Obsessive-compulsion - Dead Rising
Capcom | Xbox 360

Too many video games encourage obsessive-compulsive tendencies. More often than not, you've got to collect all the dongles, break all the crates or explore every square inch of ground for a game to have truly been "completed." Sometimes you'll get something cool for your efforts, but mostly it's about achieving imaginary perfection in an imaginary world.

If you obsessively hunch over games you're sick of in the hope of achieving "100.00%" and seeing the secret ending that's just like the regular ending except that Samus flares her nostrils slightly, it's time to stop. And Dead Rising could be your crucial first step.

On its surface, Dead Rising - which encourages multiple play-throughs in order to see and do everything - might seem like the ultimate obsessive-compulsive game. But a game that absolutely disallows players from doing and seeing everything the first time through is going to drive ultra-meticulous gamers nuts, and therein lies their salvation.

Above: Maybe you'll jump through all the hoops needed to get this gun, and maybe you won't. What does it matter, really?

See, it'll really bug you at first that you don't have the time or the skills to try on every outfit, collect every weapon or save every person. But if you stick with the game, you'll eventually learn to accept that. You're trapped in a mall with thousands of zombies, after all, so you've got more important things to worry about. Don't sweat the details. Learn the ropes. Remember that if you fail, you'll get a second chance eventually - if you even want it, that is.

Then, sooner or later, maybe you'll realize that it doesn't really matter how much of the game you see, so long as you have fun seeing it.