There are more games available today to enjoy than at any point in history – that’s quite a remarkable thing, especially if you’re an avid gamer. Though it brings new problems, such as the question of prioritising which games to play.
Furthermore there are hundreds of shovel-ware and knock-off titles out there, making the process of finding games that are actually worth your time, money and effort ever more complicated.
But supposing you’ve managed to cut through the noise, made your decision, and now have your new game before you, ready to play – what are the first steps you should take to help you get oriented with all that it entails? Let’s explore this below.
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Take A Tour
Without a doubt, the first thing any gamer should do with a new game is play it. This one isn’t going to be difficult, as the excitement to dive in and explore makes this one a bit of a no-brainer. But that’s not to say it’s not an important step. Your first experiences with a game are a great opportunity to get a sense of what the game is about, and how it plays.
Naturally, not all games are video games, but each has their own feel, and it’s this point that you should focus on appraising when you first try it out. For example, suppose you have purchased the very latest Call of Duty release.
These games are quite iterative in their design, meaning that each annual release builds on what came before it. This can mean that at first glance it may not appear as if anything has changed!
But by jumping in, playing some familiar maps and navigating around the world, you will quickly begin to notice minute changes in the way maps are laid out, or the feel of the physics. It’s important to get a handle on this, as it’ll put you in good stead further down the line.
Learn the Basics
Once you’ve sampled a game, and got a sense for how it plays, the next step is to begin to learn how to play it. Depending on what game it is you’re playing, this can potentially involve a steep learning curve.
Though it’s important to understand that your job, at this stage, is not to begin to learn esoteric bits of strategy or anything else advanced. Instead, you want to learn the basics and simply focus on them for the time being.
Many video games video in-game tutorials designed to assist you in this process – do not skip these, even if you’re familiar with a series as these are often opportunities for developers to draw your attention to important changes in the latest game.
Likewise, if you’re embarking on learning a more classic game, like poker, then you may want to turn to trusted online resources that provide guides on all aspects of play. For example, PokerStars has guides on picking up the basics you need to know.
A lot of learning the basics of a game, as in this example, is to do with memorising familiar components of the game, such as hand rankings. Once you’ve got these down, you can move onto our third point.
Play, Reflect, Develop
Beyond getting the basics down, there’s no one way that’s best suited for all gamers to continue learning. This is also because it depends on the type of game you’re playing.
But a good rule of thumb is to simply begin playing – if it’s multiplayer, start challenging yourself against better players. Pay attention to what they do, how they beat you (they will at first), and what you can do to respond.
From this, you will begin to get a clearer idea on what you need to focus on individually. It may be that you need to focus on unlocking a powerful item before you feel you can continue, or perhaps you will find what you’re looking for by consulting guides on YouTube that dive into complex strategy.