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Posted by PlayStation Blog Feb 11 2014 13:42 GMT
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Four hunters push through the thick of the jungle, muttering warnings and checking their Sound Spikes for activity. The beast has been feeding, and the burst cocoon littering the dark jungle floor betrays the monster’s recent evolution. As the hunters trace the monster’s footprints, it watches them from above, snarling and seething and ready to strike. High tension moments like these are often relegated to cutscenes in video games. But in Evolve, it’s all just part of the game.

Developed by the team at Turtle Rock Studios (Left 4 Dead), Evolve is scheduled to launch later this year on PS4. The developers brought an early test build of Evolve to San Francisco to show off their latest creation. Much more than just a multiplayer shooter, Evolve’s high-tension, asymmetrical design promises an experience quite unlike anything that’s come before it.

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Evolve is founded on the fun and thrill of the boss battle. In most games, boss battles are visually enthralling moments where players study patterns and exploit them to survive. But in Evolve, that dynamic has shifted. Four players work cooperatively as hunters to take down a fifth player who fills the role of “boss” — a gargantuan monster. With human players powering both sides of the conflict, Evolve ruptures into heated, richly strategic fights that require serious teamwork.

Players on the hunters’ side select between four classes. Each class is vital to the success of the team, in varied ways. To that point, every match must include one of each class — hunters can’t roll into battle with only two or three members.

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In the test build on display, four specific characters belonging to each of the four classes were shown. More hunters (and more monsters) will be available in the final version. But the first lucky hunters introduced include…

Second Opinion

One thing that stands out about Evolve is just how balanced each character feels, especially this early in development.

Every player fills a very specific role, each one acting as a separate limb of the team’s body. And when the team loses one of those limbs, they feel the resulting loss of mobility. Lose your Trapper? Kiss that Mobile Arena and Goliath-hindering Harpoon Gun goodbye. Medic down for the count? Good luck keeping your health up long enough to stand toe-to-toe with the beast.

And on the other side of this gruesome coin, the monster itself teeters on the edge of “overpowered” — such that when faced against four artillery-packing, highly trained hunters, you not only feel like you stand a chance, but that you can take these interlopers out.

- Justin Massongill, PlayStation.Blog

  • Griffin the Trapper: Pinpoints the monster’s location and keeps it from escaping. Sound Spikes planted in the ground will ping the team when the monster’s movement is detected. Once found, the Harpoon Gun keeps the monster from jetting. The Mobile Arena encases a section of the stage in a colossal dome to keep the action focused and the team together. Griffin’s submachine gun gives him moderate firepower when needed.
  • Markov the Assault: Distributes extreme volumes of damage at a high rate. Markov’s Lightning Gun deals tremendous hurt at a close range, while his Arc Mines provide more tactical punishment around the map. A Personal Shield keeps him safe during particularly close encounters. His Assault Rifle enables him to attack from afar.
  • Val the Medic: The angel of the introductory team, Val heals up the other hunters with a mid-range Medgun. This device can also revive downed teammates from a distance. Val’s Anti-Material Rifle pierces the monster’s armor to expose weak spots, while her Tranquilizer rifle slows and weakens it. She can also pop a Healing Burst for fast healing in a small radius.
  • Hank the Support: Good ol’ Hank! The Support’s Shield Gun is an invaluable asset to the team, protecting a fellow hunter from harm. His Cloaking Device provides temporary invisibility for stealth tactics, and his Laser Cutter deals a bit of damage. For those desperate opportune moments, Hank can call an Orbital Barrage down to obliterate the unfortunate matter waiting below.

Certain abilities are shared across all members of a class. Trappers, for example, will always have the Mobile Arena. But Trappers other than Griffin may bring different tools to round out their kit of four abilities.

Players taking the hunters’ side play from a first-person perspective. The four teammates must track down the monster — ideally, before it evolves — and also deal with any AI-controlled wildlife that gets in their way. These assorted critters provide an additional layer to the team’s strategy. They pose a real danger to the hunters, but elite versions of the wildlife can be killed for perks. But every moment not spent chasing down the monster is another moment for it to evolve.

Evolution is key to winning as the monster, which is played from a third-person perspective. In the test build shown, only one monster was playable: Goliath. This intimidating brute begins with two player-selected abilities, and gains another with each level of evolution gained. Goliath is relatively vulnerable when each match begins, but once maxed out at level three, he becomes a terrifying threat to the hunters. For monster players, careful navigation and battle management are required.

