How to Beat any Video Game Ever Made

Bio

A little about the videogame guru himself. I’ve been playing video games since I was 9 years old, I have beaten Super Mario Bros. 1 to some of the more current games such as Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition, Odin Sphere Lefthrasir to Resident Evil 3 Remake. In the time that I have been playing video games, I have mastered many techniques and strategies that most other gamers have not.

An example of this is the Electric Seeker Slam, a technique I developed after being awarded the Sith Seeker ability in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS2); press?Square x 3, Triangle x 2 and Circle.

I have made it so that any game I play is played with the best of strategies, I have written my own game guide so as you can probably imagine that I am quite adept at games; I’ve even mastered the Issen techniques in Onimusha 3: Demon Siege. Many gamers ask the question ‘why is this game so hard?’, when it is more like ‘what can I do more effectively to beat this game?’

Although my video gaming skill is innate, I have ducked and dodged my share of fireballs so to speak; the more I played games, the better I got. Video games are fun to play and the strategies make you think outside the box, my advice in this eBook will help you do the same thing; I did not become a pro-overnight, I had to work hard to get good at gaming. The advice in this eBook will teach you what I learned over the last 31 years of gaming.

The Basics

Beating any video game might seem like simplicity itself, but there is one basic rule to follow before you begin your walk on the path to greatness in video games. As any good video gamer knows, the game controller is THE tool to master before actually getting started playing or striving to beat any game.

Press the buttons and get to know where they are really well, some games will require that you tap or hit those buttons on a moment’s notice. For example, let’s say that you have a Tank Bot that is dead set on shooting rockets at you until you die in Ratchet and Clank 3.?Pressing and Holding R2 or L2 + Left Analog Stick forward and X then Circle?will allow Ratchet to not just strafe but fire his gun at the Tank Bot as well as dodge the Tank Bot’s fire.

The directional buttons on the controller do more than just help you dodge certain attacks, the directional pad in some games actually allow you to switch weapons instantly so as to ensure that you are not losing momentum when you are trying to kill your enemy (ies). Max Payne, Max Payne 2 & Grand Theft Auto V are shining examples of this, using the directional pad will allow you to switch weapons either when you run out of bullets for one or want to switch weapons; mastering this can take your versatility to the next level.

The directional pad is used to move characters in some games. For example, Akuji the Heartless; the directional pad is instrumental in moving Akuji from one direction to the next, so it becomes necessary to work on getting to know the directional or D-pad. Although it might not seem necessary to really use the directional pad on the controller, it is still an integral part of the controller which requires as much attention as the Analog Stick buttons.

Mastering the directional pad is king if you’re going to beat any video game that you play, the main idea is that learning how to do this now might end up saving a life; ask Lara in Rise of the Tomb Raider.

The top buttons on the controller the?R1, R2, L1?and?L2?buttons all have their role to play in certain games; those buttons can do anything from weapon change to strafing to crouching. Revisiting Rise of the Tomb Raider:?R2?allows Lara to shoot whatever weapon she has while?L2?allows her to lock on to her target so she can take them out. God of War II puts a finer point on the top buttons on the controller, pressing?L1?after obtaining the Golden Fleece, will allow you to block your enemy’s attacks and counter with your own using Square button.

R2?and?L2?can help Mega Man call Rush quickly in Mega Man 4 and 5 on the Mega Man Anniversary Collection for the PS2, just press?L2?or?R2?and press the corresponding button to summon Rush which, if I’m not mistaken, is?Square.

God of War (PS4) is another example of the use of the?R2?and?L2, the latter enables Kratos to aim his axe at enemies,?R2?allows him to use heavy attacks to deal lethal damage to his enemies; this can also be used to examine certain readable items such as notes or inscriptions on doors such as in God of War games from the past like God of War II.

Now the nitty gritty, the 4 main buttons that will propel you to video gaming greatness is learning the functions of the?Square, Triangle, Circle?and?X?buttons. It can hardly be argued that these buttons are the most important on the controller which they are, but if you cannot use these buttons along with one of the other top buttons or directional buttons then you will not be able to beat any video game.

As far as the 4 main buttons, they can be used in combination with the top buttons or the directional buttons to perform specific moves in games such as Ghost Rider and using moves such as the Fist Dive which is done by pressing?R1, Square, R1?and?Triangle. Using a move like the Plasma Shotgun which is done by?Triangle, Square, Triangle?and?Square. It is imperative to learn to use all 16 buttons, it is the only way you will play and beat every video game.

Playing to a Character’s Strength

This aspect is the most important lesson that you will ever learn, playing to a character’s strengths will often times save you from dying and you’ll be able to save life energy needed to get past other stages in the game.

For instance, in Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, there are enemies on certain planets that only Cal can get the upper hand on by using his time slow force ability like the Nightbrothers on Dathomir. By pressing?R1, Cal will slow down all enemies. This includes their attacks as well like force slowing a blaster bolt, so you don’t get hit.

Another game where this knowledge is king is in Wild Arms 5, Greg Russellberg’s special ability allows him to go into instant guard mode after he attacks whether he attacks one time or several; this would come in handy when you are trying to keep him on the field for a boss fight or need him to run interference in a boss fight.

Chrono Trigger as well as Chrono Cross are games that allows many players to use characters based on their strengths and abilities, using Frog or Marle in the Ocean Palace because their watery powers are needed. The level requires that the player brings one character of a specific element in order to destroy the elemental enemies there. Using Ice or Water on the blue scouters will destroy them and save you from taking unnecessary water damage, it is easy to use another character with an opposing element, but it is not a wise thing to do.

