Skip to main content

Evolva

Evolva Game Cover
72%Game Brain Score
humor, replayability
graphics, gameplay
92% User Score Based on 24 reviews
Critic Score 90%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
Buy NowGet on Steam
Evolva Game Cover

About

Evolva is a single player and multiplayer shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Computer Artworks and was released on January 13, 2018. It received positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

A game in which mankind sends its bio-engineered troops to stop a parasite race from destroying the universe. Evolva combines the excitement of a fast paced shoot-em-up with the tactical challenge of commanding a squad. Fight against the alien parasites and save the planet. This is survival of the fittest!Appealing scenery with an other-worldly feelingAn unusual character development system bas…

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Evolva screenshot
Evolva screenshot
Evolva screenshot
Evolva screenshot
Evolva screenshot
Evolva screenshot
Evolva screenshot
Evolva screenshot
Skip User Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 24 reviews
humor3 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • Evolva features an innovative mutation system that allows players to adapt their squad with diverse abilities, enhancing gameplay and strategy.
  • The game offers a unique atmosphere with its dark, biological themes and engaging alien environments, making it memorable for fans of retro gaming.
  • Despite its age, Evolva remains entertaining and challenging, providing a rewarding experience for players who enjoy exploration and tactical combat.
  • The game's graphics and mechanics show their age, with low-resolution textures and stiff animations that may detract from the experience for modern players.
  • Inconsistent enemy AI and occasional chaotic firefights can lead to frustrating encounters, especially in later stages of the game.
  • Some gameplay elements, such as mission objectives and puzzles, can feel cryptic or unoriginal, limiting the overall depth of the experience.
  • graphics
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics are described as a mix of charm and dated aesthetics, with alien landscapes and grotesque creature designs that evoke a surreal quality. While some players appreciate the unique visual style and find it fitting for its time, others note that the graphics have not aged well and could benefit from a modern overhaul. Overall, the visuals are seen as a blend of decent execution and limitations typical of early 2000s gaming.

    • “However, there is a strange charm to its alien landscapes and creature designs, which lean heavily into organic, grotesque aesthetics.”
    • “I can definitely recommend it as the graphics, ambient sound and gameplay are really good for such an old game.”
    • “It was ahead of its time both in graphics and gameplay.”
    • “I replayed it so many times, I couldn't count; graphics-wise it's plain, but there is something alien about it.”
    • “The landscape graphics pretty much suck, but hey, this is old school and the gameplay is fun up to a point - the mutations are very minor most of the time.”
    • “It has dated in graphics only.”
  • gameplay
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Evolva's gameplay is characterized by its innovative mutation mechanics and diverse play styles, offering a unique experience that emphasizes evolution as both a theme and a mechanic. While the game's age is evident in its presentation and controls, it compensates with creative ideas and challenging missions that remain engaging, despite lacking the polish of modern titles. Players appreciate the dark tone and the strategic depth required in later levels, though some express a desire for more content to fully explore the game's mechanics.

    • “Early levels serve as an introduction to mutation mechanics and squad control, while later stages demand more deliberate planning and experimentation.”
    • “Evolva delivers an entertaining experience to players through its innovative evolution mechanic, diverse play styles, and challenging missions.”
    • “It was ahead of its time both in graphics and gameplay.”
    • “Visually and mechanically, Evolva clearly shows its age.”
    • “It doesn’t offer the tight gunplay, refined AI, or cinematic presentation expected from modern titles, but it compensates with a level of mechanical creativity that was rare at the time and remains uncommon even today.”
    • “If anything, I wish there were more levels, because the last stage gives you the last weapon and then there is no gameplay to try and test your ultimate genohunters, buffed or not.”
  • story
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Evolva's story serves primarily as a backdrop for gameplay, focusing on experimentation and survival rather than a traditional narrative. Players navigate through expansive alien environments filled with challenges, utilizing a squad system that encourages strategic teamwork and problem-solving. While the story may lack depth and clarity, the game compensates with engaging mechanics and rewarding missions, making for an entertaining experience overall.

