This review contains spoilers
TLDR: There's no denying that Immortality is a truly, truly, truly impressive and remarkable game in every imaginable way. It's almost impossible that this game even exists at all honestly. Even after finishing it, I'm dumbfounded at how well-crafted everything in this game is, from top to bottom. The fact that it's a game consisting completely of FMV video footage, for 3 full movies, with intricate sets, characters, music, etc. doesn't even feel achievable to me, yet here it is. It's nearly impossible to sum up the sheer scope and inspiration found in this game, so here's what I'll recommend. If you're at all interested in playing a game like this, don't hesitate, you'll love it. HOWEVER, do not look up a smidge of information about it, just load it up and press play. I knew absolutely nothing, ultimately leading to one of my favorite gaming experiences in my life. I already can't wait to play it again, and yet I wish I could play it again for the first time. Truly a spellbinding, magical and deeply underrated game.
After thoroughly completing almost everything in Immortality, that title and word mean such different things. Something about the footage here feels dramatically otherworldly, a viewpoint of cinema's ghosts paired with a more supernatural and alien underbelly. It's weird to say a game feels immortal, but truthfully I don't think any other game fits that title quite as well as Immortality. It feels untouchable in the current landscape of games simply because it's so in a league of its own. As a thorough, and I mean thorough recontextualization of cinema around the 60s, 70s and 90s, it still finds ways to tell a brilliant collected story in a variety of means. Every single bit of the FMV footage blows my mind with its detail and professionalism in recreating the look of each decade. The whole experience in this regard is a true spectacle, especially considering some of the clips that get revealed later in the game…oh boy.
The gameplay is pretty simple, yet compelling in how you interact with it. With each clip, objects are interactable as a passageway to other clips via match cut (insanely genius mechanic btw). Throughout the experience clips are presented non-linearly, showing you details from each of the three movies in varying orders and sequences. It can get overwhelming at first, but as you progress it all starts to come together to form a simple, yet engaging gameplay loop. I will say the game does still have some bugginess and jank when it comes to audio and controls but maintains the exact right amount of jank. Where the gameplay shines for me is the reversal of footage into the “subversive” scenes, it seriously adds so much depth to the entire game once you discover how it works. Other than that much of the gameplay revolves around organizing footage by date or label number, nothing too crazy. I do feel like this is the gamemiest a game like this could've gotten so, not too many complaints. I played most of the game with a controller and some with a mouse and keyboard, definitely play with a controller lol.
However, rather than discussing the insane plot, I want to talk more about how the game made me feel and constantly shaped my expectations. The pacing and structure of the game are perfect for twisting the narrative in so many different ways. Through the first 6 hours, I was excitedly immersed and engaged in the world/career of Marissa Marcel at every moment. What had happened to her and these movies, and why do they remain unseen from the public eye? Every new piece of footage felt substantive and stylish, all while helping me towards the answers I needed. However, the more I learned the more I observed, listened and began to question everything. It was at that point I discovered the subversive footage, quickly taking the story down a dark and mind-bending path. It was a shocking moment honestly, and one that no other game has made me feel. By the very end, I knew and saw everything I could, pieced together each story element, and felt very sad. Sad that these characters seem to be lost in their immortality, struggling to find the brilliance in humanity and art, all while trying to preserve it in the end. It’s even more sad that I can't ever properly play this game for the first time again. Even if it's somewhat janky as a whole, this game left a massive impression on me. What a special experience this is, it truly hasn't left my mind since I finished it. At this moment Sam Barlow just announced teasers for 2 new games, so I'm incredibly glad I jumped on this ride when I did.
After thoroughly completing almost everything in Immortality, that title and word mean such different things. Something about the footage here feels dramatically otherworldly, a viewpoint of cinema's ghosts paired with a more supernatural and alien underbelly. It's weird to say a game feels immortal, but truthfully I don't think any other game fits that title quite as well as Immortality. It feels untouchable in the current landscape of games simply because it's so in a league of its own. As a thorough, and I mean thorough recontextualization of cinema around the 60s, 70s and 90s, it still finds ways to tell a brilliant collected story in a variety of means. Every single bit of the FMV footage blows my mind with its detail and professionalism in recreating the look of each decade. The whole experience in this regard is a true spectacle, especially considering some of the clips that get revealed later in the game…oh boy.
The gameplay is pretty simple, yet compelling in how you interact with it. With each clip, objects are interactable as a passageway to other clips via match cut (insanely genius mechanic btw). Throughout the experience clips are presented non-linearly, showing you details from each of the three movies in varying orders and sequences. It can get overwhelming at first, but as you progress it all starts to come together to form a simple, yet engaging gameplay loop. I will say the game does still have some bugginess and jank when it comes to audio and controls but maintains the exact right amount of jank. Where the gameplay shines for me is the reversal of footage into the “subversive” scenes, it seriously adds so much depth to the entire game once you discover how it works. Other than that much of the gameplay revolves around organizing footage by date or label number, nothing too crazy. I do feel like this is the gamemiest a game like this could've gotten so, not too many complaints. I played most of the game with a controller and some with a mouse and keyboard, definitely play with a controller lol.
However, rather than discussing the insane plot, I want to talk more about how the game made me feel and constantly shaped my expectations. The pacing and structure of the game are perfect for twisting the narrative in so many different ways. Through the first 6 hours, I was excitedly immersed and engaged in the world/career of Marissa Marcel at every moment. What had happened to her and these movies, and why do they remain unseen from the public eye? Every new piece of footage felt substantive and stylish, all while helping me towards the answers I needed. However, the more I learned the more I observed, listened and began to question everything. It was at that point I discovered the subversive footage, quickly taking the story down a dark and mind-bending path. It was a shocking moment honestly, and one that no other game has made me feel. By the very end, I knew and saw everything I could, pieced together each story element, and felt very sad. Sad that these characters seem to be lost in their immortality, struggling to find the brilliance in humanity and art, all while trying to preserve it in the end. It’s even more sad that I can't ever properly play this game for the first time again. Even if it's somewhat janky as a whole, this game left a massive impression on me. What a special experience this is, it truly hasn't left my mind since I finished it. At this moment Sam Barlow just announced teasers for 2 new games, so I'm incredibly glad I jumped on this ride when I did.