News

[Turnus]

Official site: http://evolvegame.com/

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/arch ... 68796.aspx

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.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/44 ... -wildlife/

There will be a solo 'experience' in Evolve, though Turtle Rock is not yet willing to talk about it.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.ph ... tcount=904

Caught this while reading the article, sorry if it was already posted or there is any mistake.

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

There's also some artwork, one is an ice cave, other is the rock bridge with some larvas that is on the GI video, and the last one seemed to be an factory like place.

Game Informer Coverage Trailer. Contains no game footage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwFZWSViSK4

[panegyrist]

More details from the Game Informer website.

Introduction to the Goliath (a playable monster): http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/ ... liath.aspx

The Goliath is an innately strong and powerful creature, but players will be able to buff him up as they play. As the game's name suggests, he can evolve through three different forms by feeding on kills and storing energy – provided the hunters don't kill him first. Players can choose two of Goliath's four abilities when they start, and they're able to select another with each additional growth spurt.

His flame breath is a great way to punish hunters for getting too close. Once a character is alight, they continue to take damage. The pain inflicted isn't as great as some of his other attacks, but the DoT effect compounded with the panic it can create makes it invaluable.

The Goliath's leap and charge attacks are versatile maneuvers that can be used offensively or defensively. The charge is an effective way to close the gap between fleeing opponents, or it can be used to create some space between you and the hunters when you’re feeling pinned down. Similarly, the leap attack is a tool that’s useful to pounce on unsuspecting hunters from above, or to make it tough for them to draw a bead on you.

The rock throw is an attack that speaks to the Goliath’s raw power. The Goliath digs its claws into the ground, extracts a boulder, and chucks it at the nearest pest. It only takes one hit for new hunters to learn to respect this attack. It delivers a punishing, disorienting blow that can take precious seconds to recover from. The rock throw was added to address one of the issues the team discovered in playtesting. Before he had a longer-ranged attack, the hunters could lay mines and play a straight defense – effectively forcing the Goliath player to participate in his own inevitable demise.

Introduction to Markov, a playable assault-class hunter: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/ ... day-1.aspx

Name: Markov
Class: Assault
Class Ability: Personal Shield

Markov is a member of the assault class, which is a role that should be familiar to most squad-based shooter players. In short, his job is to inflict as much damage as possible. With a large health pool and the ability to take a punch, he’s a great fit for players who like to get in enemies’ faces.

On the offensive side, he’s armed with two large weapons. His lightning gun is a powerful piece of equipment that sends crackling blasts of destruction at close range. For enemies outside of that weapon’s grasp, he also packs an assault rifle.

Markov isn’t all brawn, either. Players can use his arc mines as a strategic way to herd the monster into position or to close off routes. These electric charges are detonated by enemy contact; teammates won’t trip them, but they can take minor splash damage from them. If the monster triggers one, mines are also a great way to point out its position.

Finally, all members of the assault class – not just Markov –are equipped with personal shields. As you might imagine, these provide a brief respite from enemy damage. Learning how long they last and the optimal time to activate the shield may be what determines if your squad talks about you in the past or present tense.

In Evolve, up to five players face off in four versus one matches on large maps, Four of the players band together as hunters, while the remaining player is the monster. The hunters are grouped into four distinct classes – assault, trapper, support, and medic – but the game has an additional wrinkle: There are unique individuals within each of those classes. When you decide to play as an assault class, for example, you can also select a specific character in that role, who has his or her own specific loadout.

Each character is equipped with an array of weapons and gear. One piece of that loadout will be shared between all characters in that class, but the rest is specific to each character.

[panegyrist]

'Happy Hunting' trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1HTGJcvTUk

6-minute long play video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wmklRY2JXI

Developer interview, explaining a lot of the mechanics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UpXcMvFZIY

[panegyrist]

Name: Val
Class: Medic
Class Ability: Health Burst

Val is a medic, but her role is vastly expanded from the healing archetype that players might expect. She is equipped with a Medgun, but it’s the least interesting thing about the character.

The Medgun fires a healing beam that looks and functions similarly to the Medic’s healing tool in Team Fortress 2, providing a single ally with slow but continual healing from a distance. If you’re playing as the monster and you see its telltale beam, you might want to resist the temptation to focus your energy on the recipient, and instead track the nuisance down to its source. The Medgun can also be used to revive incapacitated players from a distance, making it a powerful tool in Val’s arsenal.

