Evolve Stage 2

A four person team chasing one monster sounds like a pretty good way to forget you’re jogging, but Evolve Stage 2 also asks you to aim and react while the other team is trying to ruin your plans. I’d try it on an easy workout first, not during the part where you’re trying to set a personal record.

Gameplay

The setup gives both sides something useful to do, which is why I think Evolve Stage 2 could hold your attention better than a shooter where you spend half the match looking for somebody. The monster has to avoid the hunters and feed on wildlife to grow stronger, while the hunters have to work together to find it before it gets too powerful. So you’re not just waiting for the shooting to start. You’re trying to figure out where everyone is going, and that can keep your brain occupied.

The monster side sounds like the more unusual workout, because you’re deciding when to hide, when to feed, and when you think you can take on the hunters. I like that the two sides don’t have the same job, and I can see the monster player having a good time trying to make the team chase the wrong idea. I’d probably be the one eating wildlife while the hunters closed in, but at least I’d be consistent.

The hunters have four distinct roles, and that team setup is a good reason to play with people who are willing to cooperate. A match can be exciting when everyone is working toward the same plan, but I don’t know how much fun it would be if your team scattered in different directions while you tried to keep up with the monster. That’s a lot of moving parts for a workout game, and the people on your team matter.

There can also be stretches where the hunters are tracking rather than fighting, and that’s the part I’m less sure about. You’re not sitting through long story scenes, which is nice, but following a trail and waiting to catch up isn’t the same kind of attention as a fight. I think the balance between the hunt and the actual combat is what decides whether you stay focused or start thinking about how long the belt has been moving.

It’s a clever multiplayer idea, but I’d check whether you can actually get into matches before making it part of a routine. The official servers were shut down, and this is a game built around four players hunting one player, so availability matters more than it does in a game where you can just start a solo run. I don’t know what the current options will look like for you, and I wouldn’t buy hardware or plan a workout around a match until I checked.

Category Score: 2 out of 3

Treadmill and Bike Compatibility

The full controller support helps, but it doesn’t turn this into a relaxed game. A hunter has to aim, watch for the monster, and react when the fight starts, and the monster has to make quick decisions while trying not to get pinned down. I’d expect my aim to get less precise as my legs got tired, which is not a problem the monster is going to politely wait for me to fix.

On a treadmill, I’d keep the speed comfortable and give myself room to use both thumbs without bouncing all over the place. The quieter moments spent tracking may be manageable, but I wouldn’t count on those moments lasting once everyone meets up. You can be jogging along, looking for the monster, and then suddenly need to turn and shoot while the rest of the team is doing the same thing. That sounds like a lot of coordination for a Tuesday.

A stationary bike seems a little easier to pair with the aiming, since your upper body can stay steadier, but I still wouldn’t play as if you were sitting at a desk. The game depends on other people and doesn’t offer a pause button for your match, so taking a break means you’re leaving your team in the middle of things. That’s the part that would make me choose an easy pace and skip the workout if I was already tired.

I’d also avoid treating ranked or serious team play as exercise time. You might get invested in winning, and then the workout becomes something happening underneath the match, which is probably not what you planned. If you can get into a casual game and don’t mind your reactions being a bit less exact, it could work. I’d still expect a few messy fights.

Category Score: 1 out of 3

Computer Requirements

The minimum graphics card listed is an older model, so this doesn’t ask for a new, high end computer just to get started. I’d check that your machine can handle the 64 bit operating system requirement and has room for the install, but the graphics requirement looks pretty forgiving by current standards. It’s not asking your computer to sprint.

Category Score: 3 out of 3

Conclusion and Score

Evolve Stage 2 sounds like a fun team game when you can get a match and everyone is engaged, but I wouldn’t choose it as my dependable treadmill game. Give it a try if you already have a way to play and can keep the workout easy.

Overall Score: 2 out of 3