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Evolve (video game)

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Evolve
Developer(s)Turtle Rock Studios
Publisher(s)2K Games
Composer(s)Jason Graves[2][3]
EngineCryEngine (4th generation)
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
ReleaseFebruary 10, 2015[1]
Genre(s)Action, first-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer (co-op)

Evolve is an asymmetrical, cooperative/competitive shooter video game, developed by Turtle Rock Studios and published by 2K Games. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on February 10, 2015.

Story

Evolve is set on Shear, a distant planet located in the "Far Arm" of space, that humanity has traveled to in the distant future. The established colonies, considered the most valuable in this region of space, are soon attacked by malevolent alien Monsters.[4] As the Monsters destroy the colonies on Shear, a former planet tamer named William Cabot is brought out of retirement to deal with the threat, in order to evacuate the remaining colonists from Shear. In response, Cabot assembles a team of Hunters—consisting of war veterans, psychopaths, professionals, and expendables—to eliminate the Monsters, setting the main conflict of Evolve.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11]

Gameplay

Evolve is an asymmetrical multiplayer game, pitting four player-controlled Hunters against one alien Monster, controlled by a fifth player. The Hunters are tasked with killing the Monster; while the Monster must either kill all four Hunters, or complete a secondary objective such as destroying a human base or power plant. The game will feature a variety of maps, one of which being a large jungle, with some industrial elements where players can take shelter.

Both Hunters and Monsters can use unique abilities during the game.[12] The Monster player can kill other smaller creatures to evolve and become stronger by entering a cocoon stage, leaving itself vulnerable for a short duration. There are various power-ups that both Hunters and Monsters can obtain by killing the local wildlife. The wildlife can also attack and slow down either side.

The Hunters' team is always made up of one player from each of four classes: a trapper, a support, a medic, and an assault class. Each class will contain a variety of different Hunters with different abilities and play-styles. The Monster player will also be able to choose from a variety of monsters; so far, only four of these monsters have been revealed, including "Goliath", "Kraken",[13] "Wraith"[14] and "Behemoth".

Game modes

Hunt
The Hunters must kill the Monster before it can destroy the power relay located in the map. The Monster must reach stage 3 in order to destroy the relay, though it can also opt to kill all of the Hunters.[15]
Nest
Six Monster eggs are located in random locations on the map. The Monster must protect them from the Hunters for 10 minutes, and can hatch one of the eggs to spawn a minion to help it. The Hunters must destroy all six eggs, as well as any minions, within the time limit to win.[16]
Rescue
Injured colonists trying to escape the Monsters are placed randomly on the map. Hunters need to locate, revive and protect them as they make their escape. The monster needs to kill as many of these colonists as possible and keep them from getting away. Whoever saves—or kills—five colonists first wins.[17]
Defend
A starship's refueling station comes under the assault of a player-controlled fully evolved monster and smaller Goliath minions. The hunters must stop the monster from causing a catastrophic accident by protecting the power generators until the ship is fully powered, while the monster must destroy two generators to reach the ship's power source.[18]

Evolve provides two different structures to these game modes: Quick Play, which enables single matches; and Evacuation, which serves as a five-match multiplayer story mode. In Evacuation, each subsequent match gives the winning side an advantage in the next map (such as a destroyed power plant releasing toxic gas the monster is immune to or a saved one powering autonomous turrets to assist the hunters), ending with a Defend match.[5]

Accommodating less than five players

Normally, five players play in a standard round of Evolve, with four Hunters fighting one Monster. But playing with less than five players, including single player, is possible in all modes due to implementation of computer-controlled bots. These bots can control up to four of the protagonists, allowing one to five players in any game mode. But there is no single-player only campaign.[19]

Protagonists

Hunters

The Hunters are the playable faction of humans in Evolve. They are composed of Assaults, Trappers, Medics and Supports.[6][7]

