With so many fantasy MMOGs out there it takes something special to
stand apart from the crowd. Rift
brings a lot to the table with emergent gameplay, the robust soul
system and tons of available content listed among its many strong
suits. None of that amounts to much however if players are playing the
game, and one of the most crucial aspects of buying into a game is
having fun classes to play. Luckily many of the numerous souls in Rift
are engaging and fun to play, and this week we will spotlight three
must-play souls.
We realize that what makes one class fun to play to one person may not
mean anything to someone else, but we used a set of simple criteria to
separate these souls from the rest. First we want something that isnt
easily replicated in other games which is a daunting task when given
the similarities in fantasy game mechanics. Secondly we are looking for
something that doesnt lull the player to sleep with a simple rotation
of spells/abilities, but has some pop and interactivity. Lastly we went
looking for something that defies convention, fantasy archetypes are
far too easy to pigeonhole. Warriors tank, Mages DPS and Clerics heal
well no longer!
Bard
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The first class in our list hails from the rogue calling and is one of
the best support souls in the game. The bard itself isnt a new concept
in fantasy games, troubadours that inspire their allies and demoralize
their foes has been a staple of the genre. The Bard in
style="font-style: italic;">Rift however takes
it up a notch in terms of form and function. With a bevy of carpal
tunnel inducing abilities the Bard uses Fanfares and Anthems for long
term raid wide buffs, motifs for short term stat and power gains and
Codas as finishing moves to round out their tune. This soul takes an
active player who constantly scans the battlefield and makes
adjustments on the fly to help maximize their groups
performance. Bards arent the most powerful solo artists and
they definitely prefer to be the accompaniment, but it is possible to
set this as your main soul and have an entirely enjoyable experience
due to the unique gameplay.
Chloromancer
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The next soul in our list comes to us from the mage calling and fits
the bill as a class that defies tradition. Mages are known far and wide
as masters of direct and AoE damage, the proverbial glass cannon that
makes their way through world annihilating foes without ever soiling
their dress
err robes. The Chloromancer kicks that assumption to the
curve and twists their elemental command to raise up their allies with
powerful healing magic. Early balance issues in
style="font-style: italic;">Rift made this
class one of the most popular healers about and even though things have
been adjusted throughout the callings, a well-played Chloromancer is
still a viable healer in many situations. The interesting aspect of
this soul isnt so much that it can heal, but rather how it goes about
doing it. The Chloromancers healing prowess is directly affected by the
amount of damage they can put out which naturally leads to some
engaging and tense moments in this fast paced environment. The idea of
a mage who can heal by putting out massive damage is appealing, but
there is a slight caveat with the Chloromancer; they cant directly
heal themselves.
Justicar
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The final soul in our first installment of must-play souls is found
nestled in the Cleric calling. From time immemorial, the sacred healers
of fantasy games have gazed longingly upon the shiny metal armor of
their usually larger and more powerful allies and daydreamed of one day
shouting Huzzah beast! Attack me instead! With the Justicar, the meek
have inherited the shields and have transformed into a powerful tanking
soul. Obviously modern MMOGs have given most healing classes some teeth
with a formidable off-spec of damage or blurred the lines by making
hybrid
classes with multiple personality disorders, but few have risen quite
to the level of the Justicar. Boasting strong damage output, a powerful
self-buff and exceptional spot healing, the Justicar can go toe to toe
with the other tanking souls in the game and easily hold their own. The
Justicar didnt simply make this list on the merit of going against the
cleric grain either, through the use of excellent reactive abilities
and well-timed finishers, the Justicar is engaging and fun to play.
That wraps up our first look at the souls that make style="font-style: italic;">Rift exceptionally
fun to play, let us know which souls you find the most engaging and we
may highlight them in the near future.
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our RIFT Game Page.