Chrono Cross is another example of this lesson, characters of an innate color can use their innate color abilities and elements to change the field effect or inflict mass damage on an enemy of the opposite innate color. Using an innate blue character on a Lava Boy in the cavern of Mt. Pyre.

Bringing an innate blue character here will be immensely helpful, playing to the blue characters’ strength will absolutely put a stop to a lot of fire damage not to mention inflict mass damage using the innate blue characters’ innate powers. Some characters in the game come with attack power bonuses that can and will give them a forceful edge in battle which is also useful.

Once upon a time, I did not see the point in using certain characters either because they were too weak or did not have the kind of power that I needed to get the job done whatever it was. However, the hardest lesson that I ever learned was to use certain characters for certain parts in a game.

Every gamer has that one character who they depend on to dominate, but that one character is not an all-purpose one; it becomes necessary to use different characters so you can assess their abilities and strengths.

In some games, playing to a characters’ strengths is the only way to not just survive battles, but gain the upper hand in a battle. Dragon Quest XI is one such game, each character has a unique ability that makes them valuable against the forces of evil. For instance, Veronica and Serena have the power to heal and devastate.

However, the difference between them is that Serena is more focused on healing which becomes a primary asset in battle especially in later levels such as in Drustan’s Trials. Veronica can heal and use powerful spells like Magic Burst to destroy everything on screen so the other characters can catch their breath and heal also. Boss battles are Serena’s bread and butter because she learns Omniheal which goes a long way in drawn out battles such as one with Mordegon.

There are some games that gives gamers the ability to not just play to a characters’ strength but use something or use a power that will allow them to use the strength and power of that item to heal, destroy enemies as well as exploit an enemy’s weakness. For example, In Final Fantasy IX, gamers can use Steiner’s Shock ability to make quick work of the Hecteyes and Shell Dragon enemies since they have attacks that can heavily damage the party.

Steiner’s Shock is practically an instant death sentence for most of the enemies in Pandemonium so using him there will be to the gamer’s benefit, I have. Vivi is another example, his Osmose ability allows him to use magic infinitely, a strength you should definitely abuse.

Learning Combos

In certain games, learning combos is going to be essentially one of the most important things to do in some games because many of a characters’ upgrades will come from learning combos; it is practically the backbone in certain games. Ben 10: Protector of Earth and Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction are two such games where learning combos are going to be the difference between smacking down your enemy or the enemies killing you a thousand times.

There were times in the past and in some games where I did not see the importance of using combos to destroy my enemies, but after I experimented with it in games like Prince of Persia 3: The Two Thrones, I gained a new respect for learning combos in some games as well as how they can help you stay alive.

It is not important how much a combo or combos should be used, it is okay to use it on and off again, but what is important is that you learn combos. There are fighting games where learning combos are important, but gamers are likely to run across them in action/adventure and fighting games where they are the most commonly found.

Revisiting Prince of Persia 3: The Two Thrones, there are times in the game where learning combos is the only way to survive, but the additional benefit to doing this lies in the amount of sand tokens that you get based on how you kill your enemies as well as with the combos that you use.

Learning combos can also be fun and amusing, I have created more than a few of my own in games; it has helped me beat many of my games. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow on PS3 is a great example of this, using moves like the Circular Chain — Square, Square and Triangle, will allow you to deal damage on top of damage destroying that enemy in a few hits.

If you were to use the move, Chain Barrier — Press and Hold Triangle to use, you can shield yourself and deal damage to your enemy. This move gets better when you combine it with Light Magic, you’ll restore a lot of your life while decreasing the life force of your enemy.

Learning combos is central to beating any video game because a game can appeal to a gamer and learning combos can be the only thing that will stop an enemy in their tracks, an example of this is Devil May Cry 5.

Nero has combos that he can access using the various weapons that he has at his disposal such as the?Combo called Overture which consists of the Battery, High Roller, Roulette Spin moves.?

This not only lethally damages enemies surrounding you but can also kill enemies as well; this move only becomes available at the start of the game and it will be used at different points in the game such as breaking a combo the concentration of enemies and enemy groups.

Learning combos in Devil May Cry 4 such as the?Million Stab,?press Triangle x 3, is central to beating the game. Although learning and mastering all of the combos in games that have them might seem ideal, a good idea actually; it’s not required to beat that game.

There have been games made just for the sole purpose of using combos such as in Phantasy Star IV, learning combos such as?Destruction-Deban, Megid, Legeon and Positron Bolt;?learning combos in the game is the greatest experience that a gamer will have.

While it might be ideal to ignore or put off learning combos in games, this is something that you should never do because doing the finger work or button mashing that is required to pull off those combos is both rewarding and lifesaving.

Revisiting Ghost Rider, the combo?Backdraft-Triangle x 2, Square x 2, is one combo that’ll send out a fire wave instantly damaging all enemies near you; learning this combo will be ideal when you encounter the death ninjas on Stage 11 onward.

Noctis’s Armiger is a combo-wonderland so to speak, these extraordinary moves require precise timing. Here’s how to pull each off.

