Left 4 Dead Creators Reveal Their Next Project

If you’ve followed any of the gameplay videos I’ve produced on this site, you probably know by now that I have a love for the Left 4 Dead games. With DLC seemingly running dry, I have been saddened by the low prospects of future L4D content given that it is a Valve title and a third game is therefore out of the question. However, the creative team behind my favorite zombie shooter have not been sitting idle. They have been working on an entirely new game that, while free of zombies, may scratch the same sweet spots as L4D.

The game is called Evolve, and placing it into gaming genre categories makes it seem unbelievably contradictory. It is a co-operative/competitive first-person/third-person shooter. Players take one of five roles in the game, either as part of a team of four (a good solid team number apparently) alien hunters or a giant alien monster. From here, you can probably guess that the hunters try to track down and kill the alien. The alien’s goal is to find food, and become stronger in order to fight off the human hunters.

While L4D relied heavily upon the common infected and frequent encounters with special infected, Evolve will be relying more upon the disorienting and threatening atmosphere of an alien planet. Many times, players will encounter alien wildlife that makes them panic, thinking they have encountered the monster, but may be as harmless as a cow. The other key aspect is that the primary enemy is player controlled. It’s one thing hunting down a giant alien monster, it’s quite another when it thinks with the mind of a gamer. Instead of being pushed down a linear pathway to an encounter, the timing, location, and intensity of every encounter is up to the sadistic mind of your opponent, depending on how well they can actually evade you.

Gameplay for hunters will be in first person and be very similar to the L4D team setup. However, instead of four base survivors with equal opportunity equipment and skills, there will be a selection of hunters all with varying equipment and skill to build a team with. The monster will play in third person. This should be a very different experience from playing as an infected in L4D. You will have a selection of monsters to play as, all offering a different type of gameplay for both hunters and monster. Instead of using infinite respawn to annoy your opponents to death, playing as the moster will require you to plan, evade, and become stronger before finally taking your shot at the humans.

If you have no friends, not enough friends, or have a personality often shunned by the online community, you need not fear. The game is supportive of single player, including playing solo as the monster. Any range of players from 1-5 can play in the same game. Although, it is worth noting that playing with AI in L4D was about as reliable as letting your cat bat at a controller (sometimes less). The solo gameplay will likely lack some of the charm of full multiplayer, but is still a good option if you hate people.

I have high hopes for this game so far, as the concept is something new, yet done in a gameplay style that I think works well. More info on the game will be released as the month progresses, and I shall follow to see if Evolve will measure up to my expectations.

Source: Game Informer