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?

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.

Give catharsis or give us calluses?

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

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

interesting