Val packed along a pair of other weapons, which show how Turtle Rock isn’t shackling characters into traditional class-based roles. Her knowledge of anatomy is put to good use with her anti-materiel rifle, a weapon that she uses to highlight and expose monsters’ weak spots. Functionally, that means players who choose Val and hit monsters with the weapon provide extra damage to their teammates; a handy bull’s-eye is displayed on the enemy at the point of impact, showing allies where to aim. Hit a limb with the anti-materiel rifle, and squadmates who target that now-highlighted appendage will score additional damage. Get a headshot – which already nets extra damage – and the effects can be devastating.

Val’s other weapon seems like something that could have been lifted from Griffin’s locker. The tranquilizer rifle temporarily slows down the monster’s movement, making it harder to run away. In case the beast does give the hunters the visual slip, the dart’s other functionality comes in handy. While tranqued, the monster’s position shows up temporarily on the map, and the creature is highlighted with a bright green glow. Combine this weapon with Griffin’s harpoon gun, and you can essentially cripple the monster for brief periods of time.

The final tool in Val’s bag is a healing burst, which provides teammates within a small radius with a large and instantaneous health boost. This item is something that all of Evolve’s medics bring along with them on expeditions.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/ ... day-4.aspx

[panegyrist]

Name: Hank
Class: Support
Class Ability: Cloaking Device

As a member of the support class, Hank’s job is to make sure everyone else is OK. He doesn’t take a healing-hands approach like a medic; his skills and abilities center on maximizing the amount of destruction that his squadmates deliver and increasing their survivability.

Monsters will learn to hate the shield gun, a device that Hank uses to blast his teammates with a temporary form of invulnerability from a distance. Apply it to a medic, and they’re able to heal everyone without worrying about their own safety. Hit a member of the assault class with it, and they’ve got even more license to stand their ground (especially when used in conjunction with their own personal shields). However, the shield gun isn’t as overpowered as it sounds; the device can only run for a few seconds at a time, so players should try to only activate the shield at the moment the monster lands its attack on an ally, then quickly switch it off to allow the tool to recharge.

On the offensive front, Hank has a laser cutter that carves into monster flesh. It’s powerful, but it’s also a superheated arrow that points to the character’s location. Stealthy, it is not. When it’s time to lay into the enemy and finish it off, however, Hank’s laser cutter is second only to Markov’s powerful assault weapons.

Hank has another powerful offensive attack at his disposal, called an orbital barrage. This airstrike causes a ton of damage to anyone within its radius. It doesn’t hit a location with pinpoint accuracy, but it shells a large area. Orbital barrage is useful for scaring away monsters who are getting ready to chow down on incapacitated characters, buying time for their resuscitation. The location that the orbital barrage is going to hit is marked by a large red bullseye, and the missiles take a few seconds to land, making it easy enough for the monster to avoid – unless the hunters coordinate Griffin’s harpoon attack and hold it one spot. Communication is key.

Finally, as a member of the support class, Hank has a cloaking device which can render him and nearby allies invisible for a short time. It’s a powerful tool when used as a way to spring sneak attacks or to escape the scene when a monster’s winning. It can also be used to cloak incapacitated enemies when you’re trying to revive them – the monster can’t eat what it can’t see.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/ ... day-3.aspx

[panegyrist]

Name: Griffin
Class: Trapper
Class Ability: Mobile Arena

Griffin is all about the hunt, and his gear supports that philosophy – from his outback-inspired hat down to his jungle-ready boots. As a trapper, his job is to detect and contain the monster. Fortunately, he brought the right tools.

His harpoon gun is the biggest thing setting him apart from his squadmates. It fires a missile that attaches to Griffin via an energy current. Once the monster is ensnared, the harpoon tethers the creature to Griffin, holding it within range and preventing it from escaping. As the monster, players can break the tether by attacking Griffin, but doing so requires shifting his or her focus away from the other hunters.

Griffin is also equipped with sound spikes, which he can stab into the ground. Once they’re deployed, they provide all hunters with a visual indicator on their maps when the monster walks within their range. Multiple spikes can be planted at any given time, giving players a choice: Do they cover one area comprehensively, or use them on known choke points to provide a rougher sense of the monster’s presence?

