Evolve – release date, Gamescom news and videos

First announced all the way back in January, Turtle Rock Studios’ Evolve is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious cooperative/competitive first person shooters since Left 4 Dead first dropped us into a horde of angry infected. The unique four vs one gameplay that pits a team of soldiers against one seriously angry monster was one of the more exciting demos on show at this year’s E3 trade show in Los Angeles, and with the game not scheduled to arrive until early 2015, there’s plenty of time for the developer to tease us with new monsters and more innovative gameplay mechanics.

In the meantime, we’ve gathered all the available news and video coverage released so far, putting everything you need to know about Evolve in one place.

Evolve Release date

Originally scheduled to arrive in time for Christmas, Turtle Rock recently announced it would be delaying the release of Evolve in order to “avoid the holiday rush” and to allow the developer to add some extra polish before gamers get their hands on it. The game is now slated for launch in “February 2015”, with no firm release date. Publisher Take Two has scheduled the next generation release of Grand Theft Auto 5 for the autumn, so it makes sense to space out big releases to give gamers’ bank balances a chance to recover.

When Evolve does arrive, it will be available for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Evolve Hunter Gameplay

Evolve should be unlike any other FPS you’ve played, thanks to its 4v1 gameplay. The team of four all pick human hunters from a range of different classes, while the fifth player controls the alien monster. The team plays from a first person perspective, dropped into a collection of different environments that vary from jungles to industrial settlements and tasked with hunting down the player-controlled monster. You’ll be able to use jet packs to quickly traverse each map, and will rely on unique class abilities to locate, pin down and finish off each monster.

So far, the four basic classes have been revealed: trapper, support, medic, and assault, but each one will have several sub-classes to choose from. These will affect which weapons and abilities you have access to, and will be crucial in balancing your team to best take on the player in control of the monster. That could mean being able to spot the monster’s tracks, weapons that pin it down until it can break free, or the ability to heal your teammates if they start taking damage. Trappers play a crucial role, as they have grenades that can create a mobile arena, locking the monster down to a specific area and letting players get in as much damage as possible before it has time to escape.

You’ll also have to pay attention to your surroundings, as carnivorous plants, smaller but equally lethal alien creatures and other environmental hazards can incapacitate you or even kill you outright, forcing you to wait for a dropship to bring you back to the fight.

Evolve Monsters

Turtle Rock has been careful to drip feed news about Evolve’s monsters, as they will be the defining characters that set the game apart from the competition. So far, we’ve seen the Goliath and the Kraken, but the developer has promised many more are on the way.

The Goliath is a hulking brute that runs on hind legs and attacks with swinging claws. Once you start investing skill points, earned by killing smaller creatures and devouring them, you’ll unlock new vision modes that help you spot prey in the undergrowth, the ability to breathe fire or throw rocks at enemies like the Tank from Left for Dead, and the option to cocoon and evolve to a larger, more powerful form.

The Kraken, meanwhile, is a more mobile creature that has the ability to fly – meaning it doesn’t leave any footprints for hunters to track. It can also shoot lightning bolts as well as swipt at enemies with its claws, and hould be better suited to swift stealth attacks rather than all-out combat with hunters.

We’ll be sure to update this article once Turtle Rock announces the next monster.

Evolve Monster Gameplay

As the monster, the solitary fifth player will start off each map small and vulnerable. It will have to kill and eat smaller creatures, then find somewhere safe to evolve by going into a cocoon, all the while avoiding hunters and larger creatures. Once you’ve gone from newborn, through puberty and reached the adult stage, you’ll be strong enough to start hunting the human players. Depending on the type of monster, players will either be able to attack directly, or use bait and trap tactics to separate the other players and off them individually. Killing all four hunters will win the round for the monster, but it will also be possible to win by completing secondary objectives such as destroying a human base camp, or overloading a power plant.

You’ll be able to choose your abilities at each stage in the evolution, either maxing out one particular skill or raising them all evenly until you get to the maximum level and become truly powerful. YOu only have a limited number of ability points, however, so you’ll have to pick between your abilities rather than have access to them all at once.

Turtle Rock has promised to reveal many more maps in the run up to launch, as so far we’ve only seen a swampy marsh and and the wintery distillery map which was announced at Gamescom. The full game should have over 12 maps, which will be playable in single player mode with AI-controlled bots as well as online with four other players, although some maps may be made available post-launch as DLC rather than included on the disc.

Evolve Plot

Although we aren’t convinced a multiplayer shooter like Evolve needs a detailed plot, Turtle Rock has already released plenty of backstory details for eager gamers to dig their teeth into. Set in a distant future where humans have colonised distant planets, the next planet on the list is Shear. However, the indigenous alien population is none too happy about being invaded by mankind, so attack the colonies to drive them off. It will take an elite team of professional hunters, expendable warriors, war veterans and colonists to take the fight back to the aliens.

The Left 4 Dead series had a surprisingly detailed plot, but it never got in the way of the action; instead it was told through the level design, props and incidental details, as well as through pre- and post-level cut scenes. We’re hoping Evolve will follow suit, letting the gameplay do the talking rather than pull control away from the player while AI charcters have long in-game conversations.

Evolve Beta

Like any high profile FPS worth its salt in 2014, Evolve will have a beta test before the final game goes on sale. Microsoft confirmed as such during its E3 keynote presentation, and also announced that the beta would be launching exclusively on the Xbox One. It’s currently unclear whether it will then arrive on Sony’s PS4 and the PC at a later date, or gamers will only get to try it ahead of launch if they own Microsoft’s console. The Xbox One will also get all Evolve DLC ahead of the other platforms, after Microsoft brokered a deal with publisher Take Two.

Xbox One gamers will be able to get their hands on the beta from the 15th of January, but there’s currently no word on how to register for the beta. It’s unclear whether you’ll need to pre-order the game to get access, or if it will be open to all players, so hopefully either Microsoft or Tutle Rock studios will clarify the situation soon.