Immortality Reviews
Immortality is Sam Barlow's masterpiece, a great drama that revolves around life meaning and the real role of art.
Review in Italian | Read full review
For creator Sam Barlow and his studio Half Mermaid Productions, the push to eccentric cinematography continues with Immortality, as the video game elements fade further into the background. Some may find this odd collection of indie flicks enticing, but many will be disappointed by the lackluster interactivity.
The non-linear narrative is a double-edged sword in Immortality, leaving us with brilliant moments of discovery but also points where the experience is "dismantled". Despite this, it is a truly unique game, essential for those who want to delve into the narrative possibilities of the medium.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
I’m not sure I’ll ever stop wondering about the snakes, the apples, and every other prop laced with subtext. I think that’s what Immortality set out to do; transform how many of us think about, and approach, all forms of media – as well as the people who play a part in shaping it, and shaping our lives in the process.
Nothing less than a whole new genre of video game, that evolves the interactive movie into something that feels dynamic and excitingly different.
Immortality is the antithesis of the belief that games are an art form, as its lofty attempts to establish prestige are built upon the language of another medium entirely (cinema). It relies on the spectacle of the project alone and not the substance, leaving an empty shell confident in but not convinced of its own self-importance.
IMMORTALITY has a thought-provoking narrative; it features unassuming but difficult to master gameplay design, and there’s a harrowing truth to discover, plus plenty of additional mysteries to uncover over subsequent playthroughs. It’s an incredible experience, and I urge you to try it for yourself.
This fascinating game provides an interactive film trilogy, complete with behind-the-scenes footage, to help solve the mystery of missing movie star Marissa Marcel.
Sam Barlow's Immortality switches digital footage for celluloid film, and it's a better fit. His fixation with scrambled narratives has found its natural home, not in the realm of computers, those ghost-free machines, but here, on coils of vulnerable tape.
Of course, these late-game inconveniences also speak to something rare and refreshing: Immortality isn’t designed for convenient completion because it’s fully comfortable with the player not seeing everything. It’s confident enough to merely suggest certain details and concepts, giving us glimpses of certain prickly edges and troubling dynamics without falling back on an overt explanation, a tidy conclusion, or even a break from the verisimilitude of the “found footage” format. It’s an impressively layered work, filled with conflicted thoughts on the concept of the auteur, the collaborative process of art, and the prospect of going too deep in the service of expression. Rather than a clean moral or cautionary tale, Immortality opts for something messier, more complex, and far more likely to endure.
Immortality is many things: a superb character drama, a compelling mystery, and a deconstruction of the relationship between films and their audience. It is a scathing critique of the film industry; it is a biting social commentary. It is terrifying, it is bleakly funny, it is delightfully ambiguous. A leap forward for interactive fiction, Immortality is as playful with form as it is function. Simply put: Immortality is a must-play game.
Somehow, Immortality does the impossible. From its extraordinary cast to the tremendous writing and elegant systems that enable us to interact with every frame of this stunning creation, it really couldn’t have been executed any better. Go in unspoiled, let the interactive story sweep you away, and enjoy all the twists and turns of this masterfully designed game.
Even days after seeing the credits roll, I can’t quit IMMORTALITY. I want to understand more, dig deeper, and find more clips. There’s so much to see here and so many mysteries hidden inside this game, seemingly just one moment of intuition away. I enjoyed Sam Barlow’s past work, particularly Her Story, but I was unprepared for the depth of feeling I found within IMMORTALITY. What he and his team have created is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Immortality is Sam Barlow's most ambitious project. It presents an engrossing narrative, with numerous moments that will amaze you as you discover them. The only downside is that you can end up with repetitive scenes without knowing what to do next.
Immortality is a game that will haunt you. Its sinister atmosphere is exceptionally powerful. Its layered narrative about art and artists will leave you with more thoughts, ideas, and questions than answers. It will have you clambering for someone to seek solace with afterwards. It may very well see you diving back in, hunting for closure with any clues you may have missed – just a few more hints. Something, anything. Immortality is a remarkable piece of work, and an outstanding example of the potency interactive storytelling can have.
Immortality feels like a logical endpoint for the last seven years of Barlow's work. Though his cast has expanded to include a full Smash Bros. roster's worth of characters, and the script has expanded to include three full movies with contributions from several writers, it feels like he has ended up, basically, where he started. Like Her Story, Immortality is really about one woman. As in Her Story, she may not be who you think she is.
Immortality is a stunning game overall. It's a truly effective mystery that has a great understanding of the kind of story it wants to tell and the kind of topics where it wants to peel back the skin. It certainly won't be for everyone, but it's a demanding and brilliant experience for those who want something a little more cerebral.
Immortality takes an alternative path to Sam Barlow's with Her Story and Telling Lies. Abandoned the keyword insertion system seen in previous titles, the author chooses to compose an exclusively visual adventure.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A stunning creation that elevates not just the genre but also the whole industry of story-driven games. If Immortality becomes a cult classic nobody will be surprised.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Immortality is an unusual adventure game with strong David Lynch vibes, and a non-linear narrative style that leaves you clueless in the face of deep and mysterious thriller drama.
Review in Russian | Read full review