In my ninth consecutive hour of late-night scraping through various recordings in the game, I turn 30. It felt poetic. 30 – an arbitrary milestone year, signifying the beginning of being old. Dealing with my own mortality and wondering what I’ll be leaving behind when I face the inevitable; I’m suddenly juxtaposed with the game’s leading lady, Marissa Marcel. A budding starlet who’s seemingly vanished without a trace. The only evidence of her existence is through Immortality.
Creator Sam Barlow has had a long history of creating FMV games at this point. From his independent debut with Her Story, to Barlow’s studio Half Mermaid Productions’ first outing with Telling Lies and now Immortality, you can see a trajectory of these games transforming the idea of what FMV games can be. I may not be as well-versed as my fellow Finger Gunners in the genre, but I’ve played enough to know it’s a hard feat to execute one. Acting needs to be believable, budgets need to reflect the authenticity and the story is of utmost importance. Immortality may not just be the best of Barlow’s efforts, but potentially the best example of an FMV ever. So let’s get into why Immortality may just live up to its name.
Where Is Marissa Marcel?
You are at the helm of a software that has collated an archive of tapes containing three films from three decades – all of which star the elusive Marissa Marcel. The game has an ‘About’ that explains the actor’s life before and during the filming of the movies. Accidents and deaths have plagued each making of the films, resulting in none ever being released. This makes Marcel’s last appearance in the 1999 movie Two of Everything. Over twenty years have passed since and the question still lingers, ‘What happened to Marissa Marcel?’. The answers may just be in these tapes.
Starting the game, you’re greeted with a grid of film clips to sift through. The tutorial shows you how to go through the wall of images by clicking on them to play, then pausing, fast-forwarding, rewinding and going frame-by-frame. You have near ultimate control of manipulating the clips at your whim. The kicker, however, is that you are given a handful of clips to watch with as much context as I gave you. The tutorial ends with teaching you how to match cut.
This is where you pause the footage, go into image mode and click on a person of interest or object that’s in it. This then unlocks a clip that either matches the framing, subject, emotional or thematic significance as you go straight into the scene. This will be an immediate fight-or-flight response for players. I spent the first hour absolutely in a spell by clicking on vague subjects within the frame, whisked away through decades’ worth of film across hundreds of clips. I wasn’t really sure if I was progressing in the game; I had my hands full learning names, movie plots, as well as the controls still and then it clicked.
Life Imitating Art
I had stumbled upon a clip that was nothing short of skin crawling. The sheer presence of what I was watching put a pit in my stomach, as I just caught a glimpse of where this journey would take me. I didn’t know it at that point, but there was something sinister about these tapes. I’d say I got lucky, as I can imagine other players going through hours of footage before you get ‘the moment’, but no one is lucky when they find what’s lurking.
It’ll vary for everyone as they’re tucked away amongst all the other hours you’ll be trawling through. However, I don’t think I’d have thought any differently if I came across it in hour one or hour four, as the world you’ve become a voyeur of swallows you whole. The team’s writing for Immortality is just on another level. You’ll end up meeting over twenty characters (from actors, crew members and other personalities) and all of them feel like they existed beyond the 35mm film. Questions raced through my head, trying to connect the dots and in a daze I had taken the spiral downwards.
You’ll be challenged, shocked and confused, with no respite of any clarity until you are done. It’s truly a testament to the quality of the writing on display. The sprawling narrative has vague connections scattered in every frame – you just have to find them. You won’t be on your own in that aspect though, as the game has subtle ways of directing you if you’re lost. The music swells when you’re in a new scene, your controller rumbles when there’s more to find within the clip and more that I’ll leave out for mystery purposes.
Fire Walk With Me
The subversive nature of its mechanics says more about the contents than just the practical use of it and the PS5 implements it perfectly. The features of the DualSense provide such an authentic quality whilst you’re playing. Fast-forwarding scenes make it feel like you’re brushing up against the film reel with all of its artefacts. The triggers are like a button on a tape recorder, and the subtle vibrations whilst you’re looking at the film grid direct you towards something important. It’s a perfect example of enhancing an already stellar experience.
Manon Gage’s decade-spanning performance as Marissa Marcel is captivating as you watch someone who is just as consumed as you. Other significant roles that I won’t mention by name (but you know who you are) are the unsung backbone that is Immortality. However, there isn’t at all a weak link in the chain in terms of performance. The horrific underbelly of the plot is all underpinned by the humanity that everyone brings on screen. As a viewer you quickly make up your own decisions on who’s “good” or “bad” whilst you’re deciphering the plot and the best kind of stories subvert your reading of people.
Add the superb performances to a litany of era-specific sets, costumes, camera equipment and you’ve got a fully realised playground to immerse yourself in. Immortality’s use of sound also plays an important role too. Characters will have certain themes and scenarios that convey certain emotions are elevated through the subtle use of the soundtrack and again the DualSense’s ability to imitate the click clacks of equipment sells the authenticity.
Plot Twist
Immortality is far removed from the conventions of a video game, even for an FMV or visual novel. This isn’t something you’re clicking on for the next thing to happen or obviously blocked by a puzzle mechanic. Instead, the player’s urgency and your intrigue for answers is where you find your own ending. You can roll credits, but I’m sure for most that won’t be enough, as it certainly wasn’t for me.
I can safely say that I was blown away by this experience. The characters, plot and my thoughts on a theoretical level have been ruminating in my head, even dreaming of the process of sifting through clips. It’s an all-encompassing experience that I would recommend to everyone but at the same time no one – if that makes any sense.
Immortality’s confidence in itself and the trust in the process from everyone making it has resulted in a deeply disturbing yet incredibly empathetic experience on how we consume, create and perceive art. Immortality will live forever.
Immortality uses the conventional format of an FMV and tears it apart, only to devour it. And you can’t help but watch it unfold in equal parts horror and awe as the game’s design, plot and acting will consume you too. This is an absolute triumph for Sam Barlow and the team at Half Mermaid and the PS5 is a perfect place to experience it.
Immortality will be released on 23rd January 2024 for PS5 (review platform), PS4 and is available now for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC via Steam.
Developers: Sam Barlow, Half Mermaid
Publisher: Half Mermaid
Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review policy, please go here.
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