Playstation 4 Evolve

Evolve!

A brand new IP (yes, they do exist!) from the folks at Turtle Rock and 2K has finally launched with an immense degree of suspicion and anticipation, but how will Evolve fare in the grand scheme of the market?

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A Tale as Old as Time: Evolve is a title that revolves around the age old battle between those perceived to be hunters, and those that are typically thought to be prey. The paradigm of that relationship is shifted onto a tilt in Evolve, when a desperate skirmish between hunters and hunted takes place in a large, open environment.

The gameplay revolves almost entirely around a 4v1 matchup of four player controlled hunters pitted against a single monster, also manned by a live person. The unbalanced appearance of this makeup is entirely facilitated in the early goings of each match, as the monster is a simple level 1 and even against similarly ranked hunters, the monster has little hope of winning a direct confrontation with the humans.

However, over the course of a match, which lasts roughly 15 minutes, the gap of threatening nature that the hunters and the monster wield is closed. While hunters get more powerful, earning new abilities and equipment that allow them to set traps, take advantage of drones and spy for fresh tracks left by their prey, the monster will also grow in power immensely and eventually will be capable of turning the tables.

The monster gains strength over time by feasting on AI-controlled animals and while the early portion of the match elicits tightly wound feelings as the monster is tasked with employing all manners of evasion he can; Running, hiding, covering up his tracks and avoiding the disturbance of loud animals (such as birds) that can give his immediate position away to his violent pursuers.

Eventually the monster will gain enough strength that he is able to come out of the woodworks and go on the offensive. Strong enough to plan his own attack, the monster will scout his former hunters and seek a time when he can win the match by murdering those that previously pursued him.

Is This It? The dynamic and concept of the game is a unique one. An exciting battle in the early going before the tables are shifted and the hunters are tasked with fending off an immensely powerful beast with a thirst for their blood.

That being said, what I have described of Evolve... that is quite literally all there is. Every match is essentially the same and although players do unlock some additional abilities over time that are not tied to that specific match, but rather their profiles as a whole, there is very little that shifts over the course of the game.

Hour after hour, you will be put in the same situations as either a hunter or the authoritative monster and after a certain point; you realize just how little you are getting out of Evolve.

Rent vs. Buy: There is not much to be said about Evolve, because the game is simply shallow. It looks good, with well detailed graphics and sharp audio demonstrations but the gameplay is simply lacking any significant depth when the novelty of the concept Evolve is based around fades.

Much like any personal partner, the outside exterior simply is not enough to sustain a long lasting relationship when the core of the product is shallow and increasingly drab. For a full priced title, Evolve is essentially a rip-off. The correct price point of a game like Evolve is sitting under $20, but unfortunately gamers are asked to pay three times that amount, not to mention the laughably worthless downloadable content in the form of color changes and skins.

Take Evolve for a test run or wait a month or two for the price to drop, which will happen quickly, but under no circumstances other than life-or-death situations should you pay full price for a title as shiny looking, but shallow as Evolve.