1. Armiger Storm — Circle x 2 and Triangle, press Triangle as circle vanishes.

2. Armiger Assault — Circle x 3 and Triangle, press Triangle as Noctis takes steps back

3. Armiger Vortex — Circle x 4 and Triangle, press Triangle as Noctis perform his landing

4. Armiger Barrage — Circle x 2 in the air and Triangle, press Triangle as Noctis finishes his attack

5. Armiger Onslaught — Circle x 4 in the air and Triangle, press Triangle as Noctis finishes his attack

Learning combos can be a time-consuming task, but it is one of the keys to unlocking the door to your enemy’s demise; it is something that you must learn in order to beat any video game. You cannot beat any game without learning this.

Making the Senseless make Sense

RPGs or Role-Playing Games have been known to tell gamers something one minute and make the gamer try to figure out what someone or something was saying the next such as clues to get to a particular place or looking for someone. Learning to read between the lines is another aspect of beating any video game, there are gamers, myself included, who are into RPGs where this sort of thing happens.

Chrono Cross is a game that will give players the option of auto-allocating elements to their grid, some of these status-depreciating and raising elements might not seem useful. However, making the senseless make sense comes into play here, having those elements on hand such as?Physnegate, EagleEye, Weakminded and Numble?can prove useful in battles against enemies of that element or an opposite element.

Chrono Trigger also has this in common, the party is sent back to 65,000,000 B.C. after their first visit to Zeal Kingdom in the year 12,000 B.C, with almost no direction about what to do next besides the clue that Gaspar gives them.

Making the senseless make sense in some games is important in the aspect that it alleviates the gamer from walking around for hours trying to figure out what to do next.

Essentially, learning this particular skill will practically strengthen your gaming sense because some games really do leave the player to figure it on their own or some aspects of the game expect the player to find something on obscure clues.

Akuji: The Heartless does this well. You’ll see a Loa stone receptacle inside of the building at the beginning of the Gehenna level and the first thing to come to the gamer’s mind is finding the Loa stone, that stone receptacle can provide a clue about something else of value in the level; normally nearby.

Making the senseless make sense is a valuable skill that will literally save you time and a massive headache from running around for hours trying to get a clue.

In certain games on certain levels, making the senseless make sense is not needed so much to find a particular item, but to make sense of something that lies within that level. Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier is an example of this, you will encounter Precursor Idols that are littered about the area and you will wonder why those are there; are they there for decoration or for another reason?

Now, it might not make much sense to even pay those Precursor Idols any attention considering that they are sitting all on their lonesome, but it is for that very reason why you should pay attention to them and it’ll make sense why when you do.

Making the senseless make sense isn’t so much as making time to investigate every single little thing in a game or in certain games, it is trying to discover the hidden meaning behind why something or an item is in one place that it ordinarily would not be.

Learning how to make the senseless make sense is an ability that you must master in order to beat any video game because some items or hidden levels on some games can only be found by reading between the lines, discovering that secret will reveal either a power to destroy your enemies or an item or an upgrade to a weapon that will make destroy the masses easier.

The Chocobo Hot and Cold game in Final Fantasy IX brings the point home that doing this side quest might not make sense and could lead some gamers to question why this side quest is so important or if it is even relevant.

This is another situation where making the senseless make sense will be needed to examine why this side quest is important, discovering that will lead you to powerful rewards such as weapons, armor, and other accessories that you would not acquire until mid-late game.

It is important to pay attention to certain things in games that come off as senseless or pointless at first because making the senseless make sense will keep you from missing out on untold power or powerful items that will make you stronger in the long run.

Search Far and Wide

Many times in RPGs and in Action/Adventure games, there are items scattered about in various locations either on the overworld map, dungeon area or both. Ten times out of ten, you’ll need to find those items before finding them becomes a priority which brings me to the concept of Search Far and Wide.

Games such as Wild Arms 5, Sly Cooper, Drakan: The Ancients’ Gate and Devil May Cry requires that you search far and wide to find things that are needed to beat the game. For example, take the collectibles sidequests in Spiderman PS4; you need to find certain collectibles in order to get an item of great importance to beat the game which is a new suit.

Wild Arms 5 has this in common as well, items on the overworld map are hidden from prying eyes but pressing the Square button to use the ‘Searcher’ will reveal a treasure chest if you’re in the right location.

Searching far and wide is a mandatory skill to master if you’re going to beat any video game, gone are the days where you could survive on very little protection and not get killed; not having stronger weapons or accessories will ultimately be your undoing in today’s games. There are places in games where these items are hidden and searching for them is required in order to stay the unwashed masses.

When I played Final Fantasy IX for the first time, I did not believe that searching far and wide for the various items in the game levels were important; I didn’t think it mattered. I found out differently when I fought Gizamaluke in his grotto and I kept getting killed. It is important that you take the time and search for items, it might not seem significant in the moment, but you find out differently when one of those ‘important’ items end up saving your life.

This is one of the hardest lessons to learn, many gamers want to rush through a game with as little as possible; rushing only leads to missed items and lost lives.

Another aspect of searching far and wide for items as well as other treasures is the benefit of battle, enemies attacking you while you’re searching for these items. This is not necessarily a bad thing; you can get stronger while searching for the items that will make you more so.

Searching far and wide will help you on your path to beating any video game because no gamer can beat a game without good equipment especially if the equipment in question has special abilities that it grants the user.

The Founder King’s Sigil. This invaluable item, when found at the Founder King’s Statue practically on the doorstep of the Keycatrich Ruins, will give you a powerful advantage when you’re trying to get the drop on your enemy or just need some extra kick that will turn the odds in your favor. Blasphemous is another example of this, the prayers you search and find will become in dealing with your enemies.