    • “Instead of presenting a traditional hero’s journey or heavy narrative exposition, Evolva frames its story as a functional backdrop for experimentation and survival.”
    • “While the game occasionally suffers from cryptic elements and issues with mission objective registration, it ultimately offers a rewarding and worthwhile classic gaming experience.”
    • “One should think a 2000 squad game with AI-controlled characters is going to be a nightmarish dozen-hour variation on your typical escort mission.”
    • “I was expecting a derivative third-person shooter, but the developers really tried to get what they could out of the squad system: some levels force you to split your team, making you look for ways to unite it for the final assault, and in one mission, you have to leave at least half the squad behind to guard a spot while you’re off looking for a way to progress.”
    • “I wish they would redo it and fix the graphics, maybe add a little to the story.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is memorable and impactful, leaving a lasting impression on players even after they've moved on, suggesting a unique and engaging comedic style.

    • “The funny thing is, I had forgotten its name, but it kept haunting me.”
    • “The humor in this game is so clever; I found myself laughing out loud at the unexpected twists.”
    • “The witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions made every moment enjoyable.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report that the game's optimization issues, including stuttering and freezing, are generally fixable, suggesting that the developers can address these known bugs effectively.

    • “All the known bugs, such as stuttering and freezing, can be fixed easily.”
    • “The game suffers from severe performance issues that make it nearly unplayable.”
    • “Optimization is lacking, resulting in frequent frame drops and long loading times.”
  • music
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music and sound design effectively create an atmosphere of unease and isolation, enhancing the game's hostile and unfamiliar world. The drum and synth-driven soundtrack, combined with the primal sounds of the characters, reinforces the feeling of being a futuristic warrior in a primordial setting.

    • “Levels are vast and foggy, enhancing the feeling of primordiality with the bestial grunts of my hooved and spiky protagonists and the drum/synth dominated soundtrack – all punctuating the impression of me being a warrior from the future come back down to the Cretaceous to fight a war nobody will ever hear about.”
    • “The soundtrack and ambient sound design contribute to a sense of unease and isolation, helping the world feel hostile and unfamiliar even when the technology underpinning it feels dated.”
    • “Levels are vast and foggy and gave me the above-mentioned feeling of primality enhanced by the bestial grunts of my hooved and spiky protagonists and the drum/synth dominated soundtrack – all punctuating the impression of me being a warrior from the future come back down to the Cretaceous to fight a war nobody will ever hear about.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game offers significant replayability, with suggestions for mods like enemy spawns and multiplayer bots to enhance the experience further.

    • “This game offers a lot of replayability.”
    • “The potential for mods, like an enemy spawn and multiplayer bot mod, could significantly enhance the pace and replay value.”
    • “Somebody should create an enemy spawn and multiplayer bot mod to increase the pace and replay value.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere, while showing signs of age, is still highly regarded for its fantastic and dark ambiance, making it a recommended experience for retro gaming enthusiasts.

    • “The game's definitely aged now, but its atmosphere overall remains fantastic.”
    • “If you're a fan of retro gaming and dark atmospheres, I highly recommend playing this game.”
Skip Critic Reviews

90%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
Skip Game Offers

Buy Evolva

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Evolva

Games Like Evolva

Wizordum Image
87%533reviews

Wizordum

2025Action
PCMac OSSteam Deck+1
Capsized Image
76%781reviews

Capsized

2011Arcade Platformer
LinuxXbox 360PC+3
X-COM: UFO Defense ImageX-COM: UFO Defense ImageX-COM: UFO Defense Image
89%4.5kreviews

X-COM: UFO Defense

2008Tactical Turn-based Strategy
PCAmigaWindows+2
Sorry We're Closed Image
92%1.3kreviews

Sorry We're Closed

2024Survival Role Playing Shooter
Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPC+7
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel Image
80%1.3kreviews

Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel

2009Open World Role Playing
PCMac OSWindows
More games like Evolva
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Evolva is a shooter game with science fiction theme.

Evolva is available on PC and Windows.

Evolva was released on January 13, 2018.

Evolva was developed by Computer Artworks.

Evolva has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its humor but disliked it for its graphics.

Evolva is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include Wizordum, Capsized, X-COM: UFO Defense, Sorry We're Closed, Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel and others.