Silent Hill 2, autos-da-fé and representations of punishment

Abstract

Punishment as spectacle is a notion that dates back to the Baroque period, exemplified in the autos de fe. While serving a public function, the auto de fe also represented an internalized punishment or self-punishment as a form of atonement. In this paper, we explore the video game Silent Hill 2 through its representations of the auto de fe and the figures of punishment present in the game, constructed through the active intervention of the player-spectator. The construction of these representations and figures, as well as the user's interaction with them, can also express contemporary fears characteristic of North American and Japanese societies.