Chapter 5

How can I get better at competitive games?

Gathering information from forums? Collecting powerful paid items? Well, those are the basics. Basics are important, but they are just the starting point.

Training your reflexes and spatial recognition? It’s a long-term project, but it might be effective depending on the game. However, I don’t think I can beat the younger generation with my reflexes at this age.

Back in my student days, I once participated in a fighting game event and made it to the semi-finals of the regional tournament.

At the time, I was invincible at the local arcade. My opponent, who had slightly twisted the situation, said that the one who invests the most in the game wins.

I thought he was talking nonsense back then, but now I can understand to some extent. The more you play, the more you get used to the controls, and the more opponents you face, the bigger the advantage you gain.

In my case, I only play one-on-one battles once a day, if that. Thinking I could win against someone who plays dozens of matches every day was overly optimistic.

Everyone is investing their precious time and money. Those who have money and time have an advantage, and that’s just the way it is.

It’s only natural that I would be at a disadvantage if I tried to compete on the same level without money or time. In this case, I should give up on one-on-one battles for a while.

First, I should aim to clear the game against the CPU up to the final boss. I often hear that no matter how much you master CPU battles, it won’t make you strong in player battles, but it’s true that CPU battles are more convenient for improving your control. In "Guardian Troopers," the control freedom is incredibly high. Being able to control the Links like your own body before getting used to the mind games in player battles will not be a waste.

With that decided, I should start with the Sagittarius boss in Stage 5. I can’t shoot. How can I bring it to close combat? Can I survive its saturation attacks with dodges and parries?

There are limits to boost dashes. If they overheat, you can’t use them for a while. The Links are fast, but can I dodge its beams just by running?

I think it might be possible if I can use the wire anchor as I please. Combining it with boost dashes, which are a different type of movement, allows for maneuvers that are usually impossible. The wire anchor is especially excellent for emergency braking, and I’ve already succeeded multiple times against multi-legged warships.

The problem is that I need to free my arms to fire the wire anchor.

The X-Carver, being specialized equipment, fits perfectly on the Links’ back rack. However, if I carry the sword on my back, I can’t parry enemy bullets, which is a problem.

There is a solution. I just need to fix the sword to the rack for a moment when I fire the wire anchor.

However, it’s extremely difficult to attach a heavy sword to the back rack while performing evasive maneuvers.

Wait a minute? I don’t need to put the sword on my back every time. Can I just let go of the handle for a moment and quickly grab it again?

I tried it with an umbrella instead of a sword, and it worked. If I can do it, it should theoretically be possible for the humanoid Links. The only way to find out is to practice.

First, I’ll train with the Buster Sword in Stage 1. I’ll throw the sword up, quickly fire the wire anchor, and catch the falling sword.

After several failures, I managed to succeed, but it’s far from being usable in a real battle.

I realized that the wire anchor is very convenient for picking up dropped swords. When you put the released equipment in the anchor’s reticle circle, it locks on automatically. It seems that retrieving thrown weapons is the original purpose of the wire anchor.

This is really a game with high freedom. As expected, you can do a lot with a bit of ingenuity.

If I don’t worry about the clear time bonus, I can practice for 10 minutes in Stage 1. Training, training. I’ll keep training until I can juggle with the sword.