Silent Hill 3

Building and Reconstructing Character: A Case Study of Silent Hill 3

This paper, by Petri Lankoski of the University of Tampere, examines how the player character Heather is constructed in Silent Hill 3, a 2003 survival horror game.

• Predefined functions such as cutscene dialogue and written monologue are the primary means by which Heather's nature is revealed in Silent Hill 3, while goals play only a minor role.
• Possible and impossible actions frequently reinforce the characterization conveyed by predefined functions, operating through the game's control design.
• The opening user guide, the playable nightmare sequence, and the first cutscenes are especially important for setting the player's interpretive expectations of the character.