Combat Fatigue

The loss of engagement that occurs when combat encounters become so frequent or homogeneous that they stop registering as meaningful events and become obstacles rather than experiences.

In games, this means

An action RPG where every corridor contains identical enemy groups fighting identically produces combat fatigue regardless of how well-designed the individual combat system is. The encounters stop being read as challenges and start being read as delays. The fix is pacing, deliberate empty space between encounters, varied enemy compositions, and environmental factors that make otherwise similar fights feel distinct.