Guide to Synthetik 2’s Class Evolution upgrade choices, available after each completed boss fight. Features screenshots of your Class Evolution choices, with some notes from me based on some experience with some of these. This guide is arranged in alphabetical order, both in classes listed, and of the Class Evolution choices.
Most Class Evolution upgrade choices are very powerful. Some add passive abilities and benefits, some add attacks that are auto-triggered in some way, and some make a new item available to your class. Others provide periodically summoned friendly units to support your class in action.
A couple Class sections are empty and “under construction.” Those classes I haven’t played or played much since the Class Evolution upgrades were introduced – I’ll fill those sections out eventually. I also plan to add a few videos of the more visual upgrades in action. The following Class sections DO several Class Evolution upgrades listed, and most have some notes from yours truly:
- Chrono Interceptor
- Commando
- Demolisher
- Eliminator
- Heavy Gunner
- Machine Hunter
- Riotguard
CHRONO INTERCEPTOR Class Evolution Upgrades
Fusion Mage
NOTES: Although I don’t play this class much, losing this high a percentage of weapon damage seemed to reduce my effectiveness, and I wasn’t sure the faster cooldowns – which seem akin to the Brawndo beverage item’s effects – was really worth the tradeoff.
Heavy Telefrag
COMMANDO Class Evolution Upgrades
Bunnyhop
NOTES: To state the obvious, if you like to send your Commando dashing through enemies often, this is a good pick.
If dashing through enemies frequently is NOT your thing, give this a pass.
Commando Weapon Mastery
NOTES: A fine choice for Commandos who love to dash through enemies. 🙂 Grab this and Full Reset below, and you become a dashing dancer Commando.
Full Reset
Hyper Blade
NOTES: Obviously, if you like to slash, slash, slash, pick this one. 🙂 The reduced cooldown in particular will let you slash enemies much more often.
Particle Cloud
Plasma Shots
NOTES: I like this one. Although I don’t know what the % chance is for the plasma shots to trigger, they seem to fire off often enough to be useful.
My usual “duh” observation is if you’re more into your commando shooting than dashing, this is a top pick. If you’re more into dashing/slashing, watch for picks like Hyperblade, Full Reset and Commando Weapon Mastery as outlined above.
Rapid Supplier
NOTES: If your Commando is constantly gasping for ammo, this is a good choice.
Super Stacker
NOTES: Another good choice for the slasher commando.
DEMOLISHER Class Evolution Upgrades
Bodyslam
NOTES: This powerful upgrade to the Rocket Run / Rocket Boost Class Movement Ability adds more impact, but more importantly damages enemies along the ability’s path.
Explosive Shots
NOTES: Advantage of this over “explosive ammo crate” is you don’t have to stand in radius to use this. Just pick up some ammo, to get 15 explosive shots to fire.
Long Shot
Magnetic Chain
NOTES: If you’re all about kabooming enemies on screen as often as possible, this is the right upgrade for you. 🙂
Grenadier
NOTES: I found Grenadier underwhelming because I rarely have time in combat to point my character in a certain direction when reloading, and so often my grenades didn’t impact any enemies.
Reactive Core
Super Resonator
NOTES: Another must-have for Demolishers seeking to kaboom everything on screen, as often as possible.
ELIMINATOR Class Evolution Upgrades
Elite Roll
NOTES: The quick reload and firing rate buff make this very powerful in combat, although with certain small-magazine weapons, the firing rate buff may chew up your magazine faster than you may like.
Finesse
NOTES: Useful if your Eliminator is sporting a bronco-bucking machine gun or SMG, but it may not be so useful with most other types of weapons.
HEAVY GUNNER Class Evolution Upgrades
Belt Feeding
NOTES: Although I haven’t used this one, it’s presumably most useful with weapons with extremely large overall ammo capacities. So if your favorite weapon(s) have limited overall capacity, this is probably NOT the choice to go with.
i’m not sure I understand how the Active Reload works with this. Perhaps a successful Active Reload is required to “start” the belt-feeding of ammo directly from your backpack?
Fire-Power
NOTES: To me this is like the Class Evolution upgrades that trigger when you reload. It’s not always a given that you’ll want to eject or reload a weapon when near enemies.
So think about that when pondering this type of upgrade.
Master of Weaponry
NOTES: Although this choice gives you a bevy (5) of weapon upgrade kits and doubles weapon attachment power, it comes at a steep cost in item power.
So to state the obvious, if you’re heavily relying on powerful items during a run, this might not be your pick. If you don’t lean on items and are hungry for weapon upgrade kits, then your ship has arrived. 🙂
Metal Storm
NOTES: This auto-deployed turret can *only* fire in a straight line. This makes it nearly useless on the more open maps, or on levels with wider corridors.
It can be useful when pointed at a narrow passageway, but I would say it’s fair to call this a “niche” Class Evolution upgrade that’s only useful on specific types of maps – could be good on the snow base levels. So think about what the next set of maps might be like, when you encounter this choice. In my one experience using it, it simply wasn’t hitting enemies very often.
Popcorn Box
NOTES: Haven’t tried this one yet because I’m leery of weapons that fire in “random” directions.
But who can refuse “popcorn”? 🙂
Rapid Onslaught
NOTES: The Heavy Gunner class is extremely slow when equipping a machine gun, so the main appeal of this Class Evolution upgrade is in the form of buffs to movement and dodge chance. Useful if you want your Heavy Gunner to be more spry.
Super Onslaught
NOTES: Useful if you want your Heavy Gunner to spew rapid-fire lead as quickly as possible, although some smaller magazine machine guns might empty too fast, even with the increased ammo regeneration.
MACHINE HUNTER Class Evolution Upgrades
Assault Mode
NOTES: If you’re running into low-ammo issues, this Class Evolution pick can help a bit.
Combat Initiator
NOTES: This Class Evolution pick offers outstanding buffs at the start of any combat engagements.
HIgh-Volume Shots
Mag-L Hyperrail
Turtle Mode
NOTES: As what seems to be the only Machine Hunter Class Evolution upgrade that adds some welcome – albeit slow –
health regeneration, this was a keeper for me.
That’s because Machine Hunter’s precious Snappy tracked drone eats up the utility slot, giving the class no direct-healing abilities.
Vehicle Stopper
NOTES: Vehicle Stopper can help prevent you from getting overwhelmed by hordes of fast enemies, especially on levels like the Data Center and the snow base.
I do find the constant “blinking” animation of the Vehicle Stopper tracks getting laid to be a bit distracting.
Waylaying
NOTES: This didn’t appeal to me in part because I feel like rarely in S2 do I have the luxury of my character standing still for any period of time. Your mileage may vary. 🙂
RIOTGUARD Class Evolution Upgrades
Hot Shots
NOTES: This Class Evolution upgrade provides you an ITEM, which when you activate it, causes your Riotguard to kneel and blast off four heavy-damage rounds, and briefly enjoy a 100% dodge chance while kneeling.
Sounds useful, I haven’t tried it yet.
Static Charged
Support Dispatch
NOTES: This powerful Class Evolution upgrade is one of my favorites in the game, as it spawns multiple, heavily-armed bikes to fight by your side.
Do note that they are fragile and extremely aggressive. They may take a boss or tough enemy out in record time, but they also may “aggro” an entire map to come after you. You also have no manual control over when they deploy. I think they just appear when you’re in combat, and if the cooldown period isn’t in effect.
Thunderlord
NOTES: This Class Evolution passive is sort of a leftover from the abandoned Riotguard variant, in earlier Synthetik 2 builds, that could shoot out electrical blasts.
