MyMMO editor Dariusz is a tryhard in every shooter, and the culprit is precisely the online mode of GTA 5.
I firmly believe that each of us has at least one game that has influenced our gaming career forever. For me, GTA V plays that special role. To this day, I prefer to play shooters, both PvE and PvP. But without GTA, I probably would have never become the tryhard I am today – and that’s despite the fact that GTA is not a classic shooter.
From Athlete to Part-Time Gamer
I was in about fourth grade when I played GTA San Andreas at a friend’s house on the PS2. I don’t remember exact years, but the game must have already been on the market for a few years by then. Up until that point, I was far from becoming a gamer and was only interested in sports. When I did game, it was only Pokémon and FIFA, before that it was Spyro.
In GTA San Andreas, we only did silly things, entered cheat codes vigorously, and zoomed around the map in flying cars. We had a lot of fun that day, but for me, it was a unique experience until then. It took 1-2 years until I accidentally found GTA San Andreas in a bargain bin at the supermarket. I recognized the game right away and soon after became a part-time gamer.
Whenever there were holidays, I would go to my older sister’s house and game all night on her boyfriend’s PC. After San Andreas, I checked out Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories. But eventually, this tradition faded away, and I focused more on my sports and the things teenagers tend to do.
GTA Created a Monster That Spends Too Much Time in Shooters
As a teenager, I looked at my school friends who had owned a PS3 for years or were gaming on expensive gaming PCs. Additionally, every channel was showing ads for the latest FIFA, and the trailer for GTA V was playing on repeat. A trailer that made me incredibly eager for this game. In the following months, I delivered flyers to save up for my first console: the PS4 – after all, I wanted to play GTA V, and at that time, buying a PS3 didn’t seem smart to me.
When I finally had the money, neither GTA V nor the latest FIFA were available for the PS4, and since I was impatient, I bought a bundle with Destiny 1. Admittedly, I couldn’t have cared less about Destiny at that time. The PS4 in the bundle was white, and it just looked so much better than the black consoles.
Destiny was my first first-person shooter. It took years for me to actually develop a real interest in Bungie’s title, but I enjoyed the gunplay and it showed me what was possible. I played through GTA V right away 2-3 times and eventually dove into the online mode.
Today, I estimate I have around 1,800 hours in GTA V online. A large part of that was pure grinding and earning money for the latest cars and properties. Another part was the races. However, I also played classic PvP for the first time in GTA Online. I wasn’t a griefer, but I liked to duel with griefers. I also played deathmatches and had sniper battles. In short: I really found joy in PvP, and soon GTA Online wouldn’t be enough.
The Downfall Began
Ultimately, GTA Online led me to two PvP shooters: Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 and Rainbow Six: Siege. The latter appealed to me much more due to its tactical depth. Moreover, there was and still is no aim-assist in Rainbow Six on consoles. That was my great strength because I realized that I found it much harder in CoD since veteran players had already mastered the CoD gameplay.
In Rainbow Six, everyone had to learn how to shoot with a stick without aim assistance. At that time, I was quite good at it because I preferred to fight with sniper rifles in GTA. They also have no aim-assist there. So it happened that I finished my first season way too well, considering it was my first real PvP shooter that I played. For me, it was already game over after the campaign in Destiny.
Due to the surprising success, my ambition was sparked, and with Rainbow Six: Siege, the downfall was complete. I spent over 3,500 hours in that shooter, reached the highest rank, and even played competitively at a low level. I enjoyed competing with other players and getting better. After Rainbow Six: Siege, I tackled numerous other shooters and also caught up on titles like Battlefield 4 or Titanfall 2. Eventually, I switched to a gaming PC and played games that aren’t available on consoles.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s Valorant, The Finals, or flops like Concord, today I play every shooter and want to win all the time. Based on that, I have come up with a series of tips for new shooters on MyMMO that will help you perform better in various titles: 5 tips on how to get better at every shooter without training
