Uploaded October 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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A spiralling examination/interpretation of Sam Barlow/Half Mermaid's latest postmodern FMV mystery game, IMMORTALITY. I go in-depth with my interpretation at around 9:10 (with images of the game's hook being shown from around 6:10), so maybe stop there if you want to avoid anything remotely related to spoilers.

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Podcast - http://anchor.fm/writingongamescast

Second Channel - youtube.com/channel/UC1xxfS_HILi09yaELQdmV1A

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After playing through IMMORTALITY, trawling through and analysing its hours of filmed footage relating to the life and times of promising young actress Marissa Marcel, I'm not sure I'm any closer to answers to the questions it made me ask. As with Sam Barlow's other work, however, the answer is never the point—very few artistic works have gotten me to question the very nature of art itself like IMMORTALITY has. If that's not high praise, I don't know what is. It's short, amazing and on Game Pass—play it.

Her Story was the game that ultimately started this channel back in 2015, so it feels nice to talk about Sam Barlow's latest release.

0:00 - AN AUTEUR WARY OF AUTEURS
2:57 - MECHANICAL STORYTELLING
5:12 - DESTABILISING HORROR
8:19 - AN IMPERFECT GAME
9:10 - THE "CORRECT" REALITY
11:20 - ART, CONTROL AND YOU
14:33 - WHAT HAPPENED TO MARISSA MARCEL
15:25 - A SINGULAR VISION COLLABORATED UPON

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Thumbnail by Hotcyder - twitter.com/hotcyder
Text intro animation by Isaac Holland - twitter.com/drazgames