As you save the galaxy from the reaper threat as Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect trilogy, you’ll have to make many choices. Some of them are quite significant, such as who to spare on Virmir and who to romance. However, the most essential choice comes at the beginning of each game: which class will you choose?
Even though I have played these games several times, I always come back to the power of Mass Effect Biotics. Being a soldier seems fruitless – why reach for more weapons when you can have Jedi powers? — while technology-based classes are perfect for supportive teammates like Tali. Her drone is killer.
Biotics are simply the best fun in wreaking havoc, and the potential for combat mayhem is showcased through power combos. They didn’t become a major pillar of Mass Effect’s combat until the third game, but the seeds were planted Mass Effect 2. In the middle entry, Biotic Adepts have access to the powers of the Singularity and the Warp. Singularity pulls enemies into the air, while Warp is an offensive attack that removes enemy armor and barriers. Warp detonations apply combined powers; attacking the Singularity with the Warp causes a satisfying explosion, knocking back enemies.
Mass Effect 3 increases potential combinations, with several powers from the game’s classes working together to create fire explosions, cryogenic explosions, technological explosions and biotic bombs. For this reason, any combination of teammates flanking your Shepard is viable. They all hold their own, and their skill trees are as solid as they’ve ever been in the trilogy.
Still, I always put my Shepard as the Vanguard in the trilogy because the Vanguard’s Biotic powers are just too fun and complement each other perfectly. Anyone who has used the Biotic Charge/Nova combo knows what I’m talking about.
Biotic Charge allows Shepard to quickly close the gap between themselves and the enemy, knocking them off balance. Nova detonates Shepard’s biotic barrier, causing quite a bang and damaging surrounding enemies. If someone is still standing, just shoot them in the face until Shepard’s powers recover. It’s a great combination that turns Commander Shepard into a one-man Reaper killing machine. Charging and using Nova can also detonate other Biotics powers, so having an Adept casting Singularity flanking a Vanguard Shepard is never a good idea.
The Biotic Charge/Nova combo makes tumultuous combat encounters even more tumultuous. The Mass Effect games are shield-based shooters in the style of Gears of War, but the Biotic Charge/Nova combo constantly puts Shepard in danger and causes him to become extremely squishy when Nova destroys their barrier. As if Mass Effect 3Adrenaline-pumping combat couldn’t get any more thrilling, and shooting Geth in the face with your flashlight without erecting a barrier is sure to get your blood pumping.
By Mass Effect 3thanks to the increased number of skills, each class is viable as an offensive option. Still, even after a few playthroughs, I can’t stop picking the Vanguard, especially as additional Biotics powers like Lash are unlocked. With skill synergy, your Shepard can really feel like Biotic God.
