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You might want to improve your gaming skills for any number of reasons. Maybe you play regularly with your friends and want to beat them, or maybe, you enjoy the challenge.
Perhaps you hope to have a career in video gaming, either through a streaming account where people watch you play or becoming a competitive gamer. Whatever reason you have for wanting to be a better gamer, you should know that it’s surprisingly hard work.
Getting better at gaming is like getting better at sports or any other skill. It takes practice. You won’t be able to pick up the controller after school or work and expect a massive improvement by dinner or bedtime. You have to commit and set aside some time to practice and play daily. The good thing is, it’s really fun, and, in most cases, the stakes aren’t high.
Avoid Distractions
If you’re playing to get better, then you should avoid all distractions that might come up during your session. You’ve probably seen and participated in, trash talk and cross-talk during multiplayer play. You might have played some music while gaming as well. However, you must remove these distractions. Even if you are focused on the game, having music in the background means a part of your brain will be focused on the tune. If you live in a noisy house, then close the door and put on some noise-canceling headphones. This is especially important if you are playing a game or a section that involves rhythm or timing. You could end up playing to the beat of the music by accident and not the beat of the game.
Easy Mode
You might think that playing on the hardest level would give you the biggest challenge, and therefore you would learn quickly. Think of professional baseball players. They start in the lowest level of the minor leagues, and then they work their way up. You should be the same. When starting a new game, play it on the easiest level. This will give you a chance to practice your moves and skills so that you can perfect them for the harder levels. Also, sometimes you don’t get to practice certain skills on the harder levels because you die too quickly. Don’t feel like you are a wimp or taking the easy way out. You are playing the long game, and you will be better at it.
Tips and Tricks
This might seem like cheating, but it isn’t. You can search online for tips and tricks for the game you are playing. There are videos and articles about any game you can think of. You might want to avoid spoilers and walk-throughs, but you can learn ways to do special moves, secret passages, and new strategies that you hadn’t thought of. These tips tend to be made for specific games, but you never know in the future when a tip for one game may end up helping you in another.
Play a Variety of Games
Every game is different, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get better at gaming by playing a variety of games. This will get your fingers used to doing different things with the controller, for example. Also, some games share certain elements, which can be a benefit when playing different games. You might recognize a situation from a previous game or will have developed specific skills because of playing it. Luckily, today there are more options for purchasing games than ever. Some online video game stores offer highly competitive prices. An excellent example is YuPlay’s extensive catalog which contains a stunning variety of recent releases and old-time classics that guarantee to keep you entertained for hours without breaking the bank.
Watch Others Play
The whole point of gaming is that you are the one playing. However, if you are new to gaming or a certain game, it doesn’t hurt to pick up a few tips from gamers who are better than you. There are endless videos and streams online that you can watch and even ask questions to. Find out who the best are at each game you try, and watch them for a while. See how they attack problems and what moves they use in certain situations. Much like you can become a better writer by reading and a better athlete by watching, your gaming can improve too.
Don’t Get Frustrated
Does the wall in your gaming room have marks from controllers you’ve thrown? Do you have a graveyard of controllers somewhere in a box? Getting angry and frustrated doesn’t help you at all. Sure, you want to be invested in a game, but if you fail on the final boss, that’s okay. Practice some more, and eventually, you will succeed. If you’re in an angry mindset when you play, when you succeed, it won’t feel as sweet. You will only have fended off anger. With a neutral or constructive mindset about failing, your brain has only a short distance to begin celebrating.
Training Mode
If a game has it available, make use of the training mode. This is especially handy if you’re playing an online multiplayer game and you don’t have the option of playing in easy mode. Training is just like practicing any other skill. You repeat it over and over until you get it right. They may even have demonstrations and tips that will help you even more. Then, the next time you go into a game with your friends, you can blow them away with how much better you’ve gotten.
Use The Right Controller
It’s important that you use a controller that feels good in your hand and that you can reach all the buttons, for starters. Then you need a controller that works well for you. It can’t be uncomfortable or awkward to use since you could be playing for hours at a time. You can often customize the buttons to make the controller even more comfortable for you. The same goes for your mouse or keyboard. Make sure that the keys you use are easy for your fingers to reach and react quickly. The mouse should also be optimized for handedness if you are left-handed.
Good Competition
When you’re starting, you’ll want to play on easy mode and get the hang of things. However, after a while, you will want to play against better competition than you. Make sure you do not take this step until you have practiced all the moves that you can. Otherwise, you’ll die before you have a chance to try them. Better competition means you’ll be inspired and driven to keep up with them. The same goes for cooperative games. If your teammates are better than you, then you will learn from them. It’s that simple.
The good thing about getting better at video games is that they become a lot of fun. As an athlete, training, and practicing can get tedious, and your body takes a beating. With video games, use these tips and be patient, and you’ll find yourself playing as an expert in time.
