Starting Classes
I found
Machinist to be my favorite class, primarily based on appearance, but he seemed to be more of a "thinking man's" class, rather than a strong fighter type. However, it seems that the classes primarily affect your appearance and starting weapon.
I also settled in pretty nicely to the sniper rifles and found a few places that I could stay safe and a bit above-it-all, while dishing out some judicious vengeance and occasional assistance to other players from on high. There's nothing quite as rewarding as a clean headshot from a long distance, and that's true in Defiance as it is in most games that feature sniper rifles.
However, other than personal preference, the starting class doesn't seem to have a lot of influence over the game, so just choose what looks the best and roll with it.
Interconnected Storylines
The most novel aspect of
Defiance is the fact that the game and the television series aren't just made based on the same intellectual property - they're supposed to be intertwined and co-dependent. Events in the television series shape events in the game and events in the game are supposed to affect the storyline of the series. I'm not sure how this will be achieved, exactly, but it's novel, and quite innovative, if they can pull it off. The pilot episode has aired, as of this writing, but Syfy is rebroadcasting the pilot episode a whole bunch of times, so check your local listings if you missed it, and jump into the game to play the Episode 2 missions before the show airs.
I found Defiance to be fun - with or without the gimmick - and doubly interesting because of it. If a science fiction MMO shooter with its own television series isn't enough to get you on board with just a preview, check back with us for a full review.