Evolve: Less Left 4 Dead, more Dota 2

I’ll admit it: after my first couple of hours with Evolve I didn’t get what all the fuss was about. Its core dynamic – four humans fighting a player-controlled beast in a closed arena – felt backwards. I couldn’t understand why the Hunters were chasing a behemoth from the start: surely the experience would work much better if said Hunters started on the back foot, killing the world’s smaller enemies before incrementally improving and becoming being powerful enough to take on Goliath?

Then there was the issue of both sides spawning at the exact same point, thirty seconds apart (Goliath first), giving the Hunters the advantage in tracking. It seemed an odd decision, leading to matches that felt too short – one of which lasted just over two minutes.

But after a night’s rest, the next session with the game showed me just how wrong I was about Turtle Rock’s gem.

The best way to describe Evolve is a shooter combined with a MOBA. The latter’s inspirations are apparent from the character select screen, where players can mix-and-match Hunters to best suit the battle ahead. You can view your teammate’s choices and adjust accordingly.

With four new Hunters bringing the total roster to eight, the ability to tweak line-ups to better complement playstyles has a huge impact on your chances of success. Lazarus, for example, is a Medic better suited for players looking to jump head-first into the fray as he can revive fallen allies, whereas Val requires a more considered approach as she can restore health with her med gun.

The maps are also filled with indigenous fauna called ‘Creeps’, some of which are ‘Elites’, and can be harvested for perks, like quicker jetpack refuel for Hunters or greater jumps for monsters. Creeps are a bigger problem for the human element, mind. Goliath can hunt most Creeps without much concern, worrying only about being spotted by the chasing foursome. The Hunters, on the other hand, have to work as a team to take out to survive even against these AI-controlled beasts, not to mention the flora that can ensnare and suck the life out of you, much like a giant Venus flytrap.

The Goliath – the only currently playable monster – has seen some tweaks since the last reveal. Players are now given attribute points to assign to each of his powers during each stage of evolution. You get three to start off with, with three at each subsequent evolution (achieved by eating other, non-human entities in the map). Players can either distribute these points evenly across the four powers, or max out three while opting out of a fourth ability entirely. This leads to greater tactical thinking throughout the course of a match: do you go with a really strong opening ability that can be used to both attack and escape, or do you spread out evenly and use whichever (less powerful) ability best suits later situations? These strategies can change with each match, depending on the line-ups.

(Turtle Rock has promised new Monsters and Hunters in the lead-up to launch, so naturally the floodgate of ideas begins to open: Predator and Alien-like monsters, giant spiders, flying creatures. We’ll see.)

I realised my misguided interpretation of Evolve was borne out of the natural learning curve of the game. Matches became more engaging with time and practice, filled with a constant highlight reel of moments. They also lasted much longer, some upwards of 20 minutes. Soon Hunters are working in unison to take down Goliath; Support laying turrets to provide heavy fire; Assault steaming in to attack while the Medic makes sure nobody falls to the giant. The Goliath also becomes a force, using its powers both offensively and defensively, becoming much harder to track and often getting the jump on the pursuing Hunters.

The great thing about Evolve is that, regardless of whether Hunters are communicating via the headset or not, co-operation is a natural behaviour thanks to the clearly defined character roles. Medic players will heal those who’re bombarding Goliath with attacks. The Trapper will try desperately to prevent the monster’s escape, while Support will throw down turrets of cover fire. The roles are so well balanced that, unlike other multiplayer shooters, going it alone isn’t advantageous, once again fitting nicely in the MOBA mold. This presumed coordination means that victories become much sweeter – it’s an achievement shared between four, or achieved against the odds. Every match feels special, with some of the best moments coming at the game’s climax when the monster reaches level three and must destroy the generator found in a far corner of the map.

A personal highlight came as the Trapper class, while hot on the tail of the Goliath. I sensed that we were on the brink of finding him, and saw some high ground to the north-east. I diverted from the group, and from up high spotted the monster. He tried to flee, but I threw up an ‘arena’ (a containment field), snaring him on the brink of escape, allowing my squadmates to take him down and grab the victory.

There were a couple of minor grievances, most notably with the new Trapper, Maggie. Her AI-controlled companion, Daisy, makes the chase far too easy, as she’s able to not only follow footprints, but also Goliath’s scent. She quickly becomes a vital asset, essentially a fifth Hunter in the field. She can trail the monster, revive allies and even attack enemies, sometimes better than any human player. But considering all the tweaks the title has seen since it was last revealed, it’s hard to imagine it not going through more changes before launch.

My brief time with Evolve has left me wanting more, though I can’t shake the nagging feeling that, as a predominantly online game, it could go the way of Titanfall: something that only holds my attention for a few weeks. I’m hoping Evolve can be different, because right now, Turtle Rock seem to be creating something very interesting indeed.

Evolve launches worldwide on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on October 21.

Flights and accommodation paid for by 2K.