Like a lot of you, I've been playing various sports franchises for a while now. You might expect – like I do – that by now I'd be so good at these games that I wouldn't need any help. But I do, and that's what I'm ssssllllooooowwwwwllllyyy learning. Recently I decided after all these years to become – as they say in sports – a student of the game.
I decided this when I was recently playing FIFA 10. I'm pretty familiar with all the controls and the myriad moves that you have to learn to play the game, but I wasn't really a master. So, I'm going back to the good ol' instruction manual to pick up new moves that I should have been using all along but wasn't – like knocking the ball forward slightly with a flick of the right analog stick or performing a dummy run by holding R1.
Sure I could get by without them, and have for years, but why not use everything the game has to offer? I'm talking audibles (offensive and defensive), hot routes, DB matchups, etc. in football. After all, the developers didn't just put them in there for looks. There are definitely situations where you're are supposed to avail yourself of these normally advanced options.
Furthermore, it's not just a matter of knowing the controls, it can be like getting a different kind of game experience. I think of this like it's a second-playthrough of a title I've already beat, only this time I'm playing it with a different character class. Sure, the basics are the same, but to really get the most out of the game, you can't just approach playing with a mage like you would a fighter, for instance.
So, next time you're playing your favorite sports title for the umpteenth time, take a few minutes and crack open that dusty instruction manual, you might learn a few new tricks like I have.