Help, I suck in the all the best games!

[Shin-Ra]

We all have to start somewhere!

Spyro The Dragon was my serious attempt at dual-analog control, the second stick used mostly for horizontal camera control so not so tricky but I was still crap at it.

Timesplitters was my first serious attempt at dual-analog shooting and I struggled even more. Didn't help that the game was so fast and twitchy.

[AikonEnt]

As others have said, practice is the key with most games. I would start on the default difficulty, if the game starts to get harder than you're comfortable with drop down a difficulty, learn the controls, enemy movements etc. Learning a game does make it easier when you move up difficulties. Uncharted 2 gave me grief in several places on normal, but I stuck with it and finished the game. When I then played through on hard I actually found it easier strange as it may seem (don't know about crushing difficulty though as I'm only up to chapter 3!).

[Marquoz]

I'm in the same boat you are. I used to exclusively play RPGs for the PC and PS2, but with this generation there's been a severe lack of RPGs of the type I like. I'm not a huge fan of the Oblivion/Fallout single person "action" RPGs.

I've slowly been adding different games that I never would have played before, like Resistance 1 & 2, Ratchet and Clank (ended up buying pretty much every single one for the PS2 and PS3), SFIV, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and many others.

The biggest part is just play it over and over until you get past the part you are stuck on. Eventually you will notice that you are getting better at it and the games will become easier and easier as time goes on.

Don't give up, if you get frustrated put the game away for a little bit, play other games and then go back to it with a clear head. I did that with Heavenly Sword, I couldn't beat the last boss, played for weeks, finally gave up. Went back a couple of months later and walked right through him.

[Icemage]

I'm 35, so I know what you're going through. I grew up in the Atari generation as well, and those games were about binary twitch - situation A reacts with button B.

With shooter-type games that use a stick, you have to be aware of your character's position in the world as well as what you're shooting at, using two analog sticks. Learning to control movement while shooting (or learning to find a safe position to shoot from if you're not moving - i.e. sniping), takes a little learning curve.

Also note that some of the games you've mentioned really ARE hard; Resident Evil 5 isn't exactly a walk in the park, and the control scheme doesn't help since you can't move while shooting. Call of Duty 4 : Modern Warfare has a couple of extremely frustrating missions (endlessly spawning enemies on one map, plus the amazing-but-controller-throwingly-hard sniper mission).

I didn't find Uncharted (1 or 2) to be difficult at all - both are maybe a shade harder than inFamous, but that's not saying much. LBP, SF4, BlazBlue are going to be easier for you since you grew up with similar type games - the game mechanics of Street Fighter haven't really changed all that much in a decade, and Little Big Planet is a transmutable Super Mario Brothers with floaty jumping mechanics.

[Rblu-Dblu]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I suck at games too. At least on the single player games you can practice and the only person that knows you suck at is you. I have a horrible time with shooter games as well. As you play them more you kind of learn what works and what doesn't and you outsmart the AI. Now multiplayer is a different story because I get owned at everything multiplayer.

[Protectron]

Originally Posted by Rblu-Dblu

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I suck at games too. At least on the single player games you can practice and the only person that knows you suck at is you. I have a horrible time with shooter games as well. As you play them more you kind of learn what works and what doesn't and you outsmart the AI. Now multiplayer is a different story because I get owned at everything multiplayer.

I know, I suck on FPS multiplayer. I'm working on hard mode in Battlefield Bad Company and it's not too bad but I get owned in multiplayer. I'm decent but I just don't have the time to invest to become REALLY good at those games. Multiplayer racing games I'm better at but not much.

But I'm not really into online multiplayer. I'm an old-school gamer and care more about the single player experience.

Nothing wrong with playing on easy mode to get used to a new game genre. As you get used to it, you can up the difficulty.

[Krejaton]

Face the fact that you suck at video games, princess!

Ok, just kidding.

I am 43--I started with pong...got my kids a PS3 at Christmas last year and decided to dabble myself. Keep trying, play on easier modes if need be, but keep at it. I found some games have better aiming mechanisms than others (e.g. I struggled with Uncharted 1 but found U2 easier).

Good luck and let us know how how it goes...and don't let me down. Can't have these young punks thinking we old farts are lame (is "lame" still a cool word?...damn, is "cool" still a cool word?).

[doctorD]

If you keep playing you will get better at it. I am a PC shooter (keyboard and mouse) first gamer but have gotten use to the controller over the last year.

[mj79]

Just wondering why the 16 year olds are so damn good at everything?? I mean when I was that age I guess I was good, but the games were way different.. Its frustrating to play with my nephew when he comes over cuz he kicks my ass, /... HES 12! and never played it And that was after i was practicing at cod MOD2 for a while.. MAn it sucks getting old

[TheTenth]

I'm 39 and started with Atari 2600, Amiga ... and FPS and drivers are insanely hard to me, and I never stopped playing (Super NES, Genesis, Play 1, 2, 3). Maybe it's the speed of the action ... But some games are playable to me : Killzone 1, X-men legends, The Darkness, Saints row 2, Borderlands.
For us oldies, one tactic would be to know the map and localisation of enemies to get a good spot, but I don't have that patience.

[Blu3]

Originally Posted by brett_day

maybe try and change the sensitivity of the controls...most games aloow you to do this. it might make it easier to control/aim. then as you get better increase the sensitivity

+100000000


I'm used to CoD speed, so I have to turn up the speed (sensitivity) in Uncharted all the way up, which allows me to aim better and faster (side to side).

CoD has insane speeds. I use medium. If you're having a hard time aiming, start with low and work your way into medium once you get used to it.

