Things in life that I’ve wanted for years play experience the latest work from Sam BarlowOnly last month I was finally able to do it, hence my late rating. However, even with the promotion of this title, which was originally released on August 30th, it has fallen under the radar of many both before and after that date. And when I say wrong, I mean totally unfair, because Immortality is one of the most comprehensive, intelligent, and unique plot-driven games of all time, not to mention the absolute best in history. FMV (real image video games) you can find. For that reason, before you begin – and I invite you to read on, I’m not making any spoilers about the events – take the pleasure of discovering some never-before-seen storytelling mechanics by at least getting a glimpse of immortality and it try to get out for a while. It does not cost more than about 15 dollars on PC or Xbox, but it is also part of the catalog of Netflix that of game pass So what are you waiting for?
Well, first of all you should know that immortality is on the surface the story of Marissa Marcelan aspiring actress who made her debut with Ambrosio (1968), which was consolidated with Minsky (1970) and which surprisingly returned to celluloid Two of everything (Dos de todo, 1999) after a mysterious hiatus in his career. But what is even more mysterious is that she then disappeared and was never seen again, or that none of her films were released. The game officially asks players to solve both of these mysteries (what happened to Marissa Marcel and why neither tape was released), but as time goes by it opens up bigger, deeper questions.
As a gentle warning, keep in mind that this is not your typical crime novel. That the three films are about killers and victims, but about much more than finding out who killed whom, or their motives. And while I’m at it, I want to recommend that you approach this work with an open and sensitive mind, because once the basic plot is overcome, the various problems and concerns that it brings to the table will make you want to read and Prompt to feel and finally interpret their cinematic artistic language freely and irresolutely.
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If you were only judging the more tangible and technical aspects of Immortality, it would be clear that this is one of, if not the most ambitious FMV work by Barlow or any other author. Comes from the light too Your history j tell liesBoth at the camcorder level (recorded police interviews vs. streaming video calls) and word-based when it comes to navigating the clips, this title marks an impressive leap in both production values and core gameplay.
Here we are literally talking about it three whole films which were written and scheduled as if they were going to be released in their respective eras, although only part of their sequences are full on-camera shots, while the rest of the footage comes from rehearsals, behind-the-scenes moments, and extra footage or script reading sessions. Maybe none of them would be an Oscar nominee, and they don’t intend to be, after all they’re recreating exactly the kind of feature film and success they want to emulate in terms of budget, setting and scope, but they all would have worked perfectly can in the context of their time and gender. That’s how good Barlow’s screenplay is, with additional scripts by Allan Scott, Amelia Gray and Barry Gifford, but it can’t be beat by the cinematography, the tone and of course the incredibly convincing acting from the entire cast. But I’ll come back to that later.
So with the production and cinematic quality through the roof, one might expect Barlow to put a little twist on his formula of exploring clips with words, and that’s it, but nothing could be further from the truth, as on this occasion the Words remain in the background, allowing the visual ensemble to take center stage, which makes even more sense when talking about cinema. This means you no longer have to type in keywords or select them in the subtitles to unlock other clips that use those keywords. Browse and discover new footage based on Immortality Select objects or faces in the picture, requiring you to fast-forward and rewind the tapes to see if “that” particular element gives you what you’re looking for to learn more about a particular movie or actor. It’s a fun, addictive process and full of possibilities (the amount of clickable elements is amazing), and since it constantly takes you from one movie to another, it forces you to organize the events of the three movies both in-game and in-game and understand in your head. And here’s another useful tip: you can sort footage by events in the script as well as by shooting date. Oh, and that a pictorial portrait with ingenuity can lead you to another painting…or to the very subject of the original painting. No problem.
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With that alone we would be talking about a fascinating game and a must for movie fans, because it shows how films were and are made, what happens in front of and behind the camera, in an almost educational or popularizing way. It is practically a documentary in itself, covering the filmography, performance, script and roles of both the actors and the rest of the crew, a love letter from Barlow to what he clearly sees as the finest artistic expression. And as you keep browsing and dragging footage as you try to piece the three stories together while also trying to understand what happened to Marissa Marcel, you see the cast and crew’s evolution repeat itself on set as if it were one kind of fourth story.
And then something happens. Then you realize that this fourth parallel plot has more, much more to tell.
It can happen to you very early on or pretty much within the game (it happened to me in about three hours). You catch yourself casually editing the tapes in a practice you’ve already taken for granted, and suddenly you notice something else. a vision, something from your nightmares. I highly recommend playing with a vibration controller on Xbox or PC rather than Netflix’s tablet mode, as it’s a more tactile feel as the triggers and analog sticks act like an old VCR. Some sort of apparition may be triggered, or perhaps the impersonation of one of the actors you’ve become acquainted with. On the first four or five occasions, these encounters were shocking, exciting, and terrifying in ways that, oddly enough, I only remembered Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. And they’re also creepy and confusing, but then they start to get revealing. And even more addicting…
I won’t go into any great detail on any of this, but suffice it to say that there is an inverted B-side to many of the tracks that is worth exploring if you dare to admit the true meaning of Immortality know. That when each story fits and you start confusing the real life of the actors with their roles, the play begins to permeate the notion that there is something greater than and within them. That uncovering what really happened to Marissa Marcel inevitably ties into other greater challenges inherent in the human condition. That a triple story that seems to speak of sex, desires, the objectification of women, sins, muses and filmography definitely needs to confront what art means to us, what it has historically meant to people. And with all of that comes frustration, and understanding transcendence
That’s when you realize there’s an added dimension to this already great performance by some actors playing other actors and their characters, sometimes tempted or controlled by a third entity. Manon Gauge She’s just perfect and versatile playing Marissa Marcel, Matilda, Franny, Maria and Heather, but that’s about it Charlotte Mohlinand don’t google her role until you’ve played her, complementing her with a memorable rendition of the most artistic fears.
The way Immortality chooses to present many of these concepts and make players/viewers think while trying to actively engage them in some of them can sometimes be too obscure, to the point where they risk ignoring them to frustrate, or play worse. Since each game develops differently for each player, the specific order of events It can make for a smoother or clunkier experience, and most will watch the credits without fully understanding the three plots plus the common arc, so it requires not only your attention, but also your will and commitment beyond the open-mindedness mentioned Above.
The interactive recreation of all three films alone, despite the more focused narrative, is already more compelling than Telling Lies and then reaches levels other games haven’t even thought of. Immortality is an incredible effort, a game designed to be shared and discussed with others while playing, and to study and ponder after it’s over. An unprecedented look into the most intimate interior of the world of cinema. If you experience it, it ends somehow to be a part of you.
