I’ve admitted before, in my introduction post I believe, that I was quite a late bloomer when it came to gaming. Sure, I played on my Dad’s PS1 and I tried my hand at WOW a couple of times but really I wouldn’t have called myself a gamer.

That was until my old work friend James introduced me to the Mass Effect series, while I was living in Northampton for uni. He actually purchased the game for me as a Secret Santa present (which was very naughty and well outside the £5 budget) and I went home and played it on my ex boyfriend’s PS3.

I instantly fell in love with this whole new world (cue Aladdin soundtrack) and my sassy Fem Shep who had already been through a lot but was still feisty after being reconstructed.

The PS3 games in that small room at University were the usual guy games, FIFA and Call of Duty. So I asked my friend James what other games I should play. Being a PC gamer he recommend his favourite FPS, which was Bioshock. I instantly went down to CEX and picked up a copy.

Bioshock completely changed my outlook on gaming. That sounds dramatic but it was such an immersive game, with a story line that presented me with moral choices and a setting that left me in awe of the minds of the developers and writers at 2K as well as a thirst to play more.

When I discovered Atlas was actually working against me, the intense feelings this instigated told me that gaming was something special, I was a part of the story. And with each blow I granted to Andrew Ryan’s head, as morbid as it sounds, I couldn’t wait to play more games. Couldn’t wait to experience more stories.

I finished Bioshock swiftly, and moved onto Bioshock 2. I’m going to be controversial and say that it is actually my favourite in the series. The hacking is infinitely easier and playing as a Big Daddy is much more fun. I also love the Big Sister elements, with boss fights that felt challenging without defeating me every five minutes.

From Bioshock 2 I moved onto Dragon Age, a different format in gaming but a game that has had an influence on my preferences since. Created by Bioware it felt like I was reliving my Mass Effect excitement again but with added Alistair (aka the dreamboat) and a Mabari warhound in my party.

I’ve tackled all the Lara Crofts and the Tomb Raiders now, I’ve caught up on the Batmans and I’ve even indulged in some Half Life 2 and Portal. My gaming experience is well rounded now, albeit a little late.

Okay I’m not playing Gary’s Mod online or pre ordering a Pipboy edition of Fallout, I don’t know all the names of the characters on Mortal Kombat and I couldn’t effectively contribute to an online game of COD to save my life, but I’m having fun.

I thought I’d simply share this with you today just to say it’s not too late to pick up a controller and have some fun. Replay the same stories, unlock every quest, forget about your job and your adult responsibilities while you hack something to death, gaming is about taking some time to play as someone new. Each time you switch on that PS3/4/XBox/PC you are adopting a new face and experiencing a new world.

Jade