Games today aren't as easy as back in the day (I'm 32 now). Try to play only one game at a time, at least an hour a day, for you to get good at it. I sucked balls at MW2 at first because I had been playing U1/U2 for a month and had gotten used to that game's physics/gameplay. If you always play different games every day, especially shooters, you will never get that "in the zone" feel to it at a high enough level.

Also, try different guns and see which work best for you, along with different scopes. We all have weapons that we suck with and weapons that we shine with. Find yours and good luck

Other tips: get to know the maps - huge advantage here. Know which routes people use and where they spawn on both sides. Cook your grenades before tossing them, so that they go off as they land, giving your enemy no chance to escape. What else...strategy and tactics go a long way, even in non-tactical shooters like CoD, for example, don't just barge in on a house or run around the corner, use your flashbangs and aim/walk around corners in case there's a camper sitting there waiting. Things like that. Pay attention to the details

ps: make sure your internet connection is as lag free as possible and your tv has a fast enough refresh rate. Things like this make a BIG difference in online play with shooters.

[jsteinhauer]

Originally Posted by TheTenth

For us oldies, one tactic would be to know the map and localisation of enemies to get a good spot, but I don't have that patience.

This is where you may be having difficulty with some games. While I admit, there are some things that will never become easy for me, I haven't encountered a game yet that remains "insanely" difficult. It's been discussed briefly above, but most of todays shooters and action/adventurers are not just about killing the enemies fast or with brute force, but puzzling out how to kill the enemies within the enviroment and with what is at hand. It's amazing how much easier some games become when you really learn to incorporate not only using cover, but weapon selection, hand-hand combat, stealth, evasive moves, and/or whatever the developers gave you to play the game with. All of those things are put into the game for a reason, and the games are often designed such that you have to use them. Such things are not really factors in games like Borderlands where the only thing you need to do is shoot, shoot and shoot, and where guns and ammo of all kinds are all over the place. You can choose your play style at the beginning of that game and play that way all the way through. In games like UC2, you have to use stealth, and you have to use melee combat to win.

Multiplayer games on the other hand are a completely different story. I can't compete at the same level as many player, for multiple reasons (age, time invested, internet connection, whatever), so I don't enjoy them.

[moothemagiccow]

I gave up trying to aim with a thumbstick. Tried the CoD and Uncharted demo and that was probably the biggest problem. It's so much easier with the Wii; I don't see why so many are against motion control.

[stonkeye]

Same problem i come from PC games and grew up on the old Amstrad CPC464 and Acorn.

I find it very strange and not natural to use the sticks to aim, either to fast so you blast bast every one, or set it slower then every one runs past you and you cant move the sights fast enough to hit.

I have a good comp so can still play all the modern games on the PC but find i would rather sit in the living room in a comfy area and use the PS3.

I am getting better still not good but better, I used the Sensitivity setting in the controller settings put it as low as it will go, once i stopped over shooting and going past people, moved it up one then repeat again once i stopped over compensating moved it up one. This works for me and has made me better.

If that fails i find picking the biggest gun with the most ammo on FPS and just spraying bullets every where sometimes works.

Side note i find it helps to drop the sensitivity of the Up/down motion but leave left to right the same. As i tend to panic and shot over heads or under that stops that.


Anther suggestion add a few people from here for online FPS that are not that good like me, you will find far more fun playing with a group if you get enough to fill the game, that are all at similar skill level and will give you change to hone your skills and not die instantly

[Icemage]

Originally Posted by moothemagiccow

I gave up trying to aim with a thumbstick. Tried the CoD and Uncharted demo and that was probably the biggest problem. It's so much easier with the Wii; I don't see why so many are against motion control.

We're not "against" motion control. We're against inaccurate and poorly implemented motion control (which applies to almost all of the Wii catalog - I own a Wii, I should know).

Thumbstick aiming isn't any worse/better than any other type of control, it just takes a little getting used to. I'm not amazing at shooter games even now, but I hold my own having played lots of them.

[CdnBlu]

My first time using the joystick was probably on Goldeneye64, that game took some getting used to, but after a week or so you were Golden!

I basically played the entire Sierra line-up within the past few years also (Half-Life 1/2, Team Fortress 1/2, Counter-strike Betas, 1.6, Source) which really helped with my FPS skills. The W,A,S,D movement keys with a mouse is probably the easiest way to get good at FPS. After a couple games you can grab a controller and everything just comes naturally.

My only problem with FPS games is they are NEVER consistent, EVER! Every single FPS always has the same movement keys, but shoot, grenade, melee, reload are always different

[bandit29]

I'm 35 and have been a gamer since the 2600 days as well. I don't have too many problems with today's games but I know my limits lol.

The genre I really suck at that I would like to be good at is FPS games. Even back when Doom came out..just terrible at it. I tried games like Killzone or Modern Warfare...forget it.

Third person games like Resident Evil 5, Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden Sigma 1 & 2, I'm still good at. Racing games, no problems there either. Fighting games..my favorite genre..still decent but the days of memorizing and nailing 10 button Tekken combos are long gone.

RPGs I don't bother with at all anymore. I used to love JRPGs back in the 90's, but as I got older..they became less tolerable. Might give FF13 a shot. And MMOs...no time or interest in that.

[Blu3]

Try to equip your weapons with a silencer if possible, like in CoD. That way, you can practice a bit more at peace without the enemy hunting you down based on your red dot on the map every time you shoot

[ShockWave]

Originally Posted by CdnBlu

My first time using the joystick was probably on Goldeneye64, that game took some getting used to, but after a week or so you were Golden!

One of the best multiplayer FPS! We used to play the dog out of this game. Hi-Tech for us then was a 32inch CRT, with four player split screen! We would play all types of modes we would make up like sniper only. But we would play golden gun a lot! Great game!

[GamerPS3-X360]

+1 to what everyone has already mentioned and suggested...Just keep at it and don't get discourage...Not everyone is godly in every game...