I’ve found that there’s a big divide between video games and movies, which isn’t necessarily a problem for either industry, but Sam Barlow’s latest game – Immortal – shows just how powerful a combination of the two can be if done effectively.
Renowned French-Swiss film director and critic Jean-Luc Godard once said: “A story should have a beginning, a middle and an end…but not necessarily in that order.” Immortality Maybe is one of the most ideal examples of Godard’s discourse in practice. As you try to unravel the mystery of Marissa Marcel (Manon Gage), you find yourself using Moviola, stringing together random clips from the three movies she starred in.
Marcel’s first film, Ambrosio, drew on the plot of the Gothic novel The Friar. It’s both sexy and disturbing, and Marcel’s seductive role seems to be incorporated into her next film. A year later, Minsky teamed up with new director John Durick and saw Marcel play the artist’s muse in a murder mystery. Finally, 20 years later, Marcel is working with John Duric again, after a period of inactivity from the actress. In this one, the tone is darker than before; Marcel plays a successful pop star with doubles, but everything goes wrong.
Some of these movies sounded pretty good on paper, although none of them ever came out. Your role is to filter footage that spans Marcel’s career — and that doesn’t just include film clips. You have to piece together scenes of her first acting as a soap commercial, live interviews, behind-the-scenes, and more. Even seconds before a movie is released, or after the director says “Cut!”, a secret can be revealed. And that’s just the beginning of Marissa Marcel’s magical story.
Immortal dazzles you from the start, and admittedly trying to write a review without spoiling it has proven difficult. It’s hard not to feel like you’re on the verge of an important discovery when you’re sitting there, clipping matches together, and playing detective in what I imagine a dimly lit room. all the time. Technically, you are… When the discovery happens, you quickly realize that none of the clips could be what it seems, and there must be something more vicious — perhaps immortal — trying to get through the various media contact you. These moments may be fleeting, but when you encounter them, your breath is taken away.
I have high expectations for Immortality: that’s what we expect from Sam Barlow and the writers on the team (Allan Scott, Amelia Gray, and Barry Gifford). Their extensive TV and film knowledge shines throughout the game. Whether it’s a subtle imagery, a costume, or even a fleeting piece of dialogue, the story of Immortal will haunt your mind.
But it’s the details that keep me awake at night. While I’m baffled by the game’s conclusion, one thing I’m sure of with Immortal is that the developers know what it’s doing. Not having all the answers frustrates me because that’s exactly what this game is trying to do. It wraps you around its fingers, invites you in, and traps you in the mystery you’re trying to solve; games that evoke this feeling in my mind are not common, but immortality is one you won’t easily forget game.
Immortality makes you believe that you are in control, and once you realize that something is happening, you lose your autonomy. It’s not something we’re heavily used to in video games – feeling powerless and out of control – which is what makes immortality so powerful as an experience. It upends our traditional experience of gaming and deliberately puts you in the mind of Marissa Marcel. It uses your agency and does it with aplomb. All the confusion and powerlessness she has experienced throughout her career…you can feel it too. By the end, it almost feels like you are Marissa and the “real” Marissa – whoever it is – is trying to teach you something.
When you come to the end of the game, I think the first thing to remind yourself when you’re no doubt confused is its title: Immortal. That, and the concept of identity, is what this game is about. There are many unanswered, and I can accept that there may be some clues in Marisa’s story that are still unknown. What I do know is that the realm of cinema is obviously harsh, and it’s fair to say that long after you’ve “left”, you’re never really absent. The movie immortalizes its subject, and like most art forms, it ends up being a lot more horrific tragedy than you might think. The only reason Immortality doesn’t get a 5/5 in this review is simply because over time, encountering the same clips over and over can tire you out; it almost feels intentional, but it does make I got rid of the magical charm I was in.
Recalling Jean-Luc Godard’s famous quote again, the immortal non-linear narrative means the game doesn’t end with the same degree of ending we’re used to — or what we’ve come to expect. There is no happy ending, and no sad ending. You just want to know. It’s a very strange feeling, but the lack of closure here is a very important part of why Immortality is so haunting.
I’m not sure I’ll stop being curious about snakes, apples and all the other props with subtext. I think that’s what Immortality intends to do. Change how many of us think about and engage with media in all its forms — and who are involved in shaping it, and in the process, our lives.