One of the things that dawns on you after a couple of hours playing Turtle Rock’s 4v1 monster hunter is just how differently paced it is in comparison to most multiplayer shooters and what a welcome change this is. It’s perfectly possible for ten minutes to pass at the beginning of a round without the hunters ever coming across their target, only knowing its presence from a distance as it scares the local wildlife or, more ominously, begins to level up.
A clever player in control of the monster can use the maps to their advantage, doubling back in order to lay down a confusing set of tracks, or deliberately setting off a motion tracker only to quickly hustle to the furthest corner of the environment. This game of cat and mouse, with the Trapper attempting to make best use of his or her available tools, is all tension and second-guessing, and is almost as enjoyable as the combat that results when the two sides do finally meet.
Turtle power
It’s only after experimenting with the different squad combinations there are currently two hunters in each class, with slightly different abilities and how they interact with each monster there are two, the Goliath and the Kraken, at present that you realise just how brilliantly Turtle Rock has balanced Evolve.
Subtle changes, such as one medic being better at keeping other hunters alive while the other comes into his own when reviving, have a big effect on the approach of players on both sides. And then of course there’s the monsters. These are completely different to control, but both are an absolute blast. How best to utilise them comes down to which abilities you pump your upgrade points into, but whatever the case you absolutely have to play to their strengths in order to triumph. For the Goliath, get in close and be relentless: hone in on a specific enemy and pound away until they’re no more, whittling the hunters down one by one. The Kraken meanwhile is more about crowd control and maintaining distance with ranged attacks. Oh, and whichever one you use: don’t be afraid to leg it if things get too hairy. Sometimes the best form of defence isn’t attack, but cowardice.
A clever player in control of the monster can use the maps to their advantage, doubling back in order to lay down a confusing set of tracks, or deliberately setting off a motion tracker only to quickly hustle to the furthest corner of the environment. This game of cat and mouse, with the Trapper attempting to make best use of his or her available tools, is all tension and second-guessing, and is almost as enjoyable as the combat that results when the two sides do finally meet.
“Sometimes the best form of defence isn’t attack, but cowardice”
Turtle power
It’s only after experimenting with the different squad combinations there are currently two hunters in each class, with slightly different abilities and how they interact with each monster there are two, the Goliath and the Kraken, at present that you realise just how brilliantly Turtle Rock has balanced Evolve.
Subtle changes, such as one medic being better at keeping other hunters alive while the other comes into his own when reviving, have a big effect on the approach of players on both sides. And then of course there’s the monsters. These are completely different to control, but both are an absolute blast. How best to utilise them comes down to which abilities you pump your upgrade points into, but whatever the case you absolutely have to play to their strengths in order to triumph. For the Goliath, get in close and be relentless: hone in on a specific enemy and pound away until they’re no more, whittling the hunters down one by one. The Kraken meanwhile is more about crowd control and maintaining distance with ranged attacks. Oh, and whichever one you use: don’t be afraid to leg it if things get too hairy. Sometimes the best form of defence isn’t attack, but cowardice.