Evolve: How to Play as the Goliath

With the Evolve Alpha extended, you still have time to enjoy a match with your friends, whether you choose to play as one of the four Hunters, or become the beast they’re searching for.

Today, we take a close look at the Goliath, with tactics you can use to dominate the opposition, no matter how quick and powerful they are.

Evolve or Die

As the title suggests, evolution plays a huge part in Evolve, so with the Goliath, you’ll want to make sure you level up quickly. In order to do this, you’ll need to seek food in the form of animals wounded by the Hunters or ones you injure yourself.

When you see these critters, stop and gobble them up. Once you get enough of them, you’ll move up to level two, which will increase the power of your abilities. This will make you stronger overall, but don’t stop there.

If you eat a few more creatures, you’ll move up to level three, and in a multiplayer match, this can be a real difference maker. By achieving level three, you’ll gain access to the Hunters’ home base and attempt to destroy it. Doing this will reward you a victory in the match, but you can bet they’ll be ready to defend it, so keep an eye on your prey, and maybe plan an aerial strike or throw rocks to clear them out of the way.

Get Physical

When it comes to fighting Hunters, there are two ways to go about it – strike from a distance or use up-close attacks. We’ll cover ranged attacks in a moment, but let’s talk about melee strikes, mainly because they’re the most effective when it comes to draining someone’s energy.

You have two general attacks you can use on Hunters that involve your physicality. The first is a Leaping Smash, and this is an excellent tactic if you manage to get higher ground on your opponents.

Once you figure out where you want to dive, go for a Leaping Smash and watch them fly from the impact.

The second attack is the Charge. This is an excellent tactic with a minor drawback. With this, you’ll rush enemies and deal major damage. If you miss (which is possible since they can leap out of the way), you’ll leave yourself temporarily open to attack. The best way out of this is to immediately jump and reach higher ground, so you can come back in with a Leaping Smash and go for the Charge again.

It helps to keep moving, as you’ll take less damage that way. You don’t want to rest easy when Hunters are around.

Throwing Rocks and Breathing Fire

Rocks are excellent if you have Hunters shooting you from a distance, as you can throw off their stream of bullets with a well-placed throw, then lead in with a Leaping Smash. It can take a good second or two to pick up a rock and throw it, so try to avoid doing so in close quarters. Instead, save it for when you’re up high, or notice Hunters moving in for the kill, so they’re temporarily thrown off as you attempt to make a run for it.

As for Fire Breathing, this is an effective technique to fry a group of Hunters. By breathing fire ahead of you, it leaves the rest of your character vulnerable, allowing Hunters to swivel around and strike from behind. When this happens, escape with a couple of lunges, then put distance between you and the other players so you can throw rocks and/or prepare for a Leaping Smash.

Tomorrow, we’ll cover the Kraken. We’ll explain the best ways you can utilize this creature for your benefit and win the match.

Evolve will release this February for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

Want more survival tactics? Turn your hunters into your prey with the Evolve Official Strategy Guide from BradyGames!

The official guide and eGuide offer comprehensive coverage of the entire game, including the groundbreaking multiplayer mode that combines the very best aspects of competitive and cooperative gameplay, and game-winning tactics and analysis of all four Hunter classes: Trapper, Medic, Support, and Assault. Plus, lethally effective strategies to turn the tables and eviscerate the Hunters while playing as the Monster.