Evolve isn’t a conventional shooter, so naturally there’s a a bag of unobvious things you need to learn to master it. I’m still in the process of reviewing it, but I wanted to take a moment to lay out some of the do’s and don’ts I wish someone had told me the before I played Evolve for the first time. Feel free to share some of your own tips in the comments.
Don’t chase—trap and encircle
The monster will always beat you in a straight footrace. If you’re strictly following the monster’s footsteps, you’re chasing their history. Your goal should be to cut the monster off, not to tail it. Bind the map key to somewhere really accessible for you (I like Mouse 5) and check it frequently. This isn’t Scooby-Doo: don’t be afraid to split into pairs to find the monster, especially when it’s at Stage 1.
Never reload
It’s counter-intuitive, but generally speaking you should almost never have to use the R key. All of Evolve’s weapons reload automatically when unequipped. If you’ve emptied a weapon in the middle of a fight, immediately switch to another item or ability that can contribute. That way, you’re getting the benefit of reloading in the background while also getting the benefit of doing something else: healing, shielding, throwing poison grenades, whatever.
Spare wildlife
Take only screenshots, leave only footprints. When you kill wildlife, you’re doing the monster’s job for them and handing them armor on a platter. You’re also removing stuff from the map that can hurt the monster—the wildlife’s on your team! This applies doubly for larger creatures. When you fight something like a Tyrant, you’re spending your resources (HP, cooldowns, and time) to feed the monster. Flee from and evade wildlife unless it has a buff. If you must kill large wildlife, have Lazarus revive it if he can do so safely.
Base jump
The jetpack dodge consumes a lot of energy, and you want to use it sparingly. One of the situations where you get the most out of it, though, is when you’re about to descend from a high elevation. Jetpack dodge from a high ledge, and you’ll carry that acceleration with you all the way down. Taking advantage of these opportunities to close distance can make a huge difference.
Pick the right Hunter for the job
Personal preference and playing style is part of the equation, but consider these recommendations for Hunters who do and don’t work well in certain setups:
Good fits
- In Hunt, have some form of hard tracking: Maggie, Val, Abe, or Bucket should probably be in your party
- Bucket on Nest (sentry turrets attack eggs independently)
- Caira on Rescue (AOE has higher utility in a mode where there are more people to heal)
- Abe on Defend (stasis grenades are great at slowing minions, shotgun is versatile)
- Griffin against Kraken (his harpoon weapon can negate Kraken’s flight)
- Hank with Lazarus (Laz doesn’t have an active heal; shield gains utility)
Bad fits
- Maggie on Defend (Hunters generally take static positions, monster’s position is usually known)
- Lazarus on Defend (damage output matters more; Hunters respawn through the dropship more quickly anyway)
- Bucket on Rescue (limited utility for UAV, sentry turrets)
- Abe with Val or Bucket (duplication in the ability to track the monster)
