to players.
Nic Rowan, from
Destructoid
''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017, and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022.
History
' ...
, thought that ''Evolve'' had presented some of the best moments he had had in a multiplayer game, but he felt that these moments are too far between.
The Monster's gameplay was praised by Ingenito, as he thought it tasked players to use
skill
A skill is the learned ability to act with determined results with good execution often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. For example, in the domain of wo ...
s and patience while playing, and that ''Evolve'' has provided satisfying rewards for the player that successfully outsmarts the Hunters,
a sentiment which was echoed by Strom.
Lahti commended the Wraith, which he thought encouraged
hit-and-run
In traffic laws, a hit and run or a hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic collision and not stopping afterwards. It is considered a supplemental crime in most jurisdictions.
Additional obligation
In many jurisdictions, there may be an ...
tactics.
However, Rowan thought that the Monster gameplay can get old very fast. Furthermore, he noted that several Monsters felt overpowered, which made ''Evolve'' feel unbalanced. The controls of the game received praise. Marchiafava thought that it was smartly designed, and applauded it for its accessible nature.
Lahti wrote a similar statement, but thought that the gameplay would be "difficult to master".
David Meikleham from
GamesRadar
''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer ...
praised ''Evolve''s shooting mechanic, but complained that the action presented on-screen can become too chaotic for players to handle.
Strom felt that the game-modes were unbalanced in terms of fun, and that certain game-modes prioritized fun for one team at the penalty of the other, and criticized the fact that outside of private lobbies with friends, you cannot choose any game-mode other than Hunt.
The process of hunting the Monster was praised. Ingenito thought that the hunting process was as tense as the actual confrontation and combat between the Hunters and the Monster. The four classes was also applauded by him, as he considered that the distant class abilities have successfully made players co-operate with each other in order to achieve success, as well as making the decision of choosing the correct character important and tactical.
This was also contradicted by Strom, who felt that the hunter gameplay up until finding the monster was "hollow", and generally just consisted of going around in circles.
Marchiafava thought that ''Evolve'' had successfully delivered a compelling experience while playing with other players. He was also surprised by the game's balance between the Monster and the Hunters.
Meikleham thought that playing the game with other players can be an exhilarating experience, but only when players communicate with each other using
microphones
A microphone, colloquially called a mic or mike (), is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and public ...
.
Rowan thought that ''Evolve'' could only deliver an enjoyable experience when all players play cooperatively, and the overall experience would crumble if one of these players failed to do so. Lahti liked ''Evolve''s resources management, singling out the need for the Hunters to manage and conserve the energy for their jetpacks.
The Hunter characters featured in the game received praise. Ingenito thought that the Hunters in the game were memorable due to their pre-game dialog, and thought that the dialogue was well written. He called this the "true beauty" of ''Evolve''.
Rowan echoed a similar statement, calling the banter "charming". Marchiafava thought that the progression system has made the banter between characters repetitive because players need to play the game continuously to unlock characters. Marchiafava compared the narrative unfavorably to that of ''
Left 4 Dead
''Left 4 Dead'' is a 2008 first-person shooter game developed by Valve South and published by Valve. It was originally released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in November 2008 and for Mac OS X in October 2010, and is the first title in the ...
'', and thought that it was not emergent enough.
''Evolve''s map-design received mixed reviews. Ingenito thought that Shear was a "beautifully realized" planet,
while Marchiafava thought that all the maps were both detailed and varied.
VanOrd thought that Turtle Rock had successfully captured an unsettling atmosphere, and applauded the verticality of the maps.
Lahti agreed that the maps were well-designed. However, he criticized them for being "homogeneous", as all the maps felt too similar to each other, and none offered a particularly unique experience that required players to change their tactics. He added that the lack of variety had significantly lowered ''Evolve''s replayability.
Meikleham echoed a similar statement, adding that the maps are "bland", and that they did not look different from each other.
The progression system received criticism. Ingenito thought that it was an unnecessary addition to the game. He added that the upgrade system hides a lot of content from players unless they play the game frequently.
Lahti, however, stated that after every character is unlocked, he felt less motivated to continue to play the game.
LaBella thought that the system does not offer enough content and described it as "thin".
This was echoed by Strom, who felt that unlocking the characters was a "grind".
Sales
''Evolve'' debuted in No. 1 in the UK software-sales chart; the first title 2K Games had published to take the No. 1 spot since March 2013. ''Evolve'' was the second best selling game in the United States in February according to the
NPD Group
The NPD Group, Inc. (NPD; formerly National Purchase Diary Panel Inc. and NPD Research Inc.) is an American market research company founded on September 28, 1966, and based in Port Washington, New York. In 2017, NPD ranked as the 8th largest mar ...
, only behind the handheld game ''
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D''. However, the average player count on
Steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
declined significantly since the game's launch. The game's player count increased 15,930% and was listed as one of Steam's most-played games after its transition to a free-to-play model. More than a million new players played the game after the transition.
Financial analyst Doug Creutz, of the
Cowen Group
Cowen Inc., is an American multinational independent investment bank and financial services company that operates through two business segments: a broker-dealer and an investment management division. The company's broker-dealer division offers ...
, estimated only 300,000 physical copies were sold in ''Evolve''s launch month, and by its current sales rate, a well-below average figure for the
triple-A gaming industry. Creutz stated that ''Evolve'' may be "too niche to reach a wide audience", adding that the negative reception to its DLC plan has hindered its success considerably.
[ Despite such estimations, Karl Slatoff, President of ]Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an American video game holding company based in New York City and founded by Ryan Brant in September 1993.
The company owns two major publishing labels, Rockstar Games and 2K, which operate internal g ...
, stated that ''Evolve'' has achieved an “incredibly successful" launch and that the company was very satisfied with the sales of the game. As of May 2015, 2.5 million copies of the game had been shipped. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick considered the property one of their "permanent" franchises, joining ''Grand Theft Auto
''Grand Theft Auto'' (''GTA'') is a series of action-adventure games created by David Jones (video game developer), David Jones and Mike Dailly (game designer), Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan Hous ...
'', ''BioShock
''BioShock'' is a 2007 first-person shooter game developed by 2K Boston (later Irrational Games) and 2K Australia, and published by 2K Games. The first game in the ''BioShock'' series, it was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 pla ...
'' and ''Red Dead
''Red Dead'' is a series of Western-themed action-adventure games published by Rockstar Games. The first entry in the series, ''Red Dead Revolver'', was released on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in May 2004. Originally developed by Capcom, ''Red ...
''.
References
External links
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