Once you got far enough through the game, you’d eventually unlock better rifles - and your arms would heal from carrying that shopping - and the sniper rifle would become usable, but even then, that was as good as it got. When Shepard lugged the sniper rifle out, it swayed from side to side, it wobbled whenever you tried to aim, and would generally dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge at every opportunity. It felt like Shepard had just finished carrying her granny’s shopping all the way home, then had been handed a gun which weighed as much as a krogan’s lunch. Related: PSA: You Need To Play The Mass Effect Games In Order That’s part of the reason why I have previously avoided the sniper rifle, but also, it used to be garbage - especially in the first Mass Effect. I am not a particularly tactical player - it’s why I detest the boring Soldier build and prefer something like an Adept, rushing in with a blur of Biotic blue.
It’s why an expert marksman like Garrus wields one, or a measured assassin like Thane. The sniper rifle is a very tactical weapon. Playing through the Legendary Edition, I’ve only just rescued Liara, and I’ve already surpassed that total - and I don’t see myself stopping any time soon.
I have played through the Mass Effect trilogy several times, and across each of those playthroughs I have fired about seven bullets from a sniper rifle.
