Evolve Stage 2

About

"Evolve Stage 2" is a free-to-play 4v1 multiplayer game where players either cooperate as hunters or try to survive as the monsters. The game features an evolving monster that can grow in power and size, while hunters have access to a variety of class-based characters and weapons. The experience is centered around tactical teamwork and strategic planning, taking place in diverse environments with shifting weather conditions.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

65%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,152 reviews

gameplay377 positive mentions

stability112 negative mentions

The game has a unique and fun concept, allowing for exciting 4v1 gameplay.
The graphics and sound design are impressive, creating an immersive experience.
The transition to free-to-play has revitalized the player base, making it easier to find matches.

Many players feel cheated after purchasing the game at full price, only to see it become free-to-play.
The removal of game modes and content from the original version has disappointed long-time fans.
Balance issues persist, with some monsters being overpowered and making it difficult for hunters to win.

gameplay
1,047 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
58%
6%
The gameplay of Evolve is characterized by its unique asymmetrical 4v1 mechanics, where players can choose to be either hunters or a monster, leading to a dynamic cat-and-mouse experience. While many players praise the game's strategic depth, variety in character abilities, and engaging cooperative elements, there are significant criticisms regarding repetitive gameplay, balance issues, and the impact of microtransactions on the overall experience. Overall, the gameplay is seen as fun and innovative, but it suffers from a lack of content and can become stale over time, especially without a dedicated group of friends to play with.
- “I really liked the asymmetrical gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is solid, the performance is great, and there are lots of videos everywhere with hours of gameplay footage.”
- “The gameplay is unique and fun in my opinion, the variety in the hunters and monsters is fantastic and the game modes are awesome and offer a change of pace.”
- “There were huge problems that just sat there, fouling the gameplay, for months.”
- “The gameplay has significantly sped up and makes it far less atmospheric and engaging.”
- “The gameplay is severely asymmetrical.”
graphics
425 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
38%
2%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning quality and attention to detail, often described as "insanely good" and "beautiful," particularly when run on high-end hardware. Many players appreciate the unique art style and immersive environments created by the CryEngine, although some express concerns about performance issues on lower-end systems. Overall, the visuals are considered one of the game's strongest aspects, contributing significantly to the overall experience despite some complaints about graphical downgrades and bugs.
- “The graphics are stunningly beautiful.”
- “The graphics are great, the environments are beautiful, the monsters are huge and ferocious, and the hunters are all unique and fun to kill.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, the gameplay is fun and intuitive, both sides (monster and hunter) are an absolute blast.”
- “What I can't get over is the fact it is literally unplayable now on any graphic setting; the same system I put in hours of play with my friends is now unable to play the game.”
- “Basically, graphically wise, it seems as they overhauled the graphics to try and make it look like a free-to-play game in early beta, instead of what was a triple-A title!”
- “A poorly optimized game that is almost unplayable with the latest drivers installed, a graphics card far better than the minimum/recommended version, and large FPS drops during the start-up phase and during the game, as well as glitchy audio and voice stutters from the AI and characters.”
story
257 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
75%
11%
The game's story aspect has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over the lack of a traditional single-player campaign or a cohesive narrative. While some appreciate the character backstories and dialogue snippets that provide context during gameplay, others criticize the overall absence of a substantial storyline, deeming it a significant flaw. The evacuation mode offers a semblance of a campaign through its dynamic missions, but many feel it falls short of delivering a rich, engaging narrative experience.
- “The unique thing about this campaign is that depending on who wins which mission, the next one is altered drastically.”
- “The evacuation missions are a genuine unexpected treat - it's great to see something genuinely innovative being introduced and explored beyond the new '1v4 mechanism'.”
- “I wanted to know more about that backstory, but even getting a hint of it helped me feel like the world Evolve takes place in is bigger than meets the eye.”
- “The game should have never released with a half-baked, unfinished main story gamemode.”
- “Getting rid of the storyline for one was a huge mistake.”
- “There is no actual story mode for this game, but what they do have instead is a short 5 mission PvP 'campaign' that puts a group of hunters against a player-controlled monster.”
replayability
125 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
57%
