When playing a video game for the first time, the rush of excitement and adrenaline for each new concept in the game can tire out the Player quickly. In the case of repetition it's very easy to turn off the Player completely from any desire to continue.
This phenomenon is what I call Battle Fatigue. The name comes from something that Valve once said about Half-Life 2; they described how playtesters would feel weary of the constant combat, at which point Valve determined that it was time to place a puzzle to help with the pacing.
Half-Life 2 is now considered one of the greatest games ever made, so I think it's safe to assume Valve knew what they were doing (in that one particular instance, anyway). The concept isn't just a part of First Person Shooters though.
Any game that relies on variety of gameplay experiences to round out the game can fall prey to this. The easiest way to recognize Battle Fatigue is to compare your current performance with your previous gameplay performance.
If you feel that you are drastically worse than you used to be, it's possible you're suffering from Battle Fatigue. All that you need to do is take a break from the game to let your mind and body calm down before coming back to tackle it again.
This process helps to dispel any anger or frustration that might be clouding your ability to play. After retrying a game after a break, your mind can see things it overlooked before. Often, this will lead to different strategies, or refinement of previous ones, that can help you overcome your obstacle.
The important thing to remember here is to take a break every once in a while. Burning yourself out on a game is quick way to evaporate any positive feelings you have for the game.
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