Assaults pay attention
Assaults are the main damage-dealers of the team. Their Class Ability is the Personal Shield, which grants temporary invulnerability.[8]
Trappers
Trappers specialize in tracking down and trapping the Monster. Their Class Ability is the Mobile Arena, which is a force-field that envelopes an area in order to contain the Monster.[9]
  • Griffin[23]
  • Maggie, and Daisy, her faithful pet Trapjaw[24]
  • Abe[25]
Medics
Medics focus on keeping the team alive. Their Class Ability is the Healing Burst, which gives all nearby allies a substantial increase to their current health.[10]
Supports
Supports possess a variety of versatile tools for aiding allies. Their Class Ability is the Cloaking Device, which turns all nearby allies invisible.[11]

Monsters

The Monsters are the other playable faction in Evolve.[31]

Goliath
Goliath is a highly durable melee Monster with versatile abilities.[32]
  • Rock Throw: rips a chunk of earth out of the ground and throws it at an area.
  • Fire Breath: spits a jet of liquid flame that does damage for a short time.
  • Leap Smash: jumps to an area and deals smash damage where it lands.
  • Charge: rushes forward, knocking back enemies it collides with.
Kraken
Kraken is a long-ranged flying Monster that attacks with electricity.[33]
  • Lightning Strike: unleashes a large blast at a designated area.
  • Banshee Mines: plants proximity mines that homes in on nearby enemies.
  • Vortex: fires a moving wall of energy that knocks back enemies from afar.
  • Aftershock: emits an energetic burst that chains electricity to nearby foes.
Wraith
Wraith is a stealth-focused melee Monster with tricky abilities.[34]
  • Abduction: rushes forward, grabbing a Hunter, then quickly returns to the point-of-cast.
  • Warp Blast: teleports to a chosen location, releasing an explosion upon arrival.
  • Decoy: creates a temporary clone while simultaneously cloaking.
  • Supernova: releases an explosion around herself, while also buffing it's own damage and attack speed.
Behemoth
Behemoth is Evolve's biggest Monster, boasting high armor capacity and health. Unlike other Monsters, it cannot jump; instead, Behemoth can only climb walls, albeit very slowly. In order to move quickly, Behemoth curls into a massive ball in order to gain more mobility.[35]
  • Lava Bombs: effective at short and long range, these mortar bombs shatter into fragments and continue to burn the area around them, including any Hunters who find themselves in the damage radius.
  • Rock Wall: creates a large, semi-circular rock structure that either traps victims inside with Behemoth, or locks him away from attackers.
  • Tongue Grab: behemoth uses his harpoon-like tongue to snatch a distant target and pull it into melee.
  • Fissure: a wave of destruction blasts out of Behemoth, fracturing the terrain and scalding and stunning everything in its path.
Turtle Rock Studios let fans vote on the name of this Monster, with Behemoth winning out.

Development

In May 2011, THQ acquired the publishing rights to an untitled first-person shooter game being developed by Turtle Rock Studios, then due to be released in 2013. THQ head Danny Bilson was enthusiastic about the project, commenting that "Those guys are really smart. They were the Left 4 Dead team and that was fun. This one's wild. I can't wait to share that one. People are going to go nuts. It's the most well-thought out design from the beginning I've ever seen." In October 2011, a job listing and subsequent Twitter post by the studio confirmed that the game was, at the time, built on CryEngine 3.[36][37]

In December 2012, THQ filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; the game appeared under the title Evolve in THQ's filing, described as a "co-op multiplayer action game".[38] Publishing rights to Evolve were acquired by Take-Two Interactive for US$10.8 million in the resulting auction of THQ assets.[39]

The February 2014 issue of Game Informer featured a cover story that officially unveiled Evolve and the first major details about the game, alongside the announcement that it would be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in late 2014.;[12] those who pre-order will receive a free DLC character and a Savage Goliath skin.[40] Turtle Rock Studios has also announced that there will be more than one "monster" at launch. On May 22, 2014, Turtle Rock Studios announced an all-new set of hunters named Lazarus, Bucket, Maggie, and Hyde. They all feature new abilities and weapons. Turtle Rock Studios also announced a new map named "The Dam".