Sometimes, searching far and wide will lead to other things such as hidden passages on certain levels in certain games, Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters backs this. In the game, using your ring’s powers will unearth secret passages, paying attention is the key. Some secrets you don’t need to search for. However, it is searching for those secrets that will lead you to some great powerups which would be needed to accomplish your endgame goal.

Games like Blade for the Playstation has gamers searching far and wide for the various weapons in the game, there are also glyphs of the various vampires in the House of Erebus that gives the gamer clues on how to beat that particular vampire; searching far and wide for those is paramount in beating that game.

Almost every game has the gamer searching far and wide for something that they need to progress in that game, I cannot stress the importance of searching far and wide for things in games; it is the only way you’re going to beat that game. The smallest thing that might not seem important to find is usually the most important. Remember that always!

Some games require you to give a little something to get something of equal value, Uncharted Lost Legacy is a fine example of this. On Chapter 4, you’ll have the option of finding eleven medallions scattered across the Western Gnats area. Make it your life’s work to find them and you’ll pointed an item that’ll allow you find treasures easily, your controller will tell the tale.

Never underestimate the hard work that goes into searching far and wide for a particular something or anything, you never know when that search will be critical to your entire playthrough of a game.

Sometimes you don’t always know what you’re searching for, but will know, most times, when you find it. Never dismiss the fact that your search for something isn’t necessary, it is if you want to beat that game.

Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment

In many games, gamers are granted several special abilities or techniques that can be used to get past a particular obstacle or ambush or kill your enemies. I’ve seen gamers only stick to one technique or that one power that they call their ‘big gun’.

The thing about big guns though, they sometimes fail. Gamers can beat any video game they touch by following this integral word of advice, don’t be afraid to experiment.

A lot of times, we gamers stick to the things and powers that we know will get the job done in the games we play. However, sticking to your regular guns and expecting the same result all the time will get old not to mention get you killed.

The Prosthetic Tools in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice can be used to ambush your enemies instead of you running up to them trying to kill them before being spotted, if you’re having trouble with a tough enemy, try poison. Experimenting in video games is paramount in beating any video game.

Any walkthrough can tell a gamer which weapon will kill a boss but experimenting in different games will often times give gamers a sense of satisfaction in that they made their own discoveries by experimenting and getting their own results be they good or bad.

There’s something that can be said about a versatile gamer, they not only end up beating any video game, they become legends among gamers. Experimenting in video games can be very beneficial and the gamer learns a lot in the process.

Many gamers have come to understand the strict rules involved with sticking with one method of attack or one method of destroying their enemies but experimenting will often times lead a gamer to better and easier ways of killing bosses.

Using the Boomerang Cutter on Launch Octopus in Mega Man X will not only cripple him, but it will also eliminate his ability to do his whirlpool attack which is handy if the gamer is having trouble trying to get away from and dodge his whirlpool attack.

Experimenting with the various Force Powers on the Felucians in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS2) can make dealing with them easier. Dark Rage is one of the ideal powers to use on them because it raises your attack power and breaks their blocks easily, using different guns in Dirge of Cerberus has been known to make the game more fun instead of using just the Cerberus.

There were times when I would play the game and experiment killing enemies using the different guns; I did this with the bosses as well. Nero, I experimented with taking him down using the Hydra and it really works wonders on him.

Getting by using one weapon or one move in a game will not give you mastery over that game, you will never beat that or any game if you are do not experiment and try different things. Video games are practically experiments themselves, they have been created for the sole purpose of making gamers think outside the box.

No gamer in the history of video games has ever became the best by sticking to one method, don’t be afraid to experiment with different weapons, techniques and spells to see what will or will not work.

Black (Ops) (PS2) is all about experimentation, learning which guns work on which enemies can often reveal weaknesses in that enemy; it can disrupt their strategy which is a definite plus when you’re trying to gain the upper hand. Experimenting is learning, so don’t be afraid to experiment; you’d be surprised at what you find.

Study Your Enemy’s Attack Pattern

Bosses in some games try to come off harder than they really are, but they are actually easy if you take the time and study your enemy’s attack pattern. Gigapede in Devil May Cry 3 is a shining example of this. Gigapede’s attacks are as follows, go through the room into one of the holes in the room, summon and launches purple electrical spheres that act as heat seekers if you’re near Gigapede or on top of him.

Studying Gigapede’s attack pattern will create an opening in his defense and allow you to attack him. F.Y.I. Cerberus’ Ice Age special move (Circle + Back on the Left Analog Stick and R1) will protect you from a majority of the electrical spheres. The point is by studying Gigapede’s attack pattern, you come out ahead and can save health.

Paying attention to your enemy’s attack pattern will allow you to actively counter any attack that they throw at you not to mention that it’ll allow you to dodge some of those attacks as well.

Battling Darth Vader in Star Wars the Force Unleashed PS3 is another prime example, when you fight him at the Death Star, he’ll use saber strikes making it hard to get in a decent hit. When he does that, use your Saber Slam combo, hold?circle to follow him up then press Square 3 times?to finish the combo.

Vitally, studying your enemy’s attack pattern is one of the most crucial skills you’ll ever learn and one you need to master in order to beat any video game. It is not enough to counter with your own moves without first knowing what your enemy’s attacks are.

