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So, after installing Battlefield 2, I assumed that it would be a repeat performance and imagined that I would be throwing the game back at Wil the next time I saw him, thanking him for a frustrating Saturday afternoon. But you know what they say about assuming and in this case it rang true. Despite not holding out much hope for an enjoyable gaming experience, that’s exactly what I got.

For a guy that usually plays Counter-Strike: Source, Battlefield 2 came as a bit of a shock to my system. Not only are the maps huge in comparison to CSS, but teamwork is the name of the game. Unfortunately, there never seems to be much team work going on in public servers, as Stuart pointed out in his review of Battlefield 2, but for some strange reason that just didn’t bother me today.

Kitting myself out as a Special Forces soldier, I set about doing as much damage as a covert and deadly one-man army can do. Since much of the game revolves around capturing flags from the enemy, sneaking up to an outpost and quietly disposing of the enemy troops guarding it proved far more effective than rolling up in an armoured personnel carrier and announcing to the world that you’re coming. I had this image in my head that I was Eric Bana’s Delta Force character in Black Hawk Down, slipping through the battle zone, unheard and unnoticed until it was too late.

And all the time I was playing, the only things I was thinking about were capturing the next outpost, or nailing that next kill. But the important thing wasn’t what I was thinking about, it was what I wasn’t thinking about. What I wasn’t thinking about were the things that usually worry me during every waking (sometimes non-waking) minute – deadlines, reviews to write, reviews to edit, articles to upload, press releases, press briefings, budgets etc. etc. etc.

The upshot of my marathon gaming session is that I actually felt more rested and refreshed at the end of it than I usually do after a full night’s sleep. Whereas before I started playing I felt too exhausted to sit down and write anything, as soon as I had shutdown the game I felt an urge to write, rather than an obligation.

So, the next time that your partner, parents, friends or whoever tries to tell you that playing games is a waste of time, don’t listen. Sometimes it’s exactly what you need to give your brain a rest and recharge those cerebral muscles so you can throw yourself back into the real world with renewed vigour.

Just remember not to get obsessed and end up spending all your time playing games, thus leaving no time for using that rested brain for anything else. Thankfully, I am very capable of moderating my gaming, so there’s no way that I’ll become an addicted, obsessive frag fiend. Now where was I? Oh yeah – BOOM headshot!

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