The asymmetric team shooter Evolve is released today. A review embargo expired at 6:00 AM German time. We summarize the tests and reviews from various magazines for you.
Evolve is one of the first shakes in the gaming market in 2015. A good sign so far: The press had access to the servers beforehand, and at 6:00 AM this morning
an embargo expired and major US sites published their tests and reviews. We have tracked them down for you and summarized them. These are often just “provisional judgments” or “first impressions” from the press servers after 20-30 hours, but they paint an initial picture.
Polygon: Yes, but …
Polygon (8/10): The Polygon tester spent 25 hours with the pre-release version and repeatedly calls Evolve “ambitious.” A game with big goals. But like all “big endeavors,” it needs refinement. When entering new territory, one encounters new challenges.
Classic “Hunt” matches are often one-sided and it is clear from the start who will win. The balance is also not yet harmonious; some hunter abilities and the monster “Wraith” are too strong (Note from mein-mmo.de: This should be fixed in a Day One Patch ). The tester also struggles with unlocking and upgrading the monsters and hunters. It feels sluggish and presents an artificial hurdle.
On the plus side, Evolve is a hell of a lot of fun, especially in a team. It has a kind of “party” factor, and the additional modes provide variety. In particular, the Defense mode has captured the tester’s interest; these are longer matches that develop more slowly and allow for mistakes.
The Escapist: Co-Op Fun with minor flaws
The Escapist (9/10) enjoys the co-op shooter and the team play it offers. Evolve is a game that presents players with challenges, a variety of them. Teamwork is especially important. When everything comes together and you have a strong team, it becomes an incredibly “satisfying game.”
The Escapist points out the complicated DLC plan and the frustration that arises when you end up on the wrong side of a one-sided match.
Gamespot: Intense
Gamespot (8/10) highlights the atmosphere in its critique. It is exciting and intense. Sometimes Evolve is the Blair Witch Project among shooters: you wander aimlessly, there are eerie sounds, a sense of an imminent threat, and you wait for something exciting to happen. And when it does, when it comes to battle, the clashes between hunters and monsters are intense.
For Gamespot, the game is best when playing with friends.
And what else is there?
Several more reviews have been published. The consensus is quite clear: Evolve shines in co-op mode; solo it is difficult to not fun at all. Most have played around 20-30 hours and are curious about what the community will make of the game. Criticism arises regarding the test servers, where some “bad matches” were found with one-sided outcomes; especially the “typical” Hunt mode can quickly become one-sided.
Much positive feedback is given regarding the sound, the atmosphere, and the varied missions. It looks very positive at first glance, as one would expect.
More about Evolve from us can be found here. If you want to prepare for the launch, we recommend Cortyn’s guides: For hunters and for Goliath.