Many of your enemy’s attacks can be dodged and allow you time to heal if needed, it is all about paying very close attention even if it might not seem as if the enemy is strong enough to deal heavy damage. A little becomes a lot that adds up very quickly. Remember that!

For example, when you fight Hercules in God of War III Remastered, you’ll have to pay close attention to the atmosphere. You’ll see him surrounded by skeletal cronies, but by focusing on dealing damage to him and using the Golden Fleece (L1 — to Parry just before getting hit, Argo’s Ram, Blades of Exile Lv.2) to counter his blows will open him up for attack and deal him some decent damage.

Studying your enemy’s attack pattern can keep you from burning through healing items and power in order to stay alive, take Cyber Errol in Jak 3; paying attention to his attack pattern will make it so that you do not take any damage from his attacks. For example, his attack pattern is as follows: throw bombs, unleash KG robots then detonator bot.

Studying his attack pattern, you’ll learn that he’ll throw bombs for a minute or two. Dodge those bombs then use one of your gun mods to destroy his KG bots then when they are dead, a detonator bot will materialize from the tube under Errol. Punch it to Errol and it’ll deal damage to him.

Some gamers might think that it is hard, but it really isn’t. Some bosses even draw you a map of their attack pattern. Some make it easy for you to memorize, all you have to do is pay attention.

I can’t stress enough how important this is when you’re trying to beat any video game, it pays to study your enemy’s attack pattern because it can be your saving grace when you’re low on health or need to survive just long enough to run them off so you can heal.

Many times, in many games, gamers have been caught with their pants down trying to come up with a plan on how to stall for time until the boss finishes his attack so they can effectively counter. It does not always have to be about waiting, you can interrupt some of the attacks by studying the boss’ attack pattern.

For example, a boss has two attacks and a healing period. Shaak Ti in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on PS2 supports my point. She’ll attack you until you reduce her health by a quarter then she’ll try to heal. This is the time when you should attack her because you’ll cancel her healing, and you won’t have to work hard trying to reduce her health again.

While it’s normal for a boss to switch up their attacks per round, you’re still obligated to study the pattern; it is the only way to size that boss up, take him down and conserve as much of your health as possible especially if that boss has a second form.

Fighting the Statue of Liberty in Ninja Gaiden Sigma II will turn you on to the fact that just because you drain the first meter doesn’t mean that you’re free to go, you’ll have to fight the second form of the monster. Using the Enma Fang will allow you deal the damage you need to topple the monstrosity.

Get Familiar with the Elements

A piece of advice that not every gamer heed, this is one of the best and easiest ways to annihilate your enemies. If there was any advice to heed on how to beat any video game, get familiar with the elements. A lot of times, enemies will not only die but will take critical damage from a particular element and knowing which element works on which enemies goes a long way.

Incidentally, simple logic will tell you exactly what element destroys which enemy, it does not take a lot to put two and two together. In Final Fantasy IX, you’ll face a boss named Kraken at Memoria.

Kraken is allergic i.e. has a weakness to lightning seeing as how he is a water monster. Water is a lightning conductor, so you have to figure, if the boss or enemy is harnessing the element of water then using lightning or even fire (sometimes) is the way to defeat them.

Ben 10: Protector of Earth also supports this. Any botanist knows that plants will not only die if you freeze them or if they are left out in the cold; they will also die when they are set fire to. In the battle with Snapdragon, Heatblast will be the alien that seals Snapdragon’s fate considering that it is a plant. Heatblast is the alien to use against plant and animal enemies.

Gamers who’ve played and beaten Chrono Trigger are familiar with the Ocean Palace area in the year 12,000 B.C. The enemies there are allergic to specific elements, using that element against them will not only destroy them, but deal double damage.

It is important to take your enemy’s elemental weakness into account because it can be the difference between their survival and yours, there is no greater reason to familiarize yourself with the elements than exploiting your enemy’s weakness to a specific element.

Any game that is element heavy so to speak i.e. enemies with elemental weaknesses, exploit them; it doesn’t say not to.

In other games such as Ben 10: Alien Force, you’ll come across items in the background that, if you use an alien’s special ability, will reveal hidden areas. On the level A Few Bad Eggs, Ben will come across a part of the level where he’ll see a bunch of tree branches in the background.

Last I checked, tree branches can be burned so what does that tell you, a hidden area lies beyond those branches. Again, this is where paying attention to the elements is important, hidden areas often have items that will benefit the gamer greatly and most times, those items are the key to beating that game.

Don’t make the mistake of underestimating the practice of element exploitation when battling your enemies, you’ll make your job of beating that game much harder and you’ll find yourself fighting the same battle multiple times. Balam from Wild Arms 5 supports the logic that gamers who fail to pay attention to elemental exposure will pay with their lives and pay dearly.

Balam is allergic to Water, he can only be dealt with using the Blast ability of the Sky Medium (magic); he will not take damage from the Sword Medium’s Crush ability because it counts as a physical attack i.e. Ice.

It is a little-known fact that familiarizing yourself with the elements is the only way to destroy enemies in some games, some enemies will only take heavy damage from elemental attacks such as the Scouters in the Ocean Palace in Chrono Trigger.

Many games rely on gamers to be able to not just familiarize themselves with the elements but be able to also strengthen those elemental attacks to deal even more damage.

Gamers can beat games all day long using only physical attacks and extraordinarily little elemental ability but using both of these is one of the best ways to beat any video game not to mention it makes the point that strategizing against certain enemies takes priority. Don’t make the mistake of not exploiting your enemy’s elemental weakness, it could undo you and your strategy.