At E3 2014, 2K Games revealed an all-new monster, the "Kraken". Also at E3 2014, 2K announced that there will be three monsters at launch alongside over a dozen maps and 12 total hunters. But 2K also confirmed that there will be multiple DLC packs to expand the game after it is released. At Gamescom 2014, a Beta exclusive to the Xbox One was announced during the Microsoft Conference and will come in January, 2015. An Alpha for the game was also announced on 9 October 2014, and was released for the Xbox One on October 30, 2014, PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows on 31 October 2014.

On November 4, 2014 IGN officially revealed the 3rd trapper, Abe. On November 6, 2014, 2K announced an all-new map called "Orbital Drill". The map features dynamic acid rain that impacts the hunter's ability to track the monster, such as washing away its prints. This rain also makes it harder for the monster player to see its surroundings, therefore making it more difficult to find prey and evolve.

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".[41]

On January 5, 2015, Turtle Rock Studios confirmed that the game had been declared gold, indicating it was being prepared for duplication and release.[42]

Release

Evolve was scheduled to be released worldwide on October 21, 2014 but was later delayed until February 10, 2015.[1] In spite of delays, Evolve was released to select PC gamers, as well as players on the Xbox One, during the Big Alpha event of November 1st 2014 through November 4th 2014. [43] A closed beta, starting on January 16th 2015, has also been announced for PC players of Evolve, while open beta trials of Evolve on Xbox One have been scheduled for January 15th 2015 through to January 19th 2015, and eligible Playstation 4 users gain access to the closed beta on January 17th 2015. [44]

Reception

On July 1, Evolve was awarded the Best of E3 2014 "Best of Show", and another three awards: "Best Console Game", "Best Action Game" and "Best Online Multiplayer".

On August 15, at the 2014 Gamescom Awards, Evolve was the game that received the most awards. Along with the "Best of Gamescom Award", the Take-Two team won the awards for best action game, online multiplayer game, best game for PC, and best game for Xbox.

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 separately as a market strategy to make more money from the game. 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.[45]

