[REPOST FROM LETTERBOXD (9-3-2022), THEY TOOK DOWN THE GAME'S PAGE FROM THE SITE.]
This is Sam Barlow's masterpiece, hands down.
This interactive film trilogy centers on rising actress Marissa Marcel who made only three films in her career: 'Ambrosio' in 1968, 'Minsky' in 1970, and 'Two of Everything' in 1999. All three were left unfinished or unreleased, and Marcel herself disappeared during the third film's production. In 2022, with footage from each film's dailies and behind-the-scenes finally rediscovered, and within a gameplay system uniquely described by Barlow as 'Pokémon Snap' crossed with a Moviola editing machine, you must sift through each film and piece together the mystery of Marcel's disappearance.
Without giving any spoilers (this wonderful game deserves at least one playthrough), the gameplay features a distinctive twist that was surely designed to be discovered by accident. What you'll find as you slowly peel back the story's layers is a complex, bleak, horror-tinged piece of existentialism that explores identity crisis, the purpose and effects of art, and the pain and torture that suffering artists display for the world. There were points where I was off-put and borderline terrified by the jarring actions of an incorporeal figure whose tragic life shines a harrowing light on Marissa Marcel's traumatic experiences, as well as her unwavering devotion to her craft.
The game's main feature is a match-cut mechanic you use by clicking on certain actors' faces or set props that stand out in the background to transition into new footage which allows you to progress the story, keeping tabs on subtext in the actors' performances and repeating symbols. Strictly viewing the technical aspects of this FMV (full-motion video) game's core design, 'Immortality' shares the same fundamental issue with both of Barlow's previous FMV attempts 'Her Story' and 'Telling Lies': the plot progression can feel wildly unbalanced as you discover more footage.
Granted you'll probably end up around 5-6 hours in before the picture becomes clearer, but it's fairly easy to accidentally discover the story's resolution before filling in all the blanks. After a while when you're slogging through repeating footage over and over and overlooking undiscovered elements in the film clips, it becomes easier to lose motivation to collect all the clips after stumbling upon the endgame. This isn't a huge problem for me as I find behind-the-scenes and filmmaking-related subjects fascinating enough to want to continue to completion, but they should've saved the revelation clip for a specific percentage of films discovered rather than a casual side-effect of playing the game. I get the feeling the hidden elements of the game may be the developer's justification for enticing further play, but when you experience enough of the game, people will start to guess the rest.
The footage itself which is comprised of raw unedited performances, TV interviews, and pre-production video diaries makes up one of the most engaging game narratives I've had the pleasure of playing in a long time. The fact Barlow's team not only brought on three prolific screenwriters (Allan Scott, Amelia Gray, and Barry Gifford) to flesh out the films but fully produced each film albeit through segmented clips is an impressive feat for an indie game. As you discover them piecemeal, the three films' stories are easy to become engrossed in, helped by a talented cast led by Manon Gage's extraordinary debut as Marissa Marcel and an unsettling, erudite Charlotta Mohlin as a mystery character whose details I'll leave to your experience with the game. My favorite of the three films has to be the late '90s thriller 'Two of Everything' with its cool-toned color palette, twisty exploration of the duplicitous star machine, neo-noirish tone, and strong David Lynch/Michael Mann vibes. I honestly wish there were unlockable fully-edited workprints of all three films after you 100% the game, they're that well-produced and interesting to watch.
Despite hiccups in its story progression and often cumbersome controls and user interface (though I played with a mouse and keyboard when a controller was recommended), 'Immortality' is the absolute best of Sam Barlow's "trilogy" with its intriguing subject matter, outstanding cast, and innovative merging of gameplay and storytelling that I'm sure will set a new precedent in independent and mainstream gaming. The game is now available on Steam as well as with the Xbox Game Pass service on both PC and Series X/S.
Shoutout to the beautiful hidden sequence of Charlotta Mohlin lip-syncing the hauntingly melancholic 'Candy Says' by The Velvet Underground, here covered by Anohni of Anohni and the Johnsons. Learning the song's meaning in retrospect, and how well it aligns thematically with her character, it's enough to make anybody well up inside.
EDIT (10-30-2022): I finally 100% completed the entire game with the help of a couple of guides to find the last few clips and view all the hidden messages. The entire story when experienced is fascinating and heartbreaking, I just wish it wasn't such a pain in the ass to search for all of the clips.