Always Have an Effective Counterattack

A counterattack is just as good as any other first or opening attack, it is important to establish an effective counterattack early unless your enemy finds a way to undo your strategy thereby disrupting your attempt at a counterattack.

In games such as Yu-Gi-Oh Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution require that you set up an effective counterattack early because only then will you keep your enemy from turning the duel in their favor.

For example, you’re dueling a powerful duelist and they summon their ace monster to render you helpless. Playing Sakuretsu Armor or Widespread Ruin to destroy your opponent’s monsters then you can counter with your own. Solemn Strike is another card to use as well.

Malevolent Catastrophe is another good card to use when your opponent attacks, the counterattack strategy lies in destroying their face down spell and traps.

Prince of Persia 3: The Two Thrones is another game where setting up an effective counterattack pays off, there’ll be times in the game where you’ll be doing more blocking than attacking especially against the sand archers in the Lower City Rooftops.

I cannot stress this enough, beating any video game means mastering and effectively devising an effective counterattack; backing off then running away to come up with a counterattack is not going to work.

Odin Sphere Leifthrasir knows what I’m talking about, slashing and cutting your way through your enemies will not work. If you’re surrounded then use an ability like Cornelius’ Caladbolg or Mercedes’ Brionac ultimate, you’ll have cleared a path for yourself and given yourself some breathing room which is also important when planning an effective counterattack.

It’s important to have an effective counterattack because many successful battles are won by effectively counterattacking your enemy.

Often times, a good counterattack might seem hard to do or effectively plan, but I assure you it’s not. A basic rule of thumb when effectively counterattacking is make sure that the counterattack in question deal heavy enough damage to your enemy so that it either knocks them out or kill them outright.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds has you blocking at times which can help open your enemies up to your counterattack, it is important to have one in this game or you may find yourself dying a lot.

Many of the enemies in Rygar: The Legendary Adventure come at Rygar in full force causing him to block their blows with little time to counter with his own, an effective counterattack will always tip the scales of battle in your favor.

Sphinx epitomizes the philosophy that an effective counterattack can deal damage and edge the enemy closer to death. When Sphinx use his lightning orb attack, slide under it using R1 + X then combo it until you’ve taken his life bar down.

Always having an effective counterattack will ensure that your enemy does not get the win, having an effective counterattack should always be priority one in any and every battle even if it doesn’t seem important at the time.

During the Defend the HQ from Attack in Jak 3, you’ll find yourself counterattacking a lot of the red ships that are dropping KG Bots and missiles on you. Your Light Shield (L2 + Circle) will keep you from taking damage from the missiles that will rain down on you, you can then counterattack using the Peace Maker; this ensures that your counterattack isn’t countered.

Always have an effective counterattack because your enemy might not always have an attack that can kill you, but it just might be enough to give them the edge that they need to win the battle which is something you don’t want. Developing an effective counterattack will make you an ace among gamers not to mention help you beat any video game.

Strategize

Commonly, gamers go through games using very little critical thinking ability and have gotten themselves killed a lot, I was one such gamer once upon a time. To beat any video game, you have to strategize.

More times than not, strategizing teaches you to think outside the box which is a necessary skill to master before you can call yourself a gaming genius. Rushing in with guns blazing in games such as Just Cause 3 and Grand Theft Auto V will not do you any good; it is not the way to beat any video game.

Take the Royal Arms in Final Fantasy XV, there’s a size to fit all. Meaning, every Royal Arm has a purpose. Did you know that the Bow of the Clever can be used to take down flying enemies? The Blade of the Mystic is an all-purpose sword that you can use to heavily damage your enemies if your regular sword isn’t getting the job.

Learning to strategize can help you beat any video game and topple bosses with minimal effort as well, it is a guiding light that is necessary to use in order to save yourself from many of the dark circumstances that you’ll come across in many games. Mega Man 11 is another game that comes to mind along with the Power and Speed Gear.

When a Robot Master uses the Speed Gear, you should activate your Speed Gear to counter so you can deal damage to your enemies and slow them down. Also, if you’re down to your last leg of health and if you press R1 and L1 together, you’ll be able to use the Ultimate Power of the Gear System which’ll give you both extra power and speed.

Max Payne 2 is a game where you’ll find that learning to strategize pays off, an example of this is on the level ‘In the Middle of Something’. You’ll come across some cleaners who are on the ground below you, you can be rid of them by throwing Molotovs and Grenades down at them; doing that now means that you will not have to deal with them later.

It pays to strategize in many games because you’ll stand a better chance of establishing a foothold on your enemies; the benefit to doing this could not be greater.

A good game will require you to strategize in order to beat that game, it is a matter of principle; brute force and rushing your enemy will not get the job done. Strategizing about how to stay alive in a game is a mandatory practice as well, learn how to do that and you can beat any challenge that any game you play throws at you.

Spyro the Dragon: A Hero’s Tail is one of those games that careful strategy in the name of survival will allow you to fight another day. Take Ineptune, she’ll submerge then laser firing pillars will emerge after you charge into the gem on her belt.

The key strategy to dodging those lasers is getting on top of one of the laser pillars and waiting until the lasers stop circling the arena, the lasers from the other pillars will not hit you.

Building a strategy to stay alive becomes king in some games and in those games, you have to strategize as if your life depended on it. The Dark Mutant in Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier requires that you strategize throughout the battle to survive his onslaught; you could find yourself dead in a matter of minutes not doing this. The monster is not only fast but is strong and its attacks are of a heavy nature.