Griffin wouldn’t be much of a trapper if he didn’t have some kind of offensive weapon, and his handy submachine gun does just the trick. The run-of-the-mill firearm is good at medium range distance and does a decent amount of damage. Knowing when to switch from trapping duties and deliver some damage of his own is an important part of playing as Griffin.

Finally – like all trappers – Griffin has a mobile arena. This item creates a large, dome-shaped force field that prevents foe and friends alike from leaving the area. This is perhaps his most useful tool, and it’s one that can make or break a battle. See the monster trying to make his escape at his underpowered first stage? Trap him, enter the field, and take him on. Is the creature chasing your friends and you all need a second to catch your breath and regroup? Drop the mobile arena and use the time to escape. But beware: The monster can break the mobile arena at any time by incapacitating Griffin, making him a major target for a cornered beast.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/ ... day-2.aspx

[icycalm]

Character design summary: a bad TF2 ripoff (which was already shit in the first place), a bad Vanessa Z. Schneider rip off, and two rednecks. The monster is the best of them, but still barely passable.

If you want to see 4 vs. 1 done right play Lost Planet 2, which has a proper campaign too instead of a bunch of autists running around the same room over and over and over again, and ace production values from top to bottom. What a shitty depressing game this is shaping up to be.

[dinopoke]

More screenshots: http://www.allgamesbeta.com/2014/05/evo ... er-21.html

Evolve Release Date Announced: The Hunt Begins on October 21, 2014

2K and Turtle Rock Studios, creators of the cooperative shooter classic Left 4 Dead, today announced that their upcoming multiplayer shooter experience Evolve will be released globally on October 21, 2014 for Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system and PC. Everyone who pre-orders Evolve from participating retailers will receive the Monster Expansion Pack, which includes the Savage Goliath skin at launch, and a new monster character when available after Evolve is released.

Evolve expertly blends cooperative and competitive multiplayer experiences as a team of four hunters face off against a single, player-controlled monster. Set on an alien planet in the distant future, players hunt their prey in adrenaline-pumping 4v1 matches. Evolve includes multiple monsters, hunters, game modes, and more than a dozen maps, providing gamers with incredible gameplay variety and nearly limitless replayability.

Evolve will be playable at E3 from June 10-12, 2014, at 2K’s booth (#1301) located in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Evolve is available now for pre-order at participating retailers.

About Evolve

From Turtle Rock Studios, creators of Left 4 Dead, comes Evolve, the next-generation of multiplayer shooters where four hunters face off against a single, player-controlled monster in adrenaline-pumping 4v1 matches. Play as the monster to use savage abilities and an animalistic sense to kill your human enemies, or choose one of four hunter classes (Trapper, Support, Assault and Medic) and team up to take down the beast on the planet Shear, where flora and fauna act as an adversary to man and monster alike. Level up to unlock new hunter or monster characters as well as upgrades, skins and perks. Earn your infamy on the leaderboards and become the apex predator.

[dinopoke]

http://www.allgamesbeta.com/2014/08/evo ... -2015.html

About the new Evolve release date (February 10, 2015)

Hey all. As you know, the release date got pushed back and people are understandably feeling a little deflated and hoping for answers. We understand. Here's how it went down.

As we got closer to the October date, we were able to look at where the game was going to be, and compare that to where we all dreamed it would be. In a meeting with the top brass I described it as "painfully close."

Fortunately 2K feels the same way and is willing to put extra time into the game so that we can make our dream a reality. That's huge for us, and for the future of Evolve. We want to be proud of every aspect of the game on release day.

Hang in there. There's a lot to look forward to between now and February.

And thanks again to everyone who helped us with the Alpha test. It was a huge success! We learned so much!

turtlerockstudios.com

[earthboundtrev]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATdJe1zDBW8

[ChevRage]

Trailer showing off the "Savage Goliath" skin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr4Bb5Hz-Bs

[icycalm]

Damn, the art direction for this game has vastly improved since the last time I took a peak at this thread (sometime around the first couple of posts).

[CTF]

New trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plbAuV_Vtww

[ChevRage]

Story trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Por5frguKAc

[earthboundtrev]

http://www.pcgamer.com/turtle-rock-unve ... e-edition/

The Behemoth, revealed today by Turtle Rock Studios, isn't just the biggest monster in Evolve, it is the biggest monster that will ever be in Evolve: The studio claims that it is literally impossible to make one bigger.

