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Tom Bissell reviews Spec Ops: The Line and explores the reasons why we play shooter games. - Grantland

We've arrived in a strange emotional clime when our popular entertainment frequently depicts torture as briskly effective rather than literally the worst thing one human being can do to another — yea verily, worse even than killing. Inflicting pain and suffering on a captive human being because one person feels like it and the other can't stop it … is this not what we're told awaits sinners in hell? Is this not the domain of Satan?

8:00 AM Jul 12 2012

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ifindkarmagbolcerwumi

It is, but maybe that's why video games exist.

To give us the catharsis of such scenarios. Like horror movies or dark graphic novels.

10:22 PM Aug 21 2012

Props Given By:

wumi

Give catharsis or give us calluses?

8:36 AM Aug 22 2012

is there a line of departure from one to the other?

8:36 AM Aug 22 2012

I think that calluses are on the path to catharsis. :)

3:43 PM Aug 22 2012

Props Given By:

JaredSperli

interesting

4:20 PM Aug 22 2012

Props Given By:

ifindkarma

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