Surviving in Shooters

I have played a lot of shooters in my lifetime and I have grown to love them, whether it’s a First Person Shooter (FPS) like the Call of Duty (CoD) series or a Third Person Shooter like the Gears of War Series, they are all fun to play. Most Shooters come with multiplayer game modes which usually pit players against each other or force them to work together, either way; you’re usually going to need a reasonable level of skill to survive the onslaught, especially in game modes like Call of Duty’s “Free for All” mode where it’s every player for him or herself. Having played these games for years, I have come up with a few habits which improve my gameplay tremendously and in this post; I will be sharing them with you. Losing frequently can be pretty annoying so whether you just want to dominate your friends, win a competition or just have fun and complete the campaign modes, these tips are for you.

• Avoid Reloading in the Open
  Ever pressed the reload button and before the reload animation completes, your character is dead? All firearms need to be reloaded (except firearms that work on the overheating system) and reloading your firearm leaves you vulnerable to attacks from all directions, always check and ensure the coast is clear before you reload and always have a contingency plan, for moments another player pops up unexpectedly.
• Shoot in Short Bursts
  Have you ever been in a gunfight and you empty your magazine and your target is still standing? You probably ask yourself, did that just happen? Yes it did. The moment you saw your target, you immediately started spraying bullets forgetting that your accuracy decreases due to the guns recoil, especially with Automatic Weapons like Assault Rifles. When next you spot your target, remember to fire in short bursts (especially at long distances) or you can just go for a Semi-Automatic Weapon which forces you to fire in short bursts.
• Remain Mobile
  Back when I was a noob (beginner) at shooters, I always thought my best bet was to find a good hiding spot and wait for targets to pass me so I could get an easy kill (Camping); I soon realized that this strategy never works in your favor. You either get spotted first, become an easy kill or no one passes you and you get no kills. When you camp, you become a sitting duck just waiting to get shot, always remain on the move so you can spot enemy players and take them down.
• Master your Loadout
  Going to battle without knowing your guns and the other equipment is like going to school and not knowing how to read. You can’t expect your guns to operate themselves; you need to know how they work, their strengths, their weaknesses and much more. For example, Shotguns do devastating damage at close range but are practically useless in long range encounters; information like this helps you know which gunfights you can and cannot win.
• Master the Map (Multiplayer Scenarios)
  I cannot count how many times my knowledge of the map (or arena) has come to my aid, I could be chasing a target and know a shortcut to reach him quicker and surprise him, or I could be running from enemy players and use the map’s topography to my advantage and lose them, the possibilities are endless.
• Master the Controls
  Seems like a no brainer but I’ve seen so many players throw grenades when they meant to shoot and shoot when they meant to throw grenades. Knowing the controller layout and game controls is crucial regardless of the game you want to play. If you don’t like the games default control layout you can always edit the layout to suite your tastes.
• Learn to Strafe
  The word “Strafing” has many meanings but in the context of shooters, it is the technique of moving your game character from side to side, even when your weapon is being fired. Strafing otherwise known as Sidestepping is very essential in shooters because it allows you to dodge incoming bullets while keeping your view on the target, allowing you to be both offensive and defensive. Some players even combine strafing with jumps and slides, making them very difficult targets to hit.
• Improve your Accuracy
  Accuracy is a very valuable skill in shooters; you can have everything down and sorted but still lose because you couldn’t get any kills (due to poor accuracy). Practice is the only way to make your aim better (unless you want to cheat and use aim bots) and there are plenty of ways to do it. You can play through the game’s campaign mode and improve your skills while also enjoying the story, have friendly multiplayer matches with bots and much more.

Next time you want to play a shooter, try adopting these tips and watch your gameplay improve splendidly.

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Until Next Time, It’s Demi!

(Disclaimer: I do not promote or encourage violence. These are just video games and should never be practiced in reality. Please play responsibly. The world needs love not war!)