11 Reasons Gaming Was Better When You Were Younger
8. Game Manuals That Were Worth Reading
Before publishers realised they could just put everything online or in-game, a manual told you all you needed to know before you dove in head first. Not only did it tell you how to play, it introduced you to your equipment, named your allies and warned you about your enemies. Above all of this a gaming booklet would sometimes even tell you some of the story and other titbits you might not discover in the game. Upon buying a new game there was no better way to spend the ride home than diving into the accompanying booklet and learning all you could before tackling the adventure. Upon doing this you would have a good idea what you were getting into and how to succeed, and this way the game didnt need to be preceded by a patronising 'tutorial' level and wouldnt have to hold your hand the whole way through with annoying prompts and intrusive text boxes. Like everything else in modern times instructions have been streamlined, when they used to be 20-30 pages long filled with exciting and useful information, they are now a flimsy sheet of shiny paper folded in two - if that.