References

  1. ^ a b Schreier, Jason (5 August 2014). "Evolve Delayed To February 2015". Kotaku. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  2. ^ Greening, Chris (23 April 2014). "Game Release Calendar: Composer Assignments 2014". Game Music Online. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  3. ^ "Savage Music: Jason Graves and the audio for Evolve". evolvegame.com. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  4. ^ "Evolve — Evacuation Story Trailer". YouTube. Turtle Rock Studios. 3 December 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2014. Cabot: This is the greatest team of Hunters ever assembled. We were hired to protect the most valuable colony in the Far Arm. Or at least, it was..until these things [the Monsters] showed up. [...] This is no longer a wildlife problem. It's a full-scale evacuation. Gear up. We're goin' in.
  5. ^ a b "Evolve's Evacuation, Explained". evolvegame.com. Retrieved 4 December 2014. There's a lot more to the hunt in Evolve. In fact, up until right now, all you've seen is just one mode that's part of a bigger picture – Evacuation. Altogether it's a combination of modes, maps, and campaign effects that provide over 800,000 possible paths, giving you a ridiculous amount of variety for a different experience almost every time you play Evacuation. [...] While it isn't a campaign in the classic sense, there is a story to tell: The planet Shear is getting overrun by Monsters. Within five days, the battle for Shear will be won or lost depending on the actions of four Hunters…and, of course, one mutating Monster. Those five days are broken up into five rounds as you fight your way across the planet. The first round is always Hunt, on a randomly chosen map. [...] Remember that "800,000 variables" number we were throwing around up top? Every time that you win a match, there is a campaign affect applied to the next map you choose. So, as one example, the Dam is saved and the Hunters win for that day.As a result, the workers are able to power up Perimeter Fences, which cut neighboring maps into half sized portions, creating an interesting advantage for the Hunters. That's just one possible game-changing outcome from one map.
  6. ^ a b c "Cabot". evolvegame.com. Retrieved 30 November 2014. If we judge a man by the friends he keeps, then Cabot has some explaining to do. As the wrangler of this motley crew, Cabot helps teammates by using his Dust Tagging to track the Monster and his Rail Gun to put it down. But there's nothing more helpful than his trusty Damage Amp, which makes his squad pack an even bigger punch.
  7. ^ a b "Introducing Cabot, the Leader". evolvegame.com. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  8. ^ a b "Assault". evolvegame.com.
  9. ^ a b "Trapper". evolvegame.com.
  10. ^ a b "Medic". evolvegame.com.
  11. ^ a b "Support". evolvegame.com.
  12. ^ a b Marchiafava, Jeff (7 January 2014). "February Cover Revealed – Evolve". Game Informer. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  13. ^ "Evolve - Game Informer February 2014". Game Informer. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  14. ^ "Wraith: The Third Evolve Monster, Revealed!". evolvegame.com.
  15. ^ "Evolve Tutorial Hunt". YouTube. 16 December 2014.
  16. ^ "Evolve Tutorial Nest". YouTube. 16 December 2014.
  17. ^ "Evolve Tutorial Rescue". YouTube. 16 December 2014.
  18. ^ "Evolve Tutorial Defend". YouTube. 16 December 2014.
  19. ^ "Hands-on with Evolve's singleplayer mode and terrifying third monster". pcworld.com.
  20. ^ "Markov". evolvegame.com.
  21. ^ "Hyde". evolvegame.com.
  22. ^ "Parnell". evolvegame.com.
  23. ^ "Griffin". evolvegame.com.
  24. ^ "Maggie". evolvegame.com.
  25. ^ "Abe". evolvegame.com.
  26. ^ "Val". evolvegame.com.
  27. ^ "Lazarus". evolvegame.com.
  28. ^ "Caira". evolvegame.com.
  29. ^ "Hank". evolvegame.com.
  30. ^ "Bucket". evolvegame.com.
  31. ^ "Meet the Monsters – Evolve - Turtle Rock Studios - 2K".
  32. ^ "Goliath". evolvegame.com.
  33. ^ "Kraken – Monster – Evolve - Turtle Rock Studios - 2K".
  34. ^ http://evolvegame.com/about/monsters/wraith
  35. ^ "Evolve's Fourth Monster: Behemoth!". evolvegame.com.
  36. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (10 June 2011). "Left 4 Dead creator's new FPS is "wild"". Eurogamer. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  37. ^ Dutton, Fred (20 October 2011). "New Turtle Rock FPS uses CryEngine". Eurogamer. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  38. ^ Goldfarb, Andrew (19 December 2012). "THQ Documents Reveal Unannounced Games". IGN. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  39. ^ Goldfarb, Andrew (23 January 2013). "THQ Dissolved, Saints Row, Company of Heroes Devs Acquired". IGN. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  40. ^ Corriea, Alexa Ray (14 January 2014). "Turtle Rock's Evolve now available for pre-order". Polygon. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  41. ^ Te, Zorine (9 October 2014). "Evolve Alpha Launches on Oct 30 Starting With Xbox One". GameSpot. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  42. ^ Eddie Makuch (2015-01-09). "Evolve Goes Gold, Watch Intro Cinematic Trailer Now". GameSpot. Retrieved 2015-01-09.
  43. ^ "Big Alpha Trailer". IGN. 2K Games, Turtlerock Studios. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  44. ^ "Evolve Closed Technical Testing". 2K Games Support. 2K Games. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  45. ^ Jenna Pitcher (2015-01-16). "Turtle Rock Addresses community concern about Evolve DLC model". IGN. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
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