It was the announcement heard ’round the internet. Turtle Rock Studios offered a heartfelt message to its community regarding Evolve , its multiplayer first person shooter. They talked about how something so right, that they put four years into, turned into something so wrong. Then, they offered a commitment. The developer was making Evolve a free game, promised fixes and changes, and hoped this could bring the “magic back.” And you know what? It might just work.
Do you remember why you either didn’t buy or stopped playing Evolve ? Perhaps it was because of the design. This is a game geared toward people who were going to play often. If you weren’t putting a lot of time in, you’d miss out on a lot of character progression. You’d miss upgrades that could make or break the game. And, it wouldn’t be only on you. If the Medics and Trappers you were playing with weren’t dedicated, there’s a good chance that monster was going to win. Which is why it’s so heartening that Turtle Rock already said it’s reworking the hunter classes so they are more balanced and the progression system so people don’t feel forced to commit hundreds of hours to properly contribute to a party.
Maybe it was the lack of variety. Evolve was an incredibly detailed game. The characters looked good. The world had all sorts of unique elements and nuanced areas. But, the maps were a bit similar. Each one may have looked great, but they played the same. There was no sense of challenge or need to diversify tactics. Once you had a system, you could go with it. And that’s being addressed too, because Turtle Rock has committed to improving them.
But the biggest change is the one that matters most: the cost. Evolve was a $59.99 game with a $24.99 season pass. Except that price didn’t include an additional over $70 worth of skins. Even though the price of that first season pass eventually dropped to $14.99, a second season pass was released for $24.99. Nobody wants to buy a $59.99 game, then realize they’d need to spend $14.99 on Hunting Season 1 and $24.99 on Hunting Season 2 to get every bit of playable content. It was egregious and such nickel and diming turned people off.
But with Evolve being free, such expenses don’t seem as bad. You’re getting the base experience without paying a thing. If you enjoy it, then chipping in an extra $15 or $25 doesn’t seem like such an offensive thing. Especially if the transition means there’ll actually be people online to play with. Maybe, after this PC beta for the free version of Evolve , Turtle Rock Studios and 2K Games will make another good decision and adjust the add-on pricing too!
The only people who might get screwed by this deal are the people who did pay full price for Evolve or purchased the season passes. But, let’s consider them for a second. This is an asymmetrical multiplayer game. What kind of enjoyment can they derive from such a thing when barely anyone is playing? They’ll gain as much from this move as anyone, perhaps even more. After all, Turtle Rock Studios has said they’ll be Founders, acquiring various special gifts and additional goodies as time goes by. All of that previous content, in particular the DLC, could end up being offered as paid content to people who are playing for free. Surely, the people who paid will benefit too.
Evolve got itself into quite a mess last year. There were some messy design decisions and costly add-ons. But by making it a free game, Turtle Rock Studios could turn the situation around. Even better, they’ll do so without hurting anyone interested in playing Evolve . Newcomers will have an opportunity to enjoy what could end up being the best version of the game, while returning players will get to keep everything they’ve already purchased and enjoy Founder status. This could be a win for everyone.