We’ve seen that preordering games is a gamble for fools, and so naturally, developers are coming up with creative incentives to boost their early-sale numbers.
Publisher 2K Games announced today that people who preorder the upcoming 4-on-1 shooter Evolve will get instant access to a third set of characters that include a new monster and a different version of each of the four main classes. If you do not preorder, however, you’re stuck with just the standard four hunters and Goliath monster. Developer Turtle Rock previously explained that it was forcing players to unlock characters to ensure people got used to the gameplay before experimenting with different hunters who all have different capabilities. But the studio is willing to bypass that progression if you’re willing to fork over your money upfront.
In addition to the unlocked set of characters, 2K previously announced that preordering Evolve would give players access to an exclusive skin for the standard Goliath monster as well as free access to Behemoth, a fourth monster.
While these incentives may convince some gamers to jump on Evolve before it is out, many people are growing weary of the practice of committing to buying something before it has proven it works as a consumer product. This comes as a response to big releases like Assassin’s Creed: Unity and Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which both had numerous game-breaking bugs and connection problems that prevented people from playing them as the developers intended.
Evolve, which is due out Feb. 10 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, is an online game where four players team up to take on a fifth player who controls a giant monster. Each of the hunters are specialists in different ways of stopping or damaging the creature. For example, the trapper class can lay down big dome shields to keep the monster from escaping to the other side of the map.
All players will start with the first tier of hunters and monsters, and everyone will have to work to unlock the second tier. Preordering unlocks the third tier as well as Behemoth as soon as he is available.
We’ve asked 2K how much it plans to sell Behemoth for as well as whether it will offer a way for players to pay to unlock the second and third tiers. We’ll update this story with any new information.
If you’re on Xbox One, you can still try out Evolve as part of the game’s open beta test, which starts Jan. 15 and runs through Jan. 19.