Shooting zombies and repelling aliens can lead to lasting improvement in mental skills.
Enjoy this Scientific America article outlining 20 years of research about the positive mental effects of action video games and their ability to far surpass brain trainers as cognative enhancement tools.
“The stereotype of the avid player of Call of Duty and other action games is of someone who is impulsive and easily distracted. These studies contradict this outdated preconception. Players who immerse themselves in the fast-paced events of digital fantasy worlds derive significant cognitive benefitsâ€.
Source
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/brain-tune-up-from-action-video-game-play