This is Sam Barlow's masterpiece, hands down.
This interactive film trilogy centers on rising actress Marissa Marcel who made only three films in her career: 'Ambrosio' in 1968, 'Minsky' in 1970, and 'Two of Everything' in 1999. All three were left unfinished or unreleased, and Marcel herself disappeared during the third film's production. In 2022, with footage from each film's dailies and behind-the-scenes finally rediscovered, and within a gameplay system uniquely described by Barlow as 'Pokémon Snap' crossed with a Moviola editing machine, you must sift through each film and piece together the mystery of Marcel's disappearance.
Without giving any spoilers (this wonderful game deserves at least one playthrough), the gameplay features a distinctive twist that was surely designed to be discovered by accident. What you'll find as you slowly peel back the story's layers is a complex, bleak, horror-tinged piece of existentialism that explores identity crisis, the purpose and effects of art, and the pain and torture that suffering artists display for the world. There were points where I was off-put and borderline terrified by the jarring actions of an incorporeal figure whose tragic life shines a harrowing light on Marissa Marcel's traumatic experiences, as well as her unwavering devotion to her craft.
The game's main feature is a match-cut mechanic you use by clicking on certain actors' faces or set props that stand out in the background to transition into new footage which allows you to progress the story, keeping tabs on subtext in the actors' performances and repeating symbols. Strictly viewing the technical aspects of this FMV (full-motion video) game's core design, 'Immortality' shares the same fundamental issue with both of Barlow's previous FMV attempts 'Her Story' and 'Telling Lies': the plot progression can feel wildly unbalanced as you discover more footage.
Granted you'll probably end up around 5-6 hours in before the picture becomes clearer, but it's fairly easy to accidentally discover the story's resolution before filling in all the blanks. After a while when you're slogging through repeating footage over and over and overlooking undiscovered elements in the film clips, it becomes easier to lose motivation to collect all the clips after stumbling upon the endgame. This isn't a huge problem for me as I find behind-the-scenes and filmmaking-related subjects fascinating enough to want to continue to completion, but they should've saved the revelation clip for a specific percentage of films discovered rather than a casual side-effect of playing the game. I get the feeling the hidden elements of the game may be the developer's justification for enticing further play, but when you experience enough of the game, people will start to guess the rest.
The footage itself which is comprised of raw unedited performances, TV interviews, and pre-production video diaries makes up one of the most engaging game narratives I've had the pleasure of playing in a long time. The fact Barlow's team not only brought on three prolific screenwriters (Allan Scott, Amelia Gray, and Barry Gifford) to flesh out the films but fully produced each film albeit through segmented clips is an impressive feat for an indie game. As you discover them piecemeal, the three films' stories are easy to become engrossed in, helped by a talented cast led by Manon Gage's extraordinary debut as Marissa Marcel and an unsettling, erudite Charlotta Mohlin as a mystery character whose details I'll leave to your experience with the game. My favorite of the three films has to be the late '90s thriller 'Two of Everything' with its cool-toned color palette, twisty exploration of the duplicitous star machine, neo-noirish tone, and strong David Lynch/Michael Mann vibes. I honestly wish there were unlockable fully-edited workprints of all three films after you 100% the game, they're that well-produced and interesting to watch.
Despite hiccups in its story progression and often cumbersome controls and user interface (though I played with a mouse and keyboard when a controller was recommended), 'Immortality' is the absolute best of Sam Barlow's "trilogy" with its intriguing subject matter, outstanding cast, and innovative merging of gameplay and storytelling that I'm sure will set a new precedent in independent and mainstream gaming. The game is now available on Steam as well as with the Xbox Game Pass service on both PC and Series X/S.
Shoutout to the beautiful hidden sequence of Charlotta Mohlin lip-syncing the hauntingly melancholic 'Candy Says' by The Velvet Underground, here covered by Anohni of Anohni and the Johnsons. Learning the song's meaning in retrospect, and how well it aligns thematically with her character, it's enough to make anybody well up inside.
EDIT (10-30-2022): I finally 100% completed the entire game with the help of a couple of guides to find the last few clips and view all the hidden messages. The entire story when experienced is fascinating and heartbreaking, I just wish it wasn't such a pain in the ass to search for all of the clips.