Jamesbuc Presents: Spoiler Filled Reviews and Ramblings
Inspired by the game Immortality and the fact that you cant actually do more than one review on any given game so you either have to go full spoiler or you have to tiptoe like a church mouse.
Please note most of these (if and when I add them) will be more ramble than actual review so be aware I may be difficult to follow occasionally.
Please note most of these (if and when I add them) will be more ramble than actual review so be aware I may be difficult to follow occasionally.
2 Games
Spoiler free review: https://www.backloggd.com/u/Jamesbuc/review/499669/
On my main review I make a big song and dance about how the game presents its answers and I wanna just ramble on about that quite a bit. When I talk about that initial accomplishment, that accomplishment can actually fit a whole number of moments but usually it comes from scanning back through a clip and either finding 'Eve' hidden in all her greyscale glory hiding among the footage, being cryptic as fuck... Or you'll smashcut through to something else like the worlds most uncomfortable bathroom rutting.
Either way it'll open up the other clips and have you scouring through them again to find more details. Finding out you can find hidden scenes within those hidden scenes is an even bigger surprise and while its not used often, it does work very effectively. It all makes you feel like you're really making progress and finding more.
On the other hand the more in-universe questions like what happened to Marissa or why the films in question never were released are just treated like throwaways. I mean Cole's death I could at least follow some methods and threads but the big reveal of Marissa burning? I found that by absent mindedly clicking on a light fixture. A LIGHT FIXTURE.
I will however say it is possible on a meta-story level that this is entirely on purpose. After all this 'Eve' clearly wanted to be found and she clearly wanted to be immortal through memories, stories and ramblings. Heck, if you wanted to bring this idea out of the game to the real world, simply by writing all of this, this completely validates her goal. Immortality may not be a physical construct, people eventually die, fall apart, burn etc... But if you live on through art, through conversation, through images and sound... Does that make you truly immortal?
Theres a lot more I could go on about this game. I mentioned briefly in my non-spoiler review comments that theres a bit of a commentary going on in regards to sex and gender. All three films have a seedy side to them and involve a hefty dose of sexuality. The first film frames women either as two things, objects of sexual desire or danger. Or both. It always frames being sexual as bad, as sinful and opressive and will only lead to death and destruction. In contrast every behind the scenes clip show this as the opposite. Eve/Marissa on more than one occasion flashes for fun, openly flirts with others and seems to be in a relationship with the principal photographer.
Flash forward to the second film and Cole enters the mix. Cole is clearly the same as Eve, an immortal somebody playing through a role. Its rough to tell when Cole is possessed but even without the possession, hes clearly grappling with his own sexuality. Often pulling back from flirting with one of the male co-stars or in one case, openly going for a kiss with the director (previously the principal photographer). Eve/Marissa doesnt take clearly to this and it feels like a reversal of the previous film. Sexuality on screen is thrown around with vigour such as with the boho-style artists and the detective falling quickly for Marissa's character. But outside of the set, aside from some fun with cross-dressing Cole, its frowned on. Seen as negative and disavowed heavily.
The third film seems different. Set many years after the first two films, attitudes to sex seem a little more open but at the same time in-universe, theres a bigger emphasis on owning your own sense. Honestly the scene where Eve/Marissa dances in the studio feels sexy and demanding. But then you get moments where thats ripped away. Characters who place power over everything else and women are either places as victims or agressors.
Theres a lot of stuff. Not everything ive written above may be what is completely true or written well. I did say im not exactly the person to go to for this sort of conversation at any point... But its all something. I still havent quite worked out why the first film went down in flames, I may need to go on a little more with that. But the other two are very obvious.
Ok I think im all rambled out. I do want to point out I do love some of the film making of the first film. behind the scenes shots showing matte painting backdrops and early types of green screening. I do also have to wonder why nobody seems to clock that Eve/Marissa hasnt aged a single day in the third film. After all, theres a couple of people in that third film who were in the second. The talk show host especially who interviewed her for her first film, then was a part in her third film but doesnt clock on at any point. Maybe thats supposed to say more about him than anything. Who knows.
Ok now im all rambled out. Phew.
On my main review I make a big song and dance about how the game presents its answers and I wanna just ramble on about that quite a bit. When I talk about that initial accomplishment, that accomplishment can actually fit a whole number of moments but usually it comes from scanning back through a clip and either finding 'Eve' hidden in all her greyscale glory hiding among the footage, being cryptic as fuck... Or you'll smashcut through to something else like the worlds most uncomfortable bathroom rutting.