The first thing you want to do is get some breathing room between you and the beast, your Eco Reflexes ability?(L2 + Triangle)?will do just that. The Dark Mutant’s attacks can leave you critically injured, your Eco Shield?(L2 + Circle)?will protect you from any damage you might take from its attacks while you retaliate with your own.

When you make strategizing an obligatory duty in any game you play, you’ll always come out on top; I can’t stress this enough as both a gamer and a professional. It’s worth taking the time to effectively strategize, the size and power of enemies and bosses can quickly overwhelm you. To put a fine point on this, take God of War Ascension’s own Amulet of Uroboros

The Amulet of Uroboros can be used to slow down enemies that are otherwise moving too fast, this is handy for the last areas of the game especially when dealing with the Amazonesses. Never mind the amulet can be used to repair and destroy things etc. The bad thing is that it doesn’t work on bosses.

Another particular strategy I’ve come up with is when you’re facing guys with RPGs in the Uncharted games, use the Sniper Rifle to undo them. Strategy goes a long way when planning your attacks and making sure they connect.

In Bloodstained Ritual of the Night, you’ll come across a myriad of powers. If you’re going to 100% the map then I suggest you seek out an enemy named Seeker, an eyeball of an enemy. Kill him until you get his special ability which’ll allow you to find hidden passages in every area of the game.

Play Your Trump Card Only When Necessary

When the term “trump card” is used, it is referring to a very lethal move which is an attack that deals a lot of damage. Trump Card can also be a transformation of sorts that will give certain characters access to advance moves, and special abilities which is used as a last-ditch effort to lessen damage or increase the damage their dealing to their enemies.

However, in such situations, it becomes necessary to use such means to destroy your enemies and preserve as much health as possible for the coming battles. But you should play your trump card only when necessary. Take Knight Blazer from Wild Arms 2.

While this is not completely mandatory to beat any video game, it does teach a lesson of dependence on one’s own power and intellect not to mention creative use of moves in that player’s current form.

For example, in God of War PS4, you’re given several opportunities to go Spartan Rage which comes in handy when you’re looking to get the upper hand; transforming will give you more power and allow you to regain health. Therefore, transforming becomes necessary, but it doesn’t hurt to see what you can do without your transformation.

When I play the game, I always transform if I’m getting beat too badly and when I need a power boost; I like relying on beating an enemy without any help. Sometimes, it makes me wonder, what would I do if I didn’t have access to this power at all; it’s critical thinking like that and the ability to improvise that makes you a great gamer such as myself.

It is not always necessary to play your trump card in battles, you’ll get in some battles where you brought too much power to the party and the night ended too quickly so to speak.

Playing your trump card only when necessary adds suspense and challenge to the game, if you can beat that game without the reliance on your trump card, you can beat any video game.

Darkwatch is a game that can help you identify know when and when not to play their trump card i.e. their light or dark powers after being transformed. Now, playing your trump card becomes necessary when you’re taking too much damage or are not dealing enough of your own; you’ll know when the time is right to use your trump card.

Most times, you’ll know when you need to use that power to get that extra boost. Take the Chain Lightning light power, this power is ideal to use only when you’re surrounded or need to take enemies out at a distance that you can’t quite make it to yet.

Or, how about the Holy Beast summoning in Rygar the Legendary Adventure, using it becomes necessary when you need to clear a path for yourself; using the Dynamite Launcher on the big Deadites when you get to Evil Dearborn in Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick.

Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t use your trump card at all or try to win without it or even ignore it, it’s okay to practice using your trump card so you’ll be able to use it when you need to.

In Devil May Cry 5, Dante’s Sin Devil Trigger is his strongest devil form ever not to mention the attacks are at the height of their power. Definitely give this form a whirl, but don’t pull it out until you’re facing off against a boss or a really tough enemy.?The Luce?is a good move to deal multiple points of damage to an enemy to edge them closer to death.

Play your trump card only when necessary and if you are somehow entertaining the fear of not getting to use it enough in games; trust me, your fear will be put to rest almost immediately especially if you play that game on a normal or hard difficulty.

There is no greater lesson to learn than saving your trump card for life and death situations in games, it has always been enough to turn the tide of a battle. Exercise your right to use that trump card to your advantage and in so doing, you’ll be able to beat any video game.

Make Special Abilities Readily Available

This is one of the most critical pieces of advice that every gamer should adhere to, make special abilities readily available; doing this yields more benefits than risks. A good gamer can make use of their characters’ special abilities when they become available to them, but a great gamer can make those special abilities readily available so they can be ready for any battle.

Anytime I replay Wild Arms 5, I do it because I love the game, but it puts a fine point on this topic. The Sword Medium can make Dean Stark’s special ability readily available and the only requirement is getting the Force meter to Lv.2, doing this will give Dean access to the Sonic Vision ability

The Sonic Vision ability, when a character uses it, guarantees a critical hit and seeing as how Dean’s special ability is double damage for all critical hits, this makes his special ability readily available especially during battles where elemental usage is forbidden.

Wild Arms 2 is another game that backs this logic. Ashley Winchester’s Knight Blazer transformation becomes available after he maxes out his Force meter which will then allow you to open the door to his “Access” which’ll transform him into Knight Blazer.

