Now that gamers across the globe sinked their claws into Evolve, everyone wants to play as the Monster. We can’t blame them. When it comes to not being petrified of a video game, we always feel it’s best to play as the antagonist. Imagine playing as the Alien from Alien: Isolation. All of a sudden being stranded on Sevastopol Station isn’t such a horrible thought.
In an effort to make sure all types of gamers are armed and ready to jump into Evolve, we’re presenting a laundry list of strategy content featured on Prima Games this week. For players looking to take their skill level even further, be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page and check out the official strategy guide.
Basic Monster Movement
There are some basic movement concepts that players need to take into account when playing as the Monster. For starters, there’s regular movement, which tends to leave footprints that Hunters can follow. Then there’s Sneaking, a game mechanic that stops the beast from leaving a trail or scaring away birds in the area. Hunters can use startled birds to help pinpoint the location of the Monster.
Choosing which type of movement to use it key to survival in the early stages of the match. Monsters will want to run away from the drop zone as quickly as possible while stuck on Stage 1. This will leave a trail, but once there is some distance between the two sides, the player-controlled beast can start to Sneak, eliminating the chance of Hunters following his or her tracks.
The Monster’s Smell Ability
Just like Hunters can track the Monster by looking for its footprints or other environmental signs of the beast, the Monster can use its Smell ability to track the Humans, as well as other creatures. The ability will use different colors to indicate what type of creature or threat the beast senses. If the Smell ability is activated and an object turns red, for example, that means the Monster could be on the Hunters’ trail, or coming after Hunter Maggie’s faithful pet Trapjaw, Daisy, a 400 pound dog like creature.
Differences in Monsters
Each Monster has different statistics and available Abilities that can be used. When it comes to Heath and Armor, The Goliath starts with 5 and 10 points respectively, but can bump that up to 11 and 10 by fully evolving to Stage 3. The Kraken, on the other hand, also starts with 5 Health points, but only 8 Armor at Stage 1. By evolving to the ideal Stage 3, however, that turns into 10 Health points and 8 Armor.
When dealing with Abilities, each Monster type once again has access to specific ones that others do not, and they are also related to evolving through Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3. For a full breakdown of all the Abilities, Health and Armor differences, don’t forget to check out the official strategy guide linked at the bottom of this page.
Monsters and Wildlife
We briefly talked about Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 of the evolving Monster, but allow us to explain what those stages mean and how they will impact strategy when going up against a tough group of Hunters.
At Stage 1, the Monster is at a disadvantage and should avoid the Hunters at all costs. Focus on locating and consuming various types of wildlife, eventually reaching Stage 2. At this point, the Monster and the Hunters are essentially on an even playing field, but why stop there when Stage 3 is an option?
Stage 3 will see the Monster evolve into a threat that puts the Hunters at a disadvantage. Not to be lame, but this is basically the concept of the Hunters becoming the hunted. It’s at this time when the player who controls the Monster wants to crank up the pressure and try to win the fight, although a highly skilled group of Hunters will still be a big challenge to overcome.
The When and the Where
As long as the person playing the Monster manages to stay hidden while trying to reach Stage 3, there is an opportunity to put the Hunters in a bad spot. This is done by stalking the four human opposition players, then trying to go for a stealth kill when someone separates from the group. Pull this off and there will only be three Hunters remaining, something that is much more manageable than the four adversaties the Monster started against.
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.
