So, here I am, hot new copy of Mass Effect 2 in hand, work day complete, free time carved out, and ready to head home for some sweet, sweet sci fi gaming. Everything should be awesomesauce for Lance. Except one little thing – for the life of me, I can’t decide which class I want to play!
I played a Soldier the first time out, and I am leaning that direction again for several reasons. First, the gun nut and paintballer in me likes the idea of access to assault rifles and heavy weapons. Second, I’m thinking it would be cool to perpetuate the most “human” experience. In other words, playing a “normal” Soldier who’s been thrown into this crazy new world of biotic muties, aliens, and other post-contact nuttiness.
Still, playing a Soldier was an easier choice in the last game, since the ME1 biotic powers pretty ho-hum. Now that they’re super-cool, I’m all bi-(otic)-curious. I’m just trying to reconcile losing the coolest weapons vs. gaining a few neat space-psychic powers.
If I do take the biotic route, I’ll probably choose Sentinel for the best of all worlds. Although the Vanguard powers are very, very cool too, and offer access to shotguns. Ugh, indecision!
I have been able to narrow my choices slightly. I think the Adept class would be a bit much, and would almost feel like playing a “wizard”, making the game feel less purely sci fi. Conversely, the Engineer seems a bit too underwhelming, so there’s another elimination. The ME2 Infiltrator looks supremely cool, but I don’t think I want to go the stealth route. Perhaps Infiltrator would make cool second playthrough?
Back to the front (as it were), I usually prefer more realistic shooters where the action takes place at fairly long ranges, hence my Soldier leanings. That said, playing a hunter in WoW has taught me that long range classes sometimes miss out on close-ups of all the cool enemy eye candy. So, maybe being restricted to submachineguns and shotguns would actually be a boon in such a visually stunning game? So that leaves Sentinel. And Vanguard.
But, assault rifles and the bullet-time Adrenaline power are so cool! Someone help me decide!! I guess too many options is a good kind of problem to have…
I’ve become quite a soundtrack fanboy over the past year or so. My responsibilities at work have shifted such that I’m spending much more time in my office and less in the lab. That said, my brain is wired in a fashion where music with lyrics is very distracting when I’m writing or reading.
Another fantastic album is the Mass Effect soundtrack. Jack Wall and Sam Hulick’s compositions are an amazing atmospheric tableau, and so reminiscent of 80’s sci fi movie soundtracks, including some crazy, frenetic John Carpenter-esque keyboard work.
