You know how you’ve always wanted to hunt giant monsters on an alien planet but just couldn’t quite find the time? Turtle Rock Studios, the creators of the fan-favorite zombie-shooter Left 4 Dead, have you covered, giving you the opportunity to do so from the comfort of your own home with Evolve. If Left 4 Dead had you hooked to your controller, then Evolve surely will keep you locked in.

Evolve, like so many next-gen games, has an extreme crush on co-op play. It is similar to others (including Left 4 Dead) in that you play as a team – in this case, a team of four – that is tasked with working together to take down gnarly-looking monsters that would fit nicely in a Godzilla movie. The Hunters, as said team is called, are a group of war veterans and outcasts who each have their own character strengths, including a medic that will heal wounded teammates. It all makes sense and fits well into the gameplay, but it is all too familiar and predictable. How many times have we gone down this road before with other co-op games that involve big guns and big monsters?

However, there is also the option of playing as the giant monster that is wreaking havoc, which can be way more fun and adds a much-needed surprise. You can choose your character from an assortment of bug-eyed and slimy-scaled monsters, and as one of these beasts, you find yourself on a one-man team being attacked by The Hunters. Being able to choose to play as either a Hunter or the monster creates real competition between the players in Evolve. While pitting one player against four other opponents who are working together may seem like an unfair fight, that’s where the theme of Evolve comes in to even the odds.

The monsters in the game, such as one named Goliath, are all formidable and strong threats to begin with, but they don’t stop there. They can grow and “evolve” into even bigger and more dangerous versions of themselves when they kill and eat their victims. When playing as a monster, there’s a meter that keeps track of how many more snacks you need to devour before hitting your next plateau and evolving to your next stage of being. This is a very interesting dynamic, which gives the beast a hint of vulnerability with something to work towards.

Game shelves are flooding with co-op shooters that depict bulked-up, gun-wielding heroes, and it is becoming a much too crowded sub-genre. While Evolve certainly fits this description, it also manages to separate itself from the pack and offer an interesting twist that will likely prove to make it one of the more memorable efforts to be released this year.

For more, visit evolvegame.com/agegate

By Jason Savio