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Goliath evolves by consuming wildlife in the area. Once satiated, it can enter a cocoon state to finalize its growth. Evolving also enables Goliath to reclaim some of its lost health, while devouring wildlife adds to an additional armor meter that supplements its health gauge. And those elite creatures mentioned earlier? The monster can ingest them for stat-boosting perks, too.

It might seem as if the hunters have the advantage in this competition. They’re four strong and armed to the teeth. But Goliath has his own abilities to employ, such as a devastating rock throw and a fiery breath attack. More importantly, Goliath can stealth through shrubs, climb sheer cliff faces, and “smell” the hunters from a distance (through objects). The big baddie is also startlingly fast. If it can catch a hunter straggling behind, it’s one step closer to victory. Dropping all four hunters will result in a monster win.

Evolve blends a number of multiplayer game elements together into something wickedly unique. It has both cooperative and competitive components. It has MOBA-like ability management and character growth. It has insane action set pieces. This unusual cocktail of play types has a refreshing taste that promises to bring new life and new strategy to multiplayer shooters.


Posted by IGN Jan 22 2014 17:34 GMT
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With the recent free release of L4D2 during the Steam winter sale, we present another reason to get back into the zombie-slaying spirit: A full recreation of the Fire Temple section of LoZ: Ocarina of Time by modder NicNack. Also, Ghostbusters skins, because.... why not? DOWNLOAD LINK: Death Mountain L4D2 campaign: http://www.l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=23955 Ghostbusters character models: http://www.l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=20005 (REMINDER: Never download / install files from an unverified / untrusted source)

Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Jan 07 2014 17:00 GMT
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2014 would seem to be the year in which the games industry has another crack at making primarily multiplayer shooting games work all over again. There’ve been a few false starts in the past, but Destiny and Titanfall are some super-big, super-fat attempts at achieveing enormous mass market success from shooters where narrative takes a backseat. Now Evolve joins the ranks of big games looking for a piece of glossy, next-generation COD-seasoned pie, and it comes from Turtle Rock Studios, those former Valve chums who did the heavy lifting on the original Left 4 Dead.(more…)


Posted by Kotaku Aug 26 2013 05:00 GMT
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Left 4 Dead's Nick may be up to his eyeballs in the undead, but he's still got time to peruse the casual encounters section of Craigslist.Read more...

Posted by Kotaku Aug 06 2013 02:49 GMT
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Well this is certainly interesting. Tourists at Valve's Bellevue-based headquarters may have inadvertently leaked the existence of Left 4 Dead 3, a sequel that is not entirely unexpected, but still unannounced.Read more...

Posted by Kotaku Jul 26 2013 21:30 GMT
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Left 4 Dead 2 mods aren't new—we've written about some cool ones before—but this game by Hurricane333 manages to cram an absurd number of good mods together. So many mods, in fact, that this video is bonkers from the first second we see a raptor holding a baby.Read more...

Posted by Kotaku May 15 2013 04:30 GMT
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Literally years in the making, Dniepr is a custom campaign for Left 4 Dead that yanks the game out of its American setting and drops it right in the middle of the Ukraine. Including Pripyat, which as STALKER players will know, is the place a certain nuclear reactor blew sky high a few decades back. Above is a very nice trailer for the project, which is actually going to be playable, because it's out on May 20. That's soon. DNIEPR [Official Site, via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun May 14 2013 19:00 GMT
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Making Left 4 Dead campaigns is an interesting challenge. You’re building levels for a game that decides when and where to attack the player, and you have almost no control over those moments. It means your focus is in creating the world and in making it an interesting space for the players to exist in. You can’t guarantee that the cleverly designed chokepoint you made will ever be used as one, but you can make it the prettiest damn corridor the player will ever see. The setting is one of the biggest considerations you have, and then you have to have the talent to pull it off. It’s why I think most L4D campaigns take such a long time coming. Dniepr’s a Left 4 Dead (1 and 1) campaign that’s set in the Ukraine, including Pripyat, and has been three years in development. There’s a quite startling pair of trailers below.(more…)


Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun May 07 2013 11:00 GMT
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We’re waiting for you, Valve. In the sweat chamber. Show us what your mad wearable computing tech can do, instead of all this teasing. Latest report is that they’ve come up with kit which can measure assorted bodily responses, including heart rate, facial expression, brain waves, eye movement, pupil dilation, body temperature and, indeed, sweatability. Based on how you appear to be feeling, the game will alter factors such as difficulty and intensity to suit.(more…)


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Posted by Kotaku Mar 22 2013 15:30 GMT
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#left4dead As revealed last week, two of video games' biggest zombie-centric franchises will be bumping uglies when crossover content for the PC versions of Resident Evil 6 and Left 4 Dead 2 hits in in two weeks. This video shows what it looks like when Coach, Nick, Ellis and Rochelle take on the BOWs of Capcom's global apocalypse, with Special Infected enemies from L4D2 popping in to mix things up. Remember this undead mash-up won't cost anything so look for it as an added option on April 5th. More »

Posted by Kotaku Mar 15 2013 19:04 GMT
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#left4dead Suddenly, the mother of all zombie apocalypses is about to happen. This just wound up in our inbox: More »

YouTube
Posted by Kotaku Jan 04 2013 19:30 GMT
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#donkeykong Some people might tell you that Donkey Kong 64 is an awful game. According to 10 year old me (my age the last time I played that game), they'd be wrong. But, hopefully everyone can agree that the Donkey Kong rap is fantastic? More »

Posted by Kotaku Oct 31 2012 14:29 GMT
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You’ve spent all year figuring out a great get-up for All Hallow’s Eve and now the day is finally here. We want you to show us your Duke Nukems and your Altairs, Ezios and Conners. Head over to Kotaku’s official Facebook page and post your ensembles. We’ll be rounding up the best for a showcase post later today. Let’s get on with the fun scary stuff, people! (As opposed to the frustrating Hurricane Sandy aftermath that many have been dealing with…) -Evan Narcisse (who dressed up as Left 4 Dead’s Louis a few years back. Easiest costume ever.)

Posted by Kotaku Sep 21 2012 23:00 GMT
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#left4dead Eagle-eyed gamers watching the tricksy horror flick Cabin In The Woods might have noticed a cool shout-out to Valve's Left 4 Dead in a sequence in the third act of the movie. More »

Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Sep 08 2012 14:00 GMT
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Yesterday, you probably read the first part of my chat with Valve’s Erik Wolpaw and Double Fine’s Anna Kipnis. If not, it’s right here- but FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY. By which I mean until the Internet ceases to exist, which, you know, could happen someday. Anyway, in today’s installment, we branch out a bit from yesterday’s story-centric beat. Valve’s newfound love of wearable computing, virtual reality, heaps behind-the-scenes info on Portal, crowd-sourcing, and more are all on the docket. OK, there wasn’t actually any sort of docket involved. I’m not entirely sure why I said that.

(more…)


Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Sep 07 2012 21:00 GMT
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It all began one sunny, seemingly inauspicious afternoon in a Starbucks. It also ended there – but, you know, later. Ragged and bone-weary from three days of wading through PAX’s diseased hordes, Valve’s Erik Wolpaw, Double Fine’s Anna Kipnis, and I huddled around one last vestige of civilized humanity: a table. Then we spent nearly an hour talking about this year’s sudden upsurge in crazy-interesting videogame stories, because it seemed like the thing to do at the time. It isn’t anymore, but – if you’ll believe it – it was considered cool back then. Those were the days. Anyway, here’s part one. If you behave yourself, you might get part two tomorrow. And maybe a cookie. But probably not.

(more…)


Posted by Kotaku Aug 24 2012 17:30 GMT
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#minecraft Skin Pack #2 is out for the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft today. It'll run you 160 Microsoft Points and come with the following skins, via Microsoft: More »

Posted by Valve Aug 22 2012 21:26 GMT
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Updates to Left 4 Dead have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:

- Fixed a crash when attempting to play Single Player
- Fixed a possible buffer overflow in localized strings
- Fixed a networkID exploit that allowed players to avoid getting banned
- Fixed some images not rendering correctly on the dedicated server welcome screen

Posted by IGN Aug 18 2012 04:53 GMT
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The latest round of Left 4 Dead 2 DLC mixes old with new.

Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Jul 26 2012 11:00 GMT
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We are suddenly talking about Left 4 Dead a lot again. Could this be a sign of more substantial things to come? I doubt it, but it’s fun to hope for things – so long as you never stop hoping and are incapable of sorrow. Regardless, Payday: The Heist’s much-vaunted reproduction of Left 4 Dead’s Mercy Hospital is here to cure whatever ails you – assuming, of course, that you are made physically ill by the idea that Payday might eventually cease releasing DLC. Go download it! Or read details. These are your only options.

(more…)


Posted by IGN Jul 24 2012 23:32 GMT
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The Xbox 360 version of Cold Stream, the latest piece of downloadable content for Valve's popular co-op shooter Left 4 Dead 2, has missed its July 24 release date.

Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Jul 02 2012 09:00 GMT
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Left 4 Dead 2′s Cold Stream DLC has been through more tests than a guinea pig that just survived a nuclear blast. As well as the new map, the DLC contains Blood Harvest, Crash Course, Dead Air and Death Toll from the first game, but that’s not new news. The fresh meat on this data morsel is the availability of all mutations at all times and Valve promise “other surprises and details” soon. July 24th is the release date. That’s the release date for the DLC, by the way, not the guinea pig. The guinea pig is too uncanny to release into the wild so top scientists have sealed it in a lead box which is currently being dropped into a furnace.


Posted by Kotaku Jul 01 2012 00:00 GMT
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#left4dead After being out for nearly a year on PC as a beta you'd think Xbox 360 gamers would have given up ever seeing a new campaign for L4D2 on their beloved console. But Valve is not one to make people wait any longer than they have to! /s More »

Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun Jun 18 2012 19:30 GMT
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Well, this is odd. We’ve known about an upcoming Payday: The Heist-Left 4 Dead crossover for about a month now, and – as is often the case with these things – it materialized earlier today via YouTube’s eyebeaming ethers. “”Have you ever wondered how the Left 4 Dead series began?” the video’s description asked, forcing me to realize that I’ve never actually wondered that. “It started with a heist!” Intrigued, the Internet looked on as Payday’s band of mask-loving hooligans shot its way through a very un-zombified version of Left 4 Dead’s Mercy Hospital. And then the trailer disappeared.

Happily, Eurogamer managed to upload a roll to its own Internet-powered projector machine, so you can still watch the trailer and remember it as it was before its mysterious disappearance. Perhaps Valve and Overkill (now known collectively as Valverkill) stole it. From themselves. This may just be a heist caper for the ages. I, however, will work tirelessly to get to the bottom of it: Oh look, here’s the answer. It’s just a Left 4 Dead cameo (character and hospital setting) in a Payday map.

Hooray! Sort of, eh?


Posted by Kotaku Jun 07 2012 06:52 GMT
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#rumor According to a report on CVG, Overkill Entertainment - developers of multiplayer shooter Payday: The Heist - are currently working on a new Left 4 Dead title. More »

Posted by Kotaku Jun 06 2012 14:00 GMT
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#gearsofwar Last night, I had a chance to play OverRun mode, the great-looking new versus multiplayer in Gears of War: Judgment. Today, I sat down with Epic's Cliff Bleszinski and People Can Fly's Adrian Chmielarz to hear the first details about its single-player campaign. More »

Posted by Kotaku May 21 2012 13:00 GMT
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#paydaytheheist The action-packed brand of high-stakes robbery delivered by Overkill Software's Payday: The Heist might just be pulling off its next job in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. More »

Posted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun May 21 2012 11:00 GMT
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Seems a trifle odd to be saying this given 2009′s foremost angry internet man-generator was the perceived too-soon release of a sequel to Left 4 Dead, but Valve’s zombathons seem to me to have been left a little fallow of late. Team Fortress 2′s ongoing transformation into QVC, Portal 2′s awards-hogging and fever-pitch speculation about Half Life has been the order of the day for the last couple of years. You could – aheh- say that Left 4 Dead has been – aheh – left for dead. Aheh-heh-heh. Just my little joke, there.

Something is suddenly stirring, however (editor’s note – I really need more elegant alternatives to ‘however’ and ‘though’, which I know full well are often seen to be cludgy writing. Suggestions?), and it comes not from Valve, but from Payday: The Heist devs and recent Starbreeze acquisition Overkill.(more…)