Ben 10 Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks is another game that supports the logic that unlocking a critical special ability early will give that alien a huge advantage such as Swampfire’s Flamethrower or Humungousaur’s Earthquake or how about Echo Echo’s Wall of Sound; making these special abilities readily available will make the game easier to play in some levels.

It is not always ideal to pass up one special ability in favor of another because every special ability is useful in its own right. Devil May Cry 2 is the game where gamers will get access to the Chrono Heart which will stop time when Dante devil triggers. Making this special ability readily available can give Dante that needed edge in battle not to mention that it will give you time to think about their next move.

Unlocking a critical special ability can take time and that cannot be helped but making it readily available will pay off when you are looking to beat that video game.

I like to revisit the Spiderman PS4, each suit has a special ability for every situation; just about. The Spiderman Noir suit is good for night-time missions not to mention that the suit’s special ability keeps criminals from calling for backup. This handy for those long warehouse missions.

The Negative Suit is another good one, good for crowd control and dealing damage to enemy waves. The Secret War Suit is something I recommend when you’re looking to give your enemies a good shock to the senses and disable them for a while, this suit has gotten me through a lot of tough missions.

Another good suit I recommend is the Spider Armor MK II, its special ability is handy if you’re taking too much damage from bullets. Don’t not activate it if you’re neck deep in criminal crap so to speak!

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is another example; Scylla is the boss of the Underground Caverns and using your arsenal of spells will make battling Scylla easier. Utilizing the Tetra Spirit and Hellfire powers will destroy Scylla, this also validates my point that learning these abilities early such as when you touch down in the Castle Entrance will give you creative ways to kill your enemies not to mention some bosses in the game.

Tetra Spirit — Press and Hold Up on the D-pad then rotate the D-pad half quarter circle + Attack button

Hellfire — Rotate the D-pad half quarter circle

Although some special abilities do require the use of magic or technique power in some games such as Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, it is still a good idea to do whatever you can to make that special ability readily available when you need it. For instance, in Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, I’ve found that having magic power readily available to use Jacques’ ice magic ability with his Hyosai on the Dark Spider ninjas will make killing them easier.

Some gamers should always make it their life’s work to make special abilities readily available, but that should not just be limited to innate power; it can also mean that of a special weapon as well. Resident Evil 4 is a fine example of this, getting a hold of the Shotgun early and using it to kill everything that moves might seem ideal.

However, your ammo is limited so it is best to save and use it on the chainsaw wielding psychos; at least until you get more ammo for it. The same goes for the Mine Thrower in the game, use it on shielded enemies and clustered enemy groups.

It’s not always easy to make special abilities and that of weapons readily available or use them when you want to but taking the time to make them readily available will pay off greatly when you’re in a bind; you can’t beat any video game without doing this.

Always Have a Healer

Have you ever played a game and wondered, I hardly used any of my healing items or didn’t have a lot of use for my healer; these thoughts have crossed my mind dozens of times in many games. In the past, I used to always use my brains and whatever access to power I had at my disposal without making effective use of a healer or a healer that have advanced healing powers.

So, my advice to you is this, always have a healer; you’d be surprised how long you last when a healer is on deck with the party. Shining Force I and II is a shining example of this, any RPG you play it is important to always have a healer.

Not that long ago, I did not see the point in always having a healer on my team in many battles; many of those battles that I fought was fought using three things: My video game genius, brute force and healing items.

There were times when I felt overly prideful at the thought of having a healer in my party because I thought it was an embarrassing non-necessity. But don’t make the same mistake I made several times in the past; always have a healer.

You may not always see the point in it or even in the logic of it, but trust me, it pays off divinely; never underestimate the power of a healer especially if they have halfway decent to above average fighting and spell power like Dagger and Eiko not to mention Amarant in Final Fantasy IX or Yuna in Final Fantasy X.

You’ll find that having a healer in the party has more benefits than risks, don’t make the mistake of letting your pride lead you to try to survive on healing items alone because you will not beat that video game or any other for that matter.

In the matter of the use of healing items themselves, make use of them in games where they are provided; games that don’t give you access to a healer. Never think that a skilled healer isn’t necessary, they work to keep you alive and they are an integral ingredient in beating any video game.

Conclusion

Many gamers, myself included, will swear up and down that much of the tips in this eBook might seem as if it is common knowledge. However, sometimes we gamers can use a reminder of some things that were once evident that isn’t now.

For example, using Jetray’s Tri-beam in Ben 10 Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks will keep enemies at bay and will destroy them. Of course, common knowledge doesn’t always mean that it is common to us gamers at that moment in time or while we’re playing that game.

The preservation of health in most games is absolute because there is always a bigger boss who sports more HP and attack power than your average enemy, it is the preservation of your resources that will help you win that battle. Holding onto your healing gourds in critical situations in Sekiro: The Shadows Die Twice will make your battles across every land a practical breeze.

Learning combos, strategizing and studying your enemy’s attack pattern will help you walk away from those battles a winner. These same techniques can be used to beat any video game, search far and wide for items whether they might or might not seem important; they’ll become important at some point during the adventure.

When you take the time to get familiar with the elements and experiment, you’ll find that beating any video game is not as hard a task as it seems; you cannot expect a game to hand everything to you which it won’t. The biggest thing though is, play to your character’s strengths and find a way to make the senseless make sense, you’ll be able to beat any video game easily; I have.

If you follow my advice and do everything, I say to you in this manual, you’ll be able to not just to rise to any challenge, but you’ll know how to beat any video game.