14 DAY TRIAL // Evolve, the new shooter from developer Turtle Rock and publisher 2K Games, is one of the titles that was not on anyone’s radar when 2013 was over but has received quite a lot of information in the first month of this year and might be one of the biggest releases of the fall.
The game is designed to offer a classic shooter experience with a multiplayer focus, with four gamers working together as a team in order to track and take out a fifth one who has the ability to control a powerful monster who can evolve.
The title will include varied classes, complex skill selection, powerful weapons and impressive abilities for the creature and tools to make it easier for the human team to collaborate.
It sounds like a mix of Left 4 Dead, Monster Hunter and the Player versus Environment elements of a MMO, with a focus on asymmetrical mechanics and fast-paced engagements.
The classes, as they were initially revealed, offer a lot of variety and those who have actually spent time with Evolve are saying that the entire team needs to constantly communicate and mix their abilities in order to succeed.
To me it also sounds a little like the boardgame King of Tokyo, one which I have greatly enjoyed during weekend with a group of friends, although some core mechanics are very different.
I traditionally do not care about multiplayer games, especially when they involve cooperation, because I am thoroughly disappointed by the quality of the players who tend to take part in them.
But Evolve is one title that I might be ready to try out when it launches, mainly because it involves just five players and gives each of them a chance to vary their experiences from match to match.
The only problem is that I need to have five friends who are also interested and ready to pay for Evolve before paying it, which is hard to do given the hype that surrounds most titles these days.
But I have a plan to get my King of Tokyo group to play the Turtle Rock title, which might just be the biggest surprise of 2014, which could give us a long term video game experience that we can enjoy together.
Of course, the game will face tough competition from the likes of Titanfall, the Respawn Entertainment Electronic Arts shooter that arrives next week, the new Call of Duty from Sledgehammer Games and other titles.