Evolve

[Harsin]

Sorry, the thread subtitle is a bit reductive, but it was the first thought that came to mind given the developers and the 4 player co-op theme. It looks like they're trying something different and pretty interesting here though and sounds awfully like the dream Predator game I've imagined for years.

From Game Informer.

Few independent studios sport the multiplayer pedigree of Turtle Rock Studios. After years of working on Valve's Counter-Strike series, the California-based developer created Left 4 Dead, a post-apocalyptic shooter that redefined cooperative gaming and landed the number-one spot on Game Informer's Top 30 Co-op Games of All Time list. Now the studio is combining its competitive and cooperative design expertise for a new, next-gen only IP: Evolve. Backed by publisher 2K Games, which paid a whopping $10.8 million for the IP in last year's THQ auction, Turtle Rock is taking full advantage of gamers' powerful new systems.

The sci-fi multiplayer-focused shooter pits a four-player crew of alien hunters against a separate player-controlled monster that grows larger and more powerful over the course of matches. Each hunter features its own unique items and abilities, and while the monster may be outnumbered, its size and an assortment of devastating attacks make it a more than formidable foe. Like Turtle Rock's previous titles, Evolve is being built with variety and replayabilty in mind; the result is a novel mix of cooperative and competitive multiplayer elements that's unlike anything we've played before. Our exclusive hands-on time with the game's four-versus-one hunt mode left us with plenty to be excited about, and you can get all the details in this month's issue.

Our 12-page look at Evolve reveals the first hunters, monster, and unique equipment players will get their hands on when the game releases on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 this fall. We also have a wealth of exclusive screens and hands-on impressions you won't want to miss. Check out the cover image below for your first hint at what's to come.

[Vemsie]

Yeah, I remember Danny Bilson saying it was pretty much the best thing they had at THQ before they went tits up. Looking forward to seeing more of this. The evolving monster sounds pretty cool.

[Nespresso]

Sexy art.

[mr_woo]

On a very simple level it sounds a lot like the mod The Hidden but of course I expect this to be a lot more involved/have a lot more to it.

[Vemsie]

More details via GAF:

Game is in development for three years

Turtle Rock has around 75 employers

Very lush and large outdoor enviroments

Lots of AI wildlife

Monster evolves by eating the wildlife

Share's a portion of the story, says it isn't the focus

Only shows hunt mode

Monster wins if incapacitates or kills all 4 players at the same time / Hunters wins by killing the monster

Incapacitated hunters can be revived for a short amount of time

Dead hunters are brought back after 2 minutes by a dropship

Dropship also brings any player that dies in the 2 minutes interval

The monster can also win by completing an objective after getting to final form

The objective on the level shown was destroying an barrier and killing some civilians

Weapons have unlimited ammo, balanced by magazine sizes/cooldown

Automatically runs if not shooting

Four classes of hunters Medic, Assault, Support and Trapper

Assault focus is to deal damage, also have a personal shield

Medic has an area of effect health burst

Support role is to improve the ability of other classes

Trapper has an mobile arena that can trap the monster

Medic is called Val, has an medgun that heals and revives players

Also have a tranquilizer gun that highlight and slow the monster

For offensive the medic has an sniper rifle, that double the damage where it hits

Assault called Markov, comes with proximity mines and two weapons

Assault rifle for long range and lightning rifle for close combat

Support is named Hank, has an laser canon for calling orbital barrages, which limitates the monster moviments

Also has an shield projector to use on other players

Trapper called Griffin, has an harpoon gun that stops the monster going forward

Also has a submachine gun and sound spikes

Trapper is the most advanced class

All classes have an jetpack

Double tapping the jetpack button performs an dodge

Turtle Rock says that there will be more kinds of each class, with different equipment

Trapper with harpoon mine used as example

Monster is called Goliath, hybrid of ape, snake and xenomorph

At the final stage is over 30 feet tall, and is a lot more powerfull

At the start can use basic punch attack, leap long distances and climb walls

Has 4 special abilities, can choose 2 at level 1, gets one more at each level

Charge Attack, Leap Attack, Rock Throw, Fire Breath

Some wildlife are as big and dangerous as Goliath

Can gain armor and evolves by eating other animals

Enters an cocoon to evolve, is vulnerable in this stage

Running leaves footprints behind, carcasses attracts birds, leaping causes lots of noise and scares the wildlife

Can also move slowly for stealth

Plenty of other monsters, Goliath is the most basic one

Players can loot perks by killing the special wildlife

Matches by GameInformer took around 15-10 min each

Wildlife:

Sloth

As big as Goliath, only attacks when provoked

Trap Jaws

Kinda like an Dog x Dinosaur, is weak alone but can be dangerous in a pack

Spotters

Emits sounds if you get close, usefull for hunters

Carnivorous Plants

Devours anything close, if an hunter is caught by it will need help to escape

[Andy_Why]

This really sounds amazing. Is there any word on when we're likely to see it?

[Vemsie]

Somewhere this year, probaly late 2014.

[Vemsie]

Footage! Looks fun.

[RubberJohnny]

Jungling and creeps - the new thing for shooters in 2014.

Looks good, makes me want to play L4D again now.

