Immortality

For some, let's say life reasons, even though I had been looking forward to playing experiencing Sam Barlow's latest work for years, it wasn't until last month I finally had the chance to do it, hence my belated review. But there was also something wrong about the promotion of this title, which actually released on August 30 but flew under many people's radar, both before and after that day. And when I say wrong I mean absolutely unfair, as Immortality is one of the most profound, smart, and unique narrative-driven games in history, not to mention it's probably the best FMV offering you can find. So, before I begin -and you're very welcome to keep reading as this review is spoiler-free- just treat yourself to some never-before-seen narrative mechanics by at least taking a look at Immortality, by trying it out for a brief while. It's as affordable as around 15 euros on PC or Xbox, but it's also part of both Netflix and Game Pass so, what are you waiting for?

Now, first and foremost, lmmortality is, on the surface, the story of Marissa Marcel, a rising actress who debuted in 1968's Ambrosio, consolidated in 1970's Minsky and then surprisingly returned in 1999's Two of Everything after a mysterious hiatus. But more mysterious is the fact that she then disappeared to never be seen again, and that none of her films were actually released publicly. The game officially asks players to unravel these two mysteries (what happened to Marissa Marcel and why none of the movies were published), but in the long run it presents them with deeper, bigger questions.

So, perhaps as a friendly caveat, be aware that this isn't your typical murder mystery. That, even if the three films deal with killers and victims, this is much more than just unveiling who killed who, and their motives. Let me recommend you approach this with a sensitive, open mind, as once you've transcended the basic plot, the different topics and concerns it brings to the table will ask you to read, to feel, and to finally interpret its artistic cinematic language in a very open-ended way.

Judging by the most tangible and technical aspects of Immortality, it clearly is one of the most, if not the most ambitious and innovative FMV work by either Barlow or pretty much anyone else. Coming from the also brilliant Her Story and Telling Lies, which were both home video-like in scale (police interview footage and recorded streamed video chatting respectively) and words-based in terms of clip browsing, Immortality takes an impressive leap in both production values and when it comes to the main gameplay mechanic.

Here we're literally talking about three full movies that have been professionally planned and scripted as if they were going to be released in their respective eras. Only part of their sequences are full, before the camera takes, while the rest of the footage comes from rehearsals, behind the scenes moments, bonus material, and script reading sessions. Perhaps none of them would be Oscar-worthy, as after all they recreate the exact type of movie and success they want to mimic in terms of budget, setting, and scale, but they could have very well been successful within their respective genres and times. Barlow's writing with additional script by Allan Scott, Amelia Gray, and Barry Gifford, is just that good. What is also remarkably good is each film's cinematography, tone, and of course the incredibly convincing performance of the full cast. But I'll come back to this later.

So, with production values and cinematic quality through the roof already, one could've seen Barlow adding a slight twist to his text-based clip-browsing formula to call it a day, but this couldn't be further from the truth, as this time around words are left behind to bring imagery to the foreground. This means you no longer type keywords nor select them from the subtitles to then unlock other clips using those terms. In Immortality, you browse and unlock new footage by selecting objects or faces in the picture, which sees you rewinding and forwarding through the tapes in order to find out if 'that' element is going to give you what you want to learn more about an specific movie or actor. It's fun, addictive and full of possibilities (the number of clickable elements is impressive), and as it constantly takes you to a different movie's footage, it forces you to start arranging and understanding the three film's events both in the game and in your head. And here goes another friendly reminder that you can sort your footage by both script order and by date of shooting. And that, ingeniously, a portrait can mean both a painting and the subject. You're welcome.

This alone would already be a fantastic game and a must-have experience for movie lovers as it shows how films were and are shot, and what goes on in front and behind the cameras in an even educational way. It's almost a documentary in itself about cinematography, performance, script, and roles of both the actors and the rest of the cast, a love letter by Barlow to what he truly understands as a fine form of art. And as you keep browsing and unlocking footage, while trying to retell the three stories and, at the same time, to understand what happened to Marissa Marcel, you see the evolution of the returning cast members throughout the three shootings as a sort of a fourth story.

And then it happens. Then you realise there's more, much more to that fourth parallel thread.

It might happen very early or quite late into your game (to me it happened like three hours in). You are casually fiddling with the tapes as is second nature already and you suddenly notice something different. A vision, out of your nightmares. I heavily recommend you play with a rumble-enabled controller on Xbox or PC instead of Netflix's tablet style, as it's just more tangible, with both triggers and analogue sticks acting as good 'ol video tape players. It might trigger what seems like an apparition, or perhaps the identity theft of some of the actors you thought you were getting acquainted with. For the first four, five times, it's shocking, it's exciting, and it's spine chilling in a way that I, coincidentally, only remember experiencing with Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. And it's creepy and confusing, but then it starts becoming revealing. And even more addictive.

I won't go into more specifics about this, but let's say that there's an inverted b-side to many of the tapes that is worth exploring if you dare learning the true meaning of Immortality. That, when you were starting to make sense of every story and perhaps mixing up the actors' lives and roles, the game starts permeating the notion of something greater above and within them. That uncovering what actually happened to Marissa Marcel inevitably involves dealing with grander challenges inherent to human condition. That a triple story that seemingly talks about sex, aspirations, objectification of women, sins, muses, and film making, ultimately has to face what art means for us, what it has historically meant for human beings. And with all that come frustration, understanding and transcendence, and Immortality expresses them all in a beautifully devastating way.

There you realise there's an additional dimension to the already magnificent performance by those actors that are playing other actors and their characters, some times even tempted or controlled by a third entity. Manon Gage is just perfect and versatile as Marissa Marcel, as Matilda, as Franny, as Maria, and as Heather, but then Charlotta Mohlin, and don't google her role until you've played, complements her with a memorable rendition to the more artistic restlessness.

The way Immortality represents many of these concepts and presents players with potential reflections while trying to make them an active part of some of them might be a bit too obscure at times, to the point of risking their annoyance or even their giving up. As every game unfolds differently to each player, the order of the events can make for a smoother or clumsier experience, and most will even see the credits roll without a complete idea of the three plus one overarching stories, so it requires not only your attention, but also your willingness and commitment besides the aforementioned open-mindedness.

That being said, the sole interactive restoration of the three movies is already more captivating than Telling Lies despite its more focused narrative, and it just reaches levels other games haven't even considered. Immortality is an incredible effort, a game to share with more people while you're playing and to study and reflect about afterwards, and a look into the world of film developing like you've never seen before. When you play it, it somehow ends up being part of you.