Either way it'll open up the other clips and have you scouring through them again to find more details. Finding out you can find hidden scenes within those hidden scenes is an even bigger surprise and while its not used often, it does work very effectively. It all makes you feel like you're really making progress and finding more.
On the other hand the more in-universe questions like what happened to Marissa or why the films in question never were released are just treated like throwaways. I mean Cole's death I could at least follow some methods and threads but the big reveal of Marissa burning? I found that by absent mindedly clicking on a light fixture. A LIGHT FIXTURE.
I will however say it is possible on a meta-story level that this is entirely on purpose. After all this 'Eve' clearly wanted to be found and she clearly wanted to be immortal through memories, stories and ramblings. Heck, if you wanted to bring this idea out of the game to the real world, simply by writing all of this, this completely validates her goal. Immortality may not be a physical construct, people eventually die, fall apart, burn etc... But if you live on through art, through conversation, through images and sound... Does that make you truly immortal?
Theres a lot more I could go on about this game. I mentioned briefly in my non-spoiler review comments that theres a bit of a commentary going on in regards to sex and gender. All three films have a seedy side to them and involve a hefty dose of sexuality. The first film frames women either as two things, objects of sexual desire or danger. Or both. It always frames being sexual as bad, as sinful and opressive and will only lead to death and destruction. In contrast every behind the scenes clip show this as the opposite. Eve/Marissa on more than one occasion flashes for fun, openly flirts with others and seems to be in a relationship with the principal photographer.
Flash forward to the second film and Cole enters the mix. Cole is clearly the same as Eve, an immortal somebody playing through a role. Its rough to tell when Cole is possessed but even without the possession, hes clearly grappling with his own sexuality. Often pulling back from flirting with one of the male co-stars or in one case, openly going for a kiss with the director (previously the principal photographer). Eve/Marissa doesnt take clearly to this and it feels like a reversal of the previous film. Sexuality on screen is thrown around with vigour such as with the boho-style artists and the detective falling quickly for Marissa's character. But outside of the set, aside from some fun with cross-dressing Cole, its frowned on. Seen as negative and disavowed heavily.
The third film seems different. Set many years after the first two films, attitudes to sex seem a little more open but at the same time in-universe, theres a bigger emphasis on owning your own sense. Honestly the scene where Eve/Marissa dances in the studio feels sexy and demanding. But then you get moments where thats ripped away. Characters who place power over everything else and women are either places as victims or agressors.
Theres a lot of stuff. Not everything ive written above may be what is completely true or written well. I did say im not exactly the person to go to for this sort of conversation at any point... But its all something. I still havent quite worked out why the first film went down in flames, I may need to go on a little more with that. But the other two are very obvious.
Ok I think im all rambled out. I do want to point out I do love some of the film making of the first film. behind the scenes shots showing matte painting backdrops and early types of green screening. I do also have to wonder why nobody seems to clock that Eve/Marissa hasnt aged a single day in the third film. After all, theres a couple of people in that third film who were in the second. The talk show host especially who interviewed her for her first film, then was a part in her third film but doesnt clock on at any point. Maybe thats supposed to say more about him than anything. Who knows.
Ok now im all rambled out. Phew.
I wanna talk about how much I hate the revised introduction to this game. The original game's introduction is PERFECT. Theres mild character introductions, some mystery build and BLAM. An explosion that sets off a whirlwind of conspiracy and questions. It feels grand, it feels mysterious and it feels like you're about to set off on something special.
The new intro with Nico just kneecaps all of this so badly that it just hurts. Instead of following the clues that leads up to the mysterious assassin, you basically meet him right out of the gate and find out Nico's plot and reason for following all of this instantly. It just sucks the life from it and single handedly just shuts down multiple questions by answering them before they have even been asked. Its ENFURIATING. Bah.
The new intro with Nico just kneecaps all of this so badly that it just hurts. Instead of following the clues that leads up to the mysterious assassin, you basically meet him right out of the gate and find out Nico's plot and reason for following all of this instantly. It just sucks the life from it and single handedly just shuts down multiple questions by answering them before they have even been asked. Its ENFURIATING. Bah.