Why do video games with plenty of killing help me relieve stress?

Suppressed anger: If you have a great deal of suppressed anger in your everyday life, playing violent video games could be an expression of this. In a way, it's like a relief valve. However, this does not address the everyday issues that might be getting you "steamed, " and there could come a point where killing video game characters will not suffice. It could help to review your situation for fixable issues.