As some of you might have overheard, I’ve been playing Planetside 2 with Dank.

My initial foray into the breach, dear friends, was not without incident. My first impression was essentially a FPS-MMO version of Red Alert, and I must tell you it’s not very far off from the truth. As I went about attempting to grasp the system, I will admit: I got lost. Once I finally found my way around, it took me some time to acclimated to the way vehicles handled and guns shot. There was much dying and much nerd rage. Over time though, I came to appreciate it’s simplicity. I sign on, capture a base or 3 with Dank’s help and then sign off.

A Three Faction war has broken out across 3 continents, each easily the size of Azeroth. (That’s 3 Azeroths for those that struggle with mathematics) While that might sound absolutely massive there is a fast travel system with a cooldown as well as a wide selection of troop transports and etc to get around quick enough. The large scale of it all though might leave you wondering if there’s enough people to make it a really “War” and I must assure you, there is. Each base offers unique buffs and perks and each one has structural weaknesses that can be exploited in any manner you see fit.

The level of strategy is enough that you notice, but isn’t so steep that just anyone can pick up the game and shoot some dudes. The classes add to this strategy with things like Anti-Tank mines, Medics and Jetpacks. Yes. Jet. Packs. As a class.

I digress. The class I play is the Engineer. A specialist at just about everything if you build it right. Ammo packs, anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, turrets, shotguns and a vehicle repair tool. It’s all about support. Dank started as an Infiltrator, which gives him sniper rifles, SMGs and a cloaking device. He has recently switched to Heavy Assault which comes with a Rocket Launcher, a BFG (Big Fucking Gun) and the ability to beef up his shields to take more punishment.

The price is free… if you’re patient. If you aren’t willing to wait weeks to buy one upgrade, you can pay a small sum and get a decent gun. Most upgrades, though, can be acquired in a small amount of play time. I recommend giving it a shot if you find yourself wanting to shoot something but are a little bored with the traditional MMO front.