11%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its unique mechanics and the thrill of multiplayer matches, often highlighting that playing with friends significantly enhances the experience. However, some users express concerns about the limited game modes and repetitive gameplay, suggesting that the replay value diminishes over time. Overall, while there is potential for high replayability, particularly with strategic depth and varied scenarios, many feel that the current content and matchmaking issues hinder its long-term appeal.
- “Though there is currently only one game type, no two matches will play out the same. It gives replayability beyond any online game I've played, and if you get a team together, there is nothing like the thrill of the hunt to get the adrenaline going.”
- “This is one of the deepest shooters that has come out in recent years. The replay value of the content is through the roof, and the complexity of choosing the right group of hunters to take down the monster is extremely fun. You will constantly be learning new strategies.”
- “The gameplay is fantastic, super unique, and has tons of replayability. All of the characters are distinct, and the game is fun. The developers have promised several unique game modes and maps in the future, all completely for free.”
- “It is very repetitive and has little to no replay value whatsoever.”
- “Matchmaking is bad, search times are 5 minutes plus, the ranking system is poor, and the game loses its replay value quickly with the limited monsters.”
- “The community really suffers because no one wants to drop 60+ dollars on a game that seems like it has no replay value at all.”
stability
118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder the gameplay experience. While some users have noted improvements over time and a few have experienced minimal issues, the overall consensus is that the game remains plagued by stability problems, including matchmaking difficulties and performance drops. Many reviewers emphasize the need for further patches and fixes before the game can be considered fully functional.
- “The game also runs great, very few bugs that I've seen, although I'm sure they are there.”
- “They game is smooth, runs great, and is hours of fun with or without friends to play it with.”
- “Graphics are still stunning, sound effects are great, it runs great on my GTX 780, nothing to say about that.”
- “All these new patches and the game is still horridly buggy, crashes to desktop quite often (I'm on a 980 GTX), multiple entering and leaving lobby in order to get what you actually want to play or have the game even launch.”
- “The gameplay was lacking, the glitches were insufferable, and worst of all, by the time I bought the game, matchmaking queues were about 20 minutes long.”
- “There are so many bugs, glitches, crashes, server-wide disconnects, etc., you might cry.”
monetization
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
52%
45%
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized for being overly aggressive and exploitative, with many players feeling that it turned the experience into a cash grab through predatory microtransactions and excessive DLC costs. While some users noted that the game has transitioned to a free-to-play model with less intrusive monetization, the initial pricing and post-launch content strategies left a negative impression, leading to a significant backlash from the community. Overall, the monetization approach has been seen as a major factor in the game's failure to retain its player base.
- “The microtransactions are there but not intrusive in any way.”
- “Now free to play, along with some changes like the addition of in-game currency silver keys which don't even require microtransactions (you can get 'em in-game) along with daily quests, improved optimization, a bit of improvement to the maps, monster and hunter balance and probably more content coming up, in my opinion this game is now totally worth playing.”
- “The only things you have to buy are new skins and monsters and hunters when they come out, but I think expecting you to pay for new characters is actually a decent way of monetization, League of Legends anyone?”
- “Greed was abundant with microtransactions on day 1.”
- “This game was a major cash grab; the devs haven't done much to improve my experience, and I didn't get half the content I was promised by spending $100.”
- “The concept was amazing, but the poor implementation of DLC and microtransactions killed it in the end.”
optimization
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
58%
16%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance and minimal bugs, while others report significant lag, crashes, and poor optimization on lower-end systems. Many users express frustration over the game's performance issues, particularly on PC, citing it as a major drawback despite some improvements noted in recent updates. Overall, while some players find the game well-optimized for their high-end setups, others struggle with frequent performance drops and stability problems.
- “There are no noticeable bugs in the game (as I know), and lag is minimal; optimization is just perfect!”
- “The optimization is great, the visuals are beautiful, and the gameplay is absurdly well-balanced (so long as your teammates know how to do their jobs properly).”
- “The game is surprisingly balanced still, and it feels like the game is very well optimized, being able to run everything on ultra and still hitting a smooth 60fps.”
- “Good game at its core; however, low optimization makes it a very laggy game that will likely crash unless your PC is high-end.”
- “A poorly optimized game that is almost unplayable with the latest drivers installed, a graphics card far better than the minimum/recommended version, and large FPS drops during the start-up phase and during the game, as well as glitchy audio and voice stutters from the AI and characters.”
