Always check the settings menu first

We've lost count of the reviews where our first fix for a rough experience was buried in the settings. It's the first place we look now, and it should be yours too.

Graphics presets are the obvious one, but the useful stuff is often hidden deeper. Frame rate caps, input sensitivity, control remapping, and toggles for camera shake or blur can transform how a game feels.

Sensitivity in particular changes everything for racers and action games. The default is a compromise for the average player, not for you. Spend a few laps or a fight tweaking it and you'll rarely go back.

Audio matters too. Separate sliders for music and effects let you keep the useful sound cues while turning down a soundtrack you've heard a thousand times.

Two minutes in the menu before you judge a game. That's the whole tip, and it's saved us from writing off titles that were actually good.