I'm not sure I buy it—"infinity plus one" and all that—but Turtle Rock is unequivocal, saying, "He was literally made as large as we could make him." It's also an incredibly powerful beast, with the ability to summon walls of rock to protect itself and isolate individual hunters, to hurl exploding blasts of magma, to smash scalding fissures into the terrain, and to grab distant players and drag them into melee range with its harpoon-like tongue.

The Behemoth has more armor and health than any other monster in the game, and as shown in the reveal trailer, it moves by "rolling across the landscape like a juggernaut." It's too big to jump, but it can climb, which might be its one weakness: Climbing is slow, and when you're slow, you're vulnerable.

The Behemoth will be released later this spring as part of the Monster Expansion Pack, which will sell separately for $15 but be free with pre-purchases of the game. Turtle Rock also revealed today the Evolve PC Monster Race [get it?] Edition, which includes everything in the Digital Deluxe edition—the game, the Behemoth, the Hunting Season pass [additional monster skins and four new Hunters], and three Magma Monster skins—plus two more Hunters, four timed-exclusive monster skins, and an unannounced fifth monster that's still in development. The package includes $131 worth of content, according to the studio, but will sell for $100.

Don't feel bad if you find yourself confused: I do this for a living and looking at the Evolve Digital Editions Breakdown makes my eyes cross. I'm also not terribly taken by this pre-purchase business, nor by Turtle Rock's attempt to spin it as a good thing for gamers. "We can’t drive this part home enough: If you are planning to buy the game, but are skittish about pre-purchase, don’t be," it wrote. "As soon as the clock strikes midnight on 2/10/15, the FREE Monster Expansion Pack bonus goes away and it will run you over $14.99 to buy Behemoth, the fourth Monster, and the Savage Goliath skin after the fact. Think of it as us buying the first round for you. As a thank you."

But to me it sounds less like a thank you, and more like, "If you don't buy this magazine, we'll kill this dog." 15 bucks for a single monster, even if he is the baddest boy on the block, is a pretty hefty price tag, and especially for a multiplayer-focused game: If you don't have the toys, you don't get to play, and what's the point of having an online game if you can't play with everyone?

Make of it what you will. Evolve comes out on February 10.

Behemoth Reveal Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQW3Tein4dk

[El Chaos]

Face-off: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... e-face-off

Evolve has come a long way since we first played the Big Alpha in autumn last year, and there's a pleasing iterative improvement in all areas since the recent beta. The experience feels more polished, and it is possible to have a few prolonged sessions without any issues. However, underlying kinks remain and we feel that the game still requires another round of bug-fixing and optimisation before it has the consistency and stability that we want from an online-focused multiplayer title. Certainly, the split-second freezing issue - something we didn't see in the previous versions - must be resolved.

Hopefully Turtle Rock will sort out these issues in short order, but for now the CryEngine powered visuals remain excellent, lending both scope and atmosphere to the colonised alien environments, while the team-based gameplay offers plenty of depth, certainly in terms of mastering the unique abilities of each monster and finding out which hunter has an advantage in a particular situation.

It's a decent multi-platform project too, with Xbox One's 900p presentation holding up well against the native 1080p image of the PS4 game. However, the poorer quality filtering and slightly slower streaming doesn't always show the PS4 version of Evolve in the best light - but thankfully, in the darker environments these issues don't distract from the quality of the gameplay on offer. On the whole, both console versions are worthy of consideration and play identically for the most part. Making a firm recommendation on which to buy is a little challenging: the PS4's 1080p resolution gives it a slightly more refined experience, and performance is a little more stable too. However, this is an online-focused title and the backing infrastructure here doesn't seem quite as robust as it is on Xbox One and PC.

Overall, it's the PC version that potentially offers the best experience. There's the ability to scale beyond the 30fps cap found on console, with extra image quality and resolution options too. However, getting a good, consistent level of performance requires capable hardware, adroit settings management - or both in concert, depending on your system. Get it sorted though and the results can be quite beautiful - and certainly in a fast-paced shooter, 60fps gameplay trumps the console-standard 30fps experience.