Meet Evolve's Monsters

Games these days are blurring the lines between the so called ‘goodies vs baddies’, giving the player options on who they want to be and how they want to play. Evolve, the first truly AAA title of the year, has blurred this line even more so. Not only do you play as humans, tracking gargantuan monsters which have overrun distant planets, you play as the gargantuan monsters, wreaking havoc on said planets. In Evolve’s case, the monsters have been getting most of the attention in the lead-up to its release - anticipating players have been longing over details and new images of all monsters with hardly a thought towards the poor hunters who will sacrifice their lives in finding them. With that in mind, here is our look at the four monsters that Turtle Rock have thus far announced.

Goliath

Goliath was the first monster that the general public saw way back when the game was first announced and is the face (and footprint) of the Evolve series. Goliath is one of the more direct and aggressive monsters that Evolve has on offer, resembling something of a faux Godzilla, it’s easy to see why. With his bounding pace, athletic gait, spiked tail and huge muscular limbs, it’s certainly a case of Goliath by name, Goliath by nature, and he has more than enough at his disposal to deal with four measly human hunters. Fire Breath, Leap Smash and Rock Throw are all dramatic attacks that Goliath can use to defend himself, and with Charge, Goliath can either ambush enemies or get out of sticky situations. He may be the first monster available, but that doesn’t mean that Goliath is a walkover when it comes to the hunt.

Kraken

The dictionary definition of Kraken is “an enormous mythical sea monster”, a thing of legends according to sailors around the North Sea, and fans of Pirates of The Caribbean. With the iconic yell of “RELEASE THE KRAKEN” instantly springing to mind, players are already waiting to get their hands on the mythical beast. The Kraken is enough to send shivers down your spine, the quadrupedal beast resembles a cross between a deep sea-dwelling creature and fictional deity Cthulhu with its squid-like tentacles and spiny, crooked ‘just about wings’ appendages on its back. The Kraken can take to the sky, flying and hovering to avoid ground level contact with hunters while its attacks offer a more mystical approach. Lightning Strike, Vortex and Aftershock are all various electrical, aerial and ground attacks that can deal huge damage to hunters. Banshee Mine meanwhile, the Kraken’s ranged attack, produces what can only be described as a homing missile crossed with a whining baby, a loud screaming noise accompanies the missiles which not only inflicts damage, but also disorients hunters, allowing for a swift escape.

Wraith

Of all the announced monsters, the Wraith is the most unearthly looking and the only classified female. With tentacles that don’t touch the ground, no (visible) eyes and four arms (scythes and claws) she floats above the ground, sneaking her way around the map, another fitting name. Her attacks are of the more paranormal persuasion; Abduction allows you teleport, grab a target and teleport back, while Decoy allows you to mislead the hunters into following the wrong trail. If successful you can isolate individual hunters, making them more vulnerable to the Wraith’s Warp Blast or Supernova attacks, huge attacks which deal large amounts of splash damage. Although the weakest monster in terms of health and armour, she is the stealthiest, most agile and difficult to track.

Behemoth

The first of the DLC monsters to be revealed, Behemoth, who you’ll be able to purchase in Spring, was only recently revealed. According to developers Turtle Rock, Behemoth is as big as as the game engine would allow. Details are still few and far between when it comes to Behemoth’s attacks, but what we do know is he is by far the biggest of the monsters and the most unusual looking. His gnarled, rocky appearance make him blend in with the environment while his unique ‘Indiana Jones’ Boulder Dash allows him to traverse across the map in no time at all. Behemoth might not be there from the beginning, but he is likely to enter with a bang and have a lasting impression on hunters for a long time.