[Radish]

I'm a bit annoyed that they've gone with four generic classes that are apparently essential, e.g. a healer has to heal all the time, the assault does the most damage, etc. In a game that claims to be evolving multiplayer I'd have expected some form of leveling/a skill tree so players can actually develop their characters naturally and how they want to, rather than being shoe-horned into something from minute 1 to the end.

[Vemsie]

Eurogamer's take:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-02-11-from-secret-of-mana-to-king-kong-how-evolve-changes-the-fps

It's the monster movie through the same thoughtful interactive filter that Left 4 Dead used to spin out the tropes of the zombie genre into something endlessly playable. It's a spin on a well-trodden cinematic genre that's absolutely in love with the idea of being a game, and one whose cinema comes purely from the moments created by the players. Most importantly, Evolve has clearly been created by a team that's head-over-heels in love with video games in the first place.

[Nespresso]

Is this being published by Valve?

[bumgut]

Is that the Source 2 engine?

[Nespresso]

"Backed by publisher 2K Games, which paid a whopping $10.8 million for the IP in last year's THQ auction, Turtle Rock is taking full advantage of gamers' powerful new systems."

I need to learn to read next time.

[Nespresso]

Trailer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63BJB9bECB0

So. Good. Really curious which engine they're using. Could very well be a modified Source. Which would mean good things for those on PC.

EDIT: Ah Cry Engine 3 apparently.

[Nespresso]

IGN also has an article with an additional video that better details the game mechanics.

[mushashi]

So. Good. Really curious which engine they're using. Could very well be a modified Source. Which would mean good things for those on PC.

EDIT: Ah Cry Engine 3 apparently.

The shots released so far might lead some people to assume it was another last gen tart-up to be fair Not exactly much of a looker or great CE3 advert.

I suppose we'll finally find out who really did the heavy lifting on L4D, Valve or Turtle Rock.

[Retroid]

Looks awesome but I can't help but think the 4v1 mechanic is slightly odd... I get the concept; big monster and such but will it really work when the public's playing? If matches are 15-20 minutes how often is the monster going to rage-quit when faced with overwhelming odds? Sure you can replace the guy with AI if he quits but it's never as satisfying.

Plus, servers hosting small individual games can cost a fair bit in practice leading me to think everything's going to be hosted locally... Also, after you get used to it, will playing as the monster be as fun on your own? I'd like to see what progression they've got on that to keep it fresh. Sorry for being so skeptical I know it's early days but in concept L4D to me seems better.

[Padaxes]

It does look really fun I have to say.

[Fusty Gusset]

http://m.uk.ign.com/videos/2014/04/24/evolve-commentary-trailer

[RubberJohnny]

Looks really good, hopefully there'll be an rllmuk group.

[Nespresso]

Man the animation for that monster is so nice. Especially considering it's a multiplayer game. Can't wait to get stuck in myself. I can see myself playing this a whooole lot!

[DocG]

Looks great, fantastic pedigree from the team: I'm in.

[Nespresso]

Here's the YT version.

[Nespresso]

Lovely boxart too!

[Spacehost]

I'm still playing L4D2 after all this time so I'm optimistic. 5 players isn't enough for me mind, 8 player mode please.

[Frosty]

Any word on the scoring system?

Just wondering if you rotate as the monster and the 'winner' is whoever does the best (completes the objective fastest or failing that survived the longest). My worry is that if the game is balanced then the hunters will win every game if the players are properly organised. That'd be less of an issue if it was more an individual contest.

[Radish]

It definitely won't be an individual contest; it's a team game with different classes and unique abilities that supplement each other.

I too wonder how the monster will be chosen but I suspect it will just be a combination of party/lobby system and queuing individually (as either the human with randoms or as the monster). Perhaps in a lobby players are given the option to say if they want to be the monster next and then it's chosen at random (or via a vote). Who knows.

The video does make me a little worried. It's obviously still in relatively early stages and not finalized yet but the monster seemed incredibly weak. His boulder throw ability didn't appear to do any damage, it just knocked the player back. The only point he even looked like he was going to win was right at the end and that looked staged. It's possibly he shouldn't have been fighting that early but I hope it's more complex than the monster struggling to stay alive until he's grown powerful enough to win, as then you'll know how most games will end: early levels he'll die, later levels he'll win.

I also hope there's a lot of character customization; not just skins but also abilities, perks, weapons, armour. Just give the player lots of options. I don't want the support to be pigeonholed into healing all the time just because that's the class they've picked. I'd rather they didn't have classes at all, but I suppose they want to make it simple enough for random groups of players to work together (so you can see at an instant that you're lacking a support or tank). An advanced setting that allowed preset groups to customize their characters from scratch (without classes) would be nice.

[Frosty]

In my head you'd only be scoring as the monster - so there is still plenty of incentive to work as a team when a hunter.

[Nespresso]

I suspect the first days of this do be a complete mess with people getting to know the maps, abilities, loudouts, mechanics, etc. coupled with a lot of frustration from both sides. Then after a while, just like the Natural Selection 2 community, there will be a small group of dedicated players that remain who will get really good at it.

Still looking forward to this mind you but I doubt a lot of players will have the patience to keep on playing, especially as it's so team reliant. I'm already getting frustrated by my teams in Titanfall simply because they don't play objectives.