Just press the f****** X button!

We’ve all been there. It’s been the holiday season, the majority of us can’t even leave the house due to the weather, so what do you do? Game, and game and then maybe some co-op games to ease the cabin fever. Unfortunately, this appears to be the modern day family yelling at each over Monopoly. Sitting around your console of choice playing co-op games with your loved ones may seem like a lovely way to spend the time but in reality this is my gaming rage conduit.

As mentioned by Walter, gaming rage is a common thing, but most people expose this side of themselves in multiplayer mode, yelling obscenities at complete strangers… not me.

I think it’s worth mentioning that in my general gaming life I am one of those annoying people who plays solo player games with a zen like calm, rarely broken and got back to quickly. I waltz through games with a smile on my face, generally knowing what to do and where to go with very little stress. In multiplayer competitions… well, most of you know that I make things a tad too competitive, but it’s all good-hearted fun at the end of the day (btw I will beat you at the next meet Darach!).

As unnecessary as it is to abuse people you don’t know, my rage comes from playing with people of different skill levels to my own. Part of the last week has been spent FINALLY getting those previously glitched multiplayer achievements in Fairytale Fights and fighting the urge to scream at those kind enough to aid me in getting the achievements. My mind starts going into overdrive and all I want to do is stand up, stomp my feet and scream “It’s obvious, why do I have to tell you what to do? And as for your other question, I told you the controls twice already!”. Simply put, when I play co-op with anyone not on par with me I want to take the weapons out of the game and beat them over the head with them even if they are still only an inch big. Not great for family and friend relationships.

So, this is a shout out to all those partners or friends out there that will gladly give us a hand, even if they really can’t match our skill levels. Some people may want to rip the controller out of their hands and play both players themselves (being ambidextrous is a plus here) but at the end of the day they are there to help us when no one else can be bothered. I won’t make a resolution to be kinder to the more n00b end of the spectrum because I know I will break it when the games begin, but at least I can accept I have a problem, and that’s the first step to recovery, right?