- “Until the game is better optimized and has some of the issues and bugs ironed out, I can't recommend this right now.”
grinding
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that grinding is a prevalent and often tedious aspect of the game, with many players expressing frustration over the repetitive nature of unlocking characters, perks, and in-game currency. While some appreciate the ability to earn everything through grinding, others find it excessively time-consuming and unbalanced, leading to a lack of variety and enjoyment in gameplay. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant drawback, detracting from the game's potential fun and engagement.
- “A lot of the game has changed since release and now it feels just grindy and totally unbalanced.”
- “The worst marketing ever seen in the game industry combined with tedious gameplay and empty servers ruined the promising concept completely.”
- “This game focuses on heavy grinding style gameplay to get tiny upgrades like +7% damage and other characters.”
humor
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted through witty character dialogues, amusing interactions during gameplay, and the absurdity of certain game mechanics, which often lead to hilarious moments among players. Many reviewers find the banter between characters, especially during match introductions and in-game scenarios, to be a standout feature that enhances the overall experience. Despite some criticisms regarding balance and bugs, players generally agree that the game provides a fun and entertaining atmosphere, particularly when enjoyed with friends.
- “The most funny thing is, back then, they said that their game was worth '200$' while it was barely even worth 30$.”
- “Another thing worth mentioning are the funny dialogues between the characters at the start of every match.”
- “The air drop cut scenes before each match are hilarious.”
atmosphere
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
20%
8%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, unique art style, and compelling audio design, creating a rich and engaging experience. Many players appreciate the game's ability to evoke tension and excitement, although some note that changes in gameplay have diminished its atmospheric depth over time. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals and well-crafted soundscapes contributes to a memorable and captivating environment, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay balance and content.
- “Incredibly unique art style, amazing sounds made in-house, incredible atmosphere and still a great game to this day!”
- “The character writing is well done and the atmosphere is superb.”
- “The game itself is beautiful, both sides are balanced, the audio of the game is immense - seriously, hop into a match with stereo headphones on, turn up the volume and whoa - the atmosphere envelops you like an ocean.”
- “It doesn't have any of the atmosphere or life that it once had.”
- “Atmosphere became too tense.”
- “Graphics are pretty good, the sudden rumble and roar of a monster in the distance that sounds as big as a battleship adds to the atmosphere.”
character development
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
82%
6%
12%
Character development in the game is highlighted by exceptional character design and voice acting, which many reviewers praise as visually stunning and engaging. However, there is a notable criticism regarding the absence of a single-player or cooperative story mode, leading to a feeling of missed potential for deeper character development and narrative exploration. Overall, while the character designs are celebrated, the lack of a substantial storyline detracts from the overall experience.
- “Visually, the game is breathtaking, easily some of the best character designs I've seen in a game in a long time.”
- “If you are looking for a game that offers the thrill of hunting and being rewarded with teamwork that can have high-level play, then Evolve is a good place to start as it offers all of that and interesting character design that gives each one a clear identity.”
- “There was a lot of scope for a campaign, character development, history, any kind of story really!”
- “The DLC's skins and character designs are disappointing.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
50%
19%
The music in the game has received high praise for its quality, with many reviewers noting its cinematic feel and ability to enhance the gaming experience through moments of suspense and action. While some users found the music to be merely "okay" and not particularly immersive, the overall consensus highlights a strong soundtrack that complements the game's atmosphere effectively.
- “Great audio sounds (music, flora fauna, voicing is amazing from characters, monsters sounds terrifying).”
- “The soundtrack is of movie quality; it includes moments of suspense, tension, or heavy action, and gives the beat to the game.”
- “Audio: moody, the music fits well into the alien atmosphere set into the planet of Shear.”
- “Music is okay if you're not into immersive music.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, highlighting nostalgia and heartbreak over lost progress or changes in the game structure. The experience of investing countless hours into a fully developed world evokes strong feelings, with moments of victory and loss resonating profoundly. Overall, the emotional weight of the game is significant, often leading to tears and a sense of attachment.
- “Being able to play again is so nostalgic I want to cry.”
- “It was heartbreaking seeing it die.”
- “I'll shed a tear when alpha is gone :'(”