Is it just me...

[lain of the wired]

^I kinda got that feeling too. Problem is, I want them to be real people, so I'm biased. Like krist. said a page/year or so ago, they're most likely representational of Dahlia, the towering, hateful mother figure. I'm not sure there was ever any physical abuse to warrant such frightful arms like that, so it's probably meant to be distortion of the loving mother's embrace, as those same arms crush you to death instead.

Same deal with the mandolins, only I like to describe it as representative of the WORST HAND JOB EVAR.

[The Adversary]

I think the most important part of the Closers is their arms, though not for what people tend to see. If you'll notice, they have exaggerated slits up their arms, as though they've attempted suicide.

. . . like how Alessa wanted nothing more than to die.

Back when those first four screenshots were introduced in '03, I assumed the story would involve suicide, in part b/c of the cuts up the Closer's arms, and b/c Heather wears thick, orange wristbands, as if to conceal something.

Turns out, to an extent, I was right: The game is about suicide, after all.

[Cyrus]

Those enemies are supposed to be quite feminine in terms of appearance, save for the Split heads and the Insane cancers. The game strongly suggests the power of women, and the weaker side of men, as we see that Douglas, Vincent and Harry pretty much gets stripped of their power in the game.

[Aric - The Reaper]

Take a look here:

http://translatedmemories.com/bookpgs/P ... eature.jpg

Translated Memories helps with the monsters and some of their meanings

[Kerrigan]

I think that, besides the obvious hints towards suicidal tendencies, the slash marks are supposed to be covering up the Kanji characters that are engraved on the Closers.

The Kanji is supposedly related to Lotus Sutra. The characters written on the Closer are there in order to keep an unrest spirit or foul emotion dwelling within the Closer at peace. However, the characters have been violently slashed away, and it basically renders the effect useless.

Notably, the teachings of the Lotus Sutra are also pretty closely tied with the concept of rebirth.

[The Adversary]

The kanji reads . . . "closer." Oddly enough.

[Kerrigan]

How apt. Touché, Ito.