IMMORTALITY

About

Immerse yourself in "IMMORTALITY," a single-player horror simulation game with an intriguing story and dense atmosphere. Traverse decades of movie history by exploring lost films of Marissa Marcel, starring in The Monk, Minsky, and Two of Everything. With good music and highly emotional elements, solve the mystery of these unreleased movies through cinematic scene-teleporting gameplay.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,033 reviews

story229 positive mentions

grinding45 negative mentions

Immortality offers a unique and deeply unsettling mystery that keeps players engaged and guessing.
The performances, characters, and writing are fantastic, making the experience memorable and emotionally impactful.
The game features a novel mechanic of navigating through clips by clicking on objects and characters, creating a sense of discovery and intrigue.

The gameplay can become tedious as players may find themselves clicking randomly to unlock new clips, leading to frustration.
The lack of clear direction and progress tracking can leave players feeling lost and unsure of what to do next.
Some players may find the supernatural elements and themes of the story to be off-putting or poorly executed.

story
846 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
69%
4%
The story of "Immortality" is a complex and layered narrative that unfolds through the exploration of three fictional films featuring actress Marissa Marcel. Players piece together the overarching mystery of her disappearance and the films' production through a non-linear format, which some find engaging and thought-provoking, while others criticize it for being confusing and lacking the detective agency present in the developer's previous titles, "Her Story" and "Telling Lies." Overall, the game is praised for its ambitious storytelling and strong performances, though the gameplay mechanics can detract from the experience, leading to mixed feelings about the narrative's delivery.
- “The story is multilayered and gradually revealed as more of the game is uncovered.”
- “The acting talent on display was also truly mind-blowing, with characters playing characters and an immense effort going into portraying the meta-story alongside the movie stories.”
- “The more you learn about the story, the more haunting it becomes, and although I'm not typically a fan of scares or existential dread, I found myself glued to the screen.”
- “Unfortunately, after that moment there's not much left to experience - the overarching story is, in my opinion, dull and pointless, and the monologues are mostly generic and boring.”
- “The randomness of this mechanic compared to the methodical inquisitive nature of games such as 'Her Story' and 'Telling Lies' is disappointing.”
- “The actual information when I got it was amazing, and I was figuring out more about the story up until literally the last video clip that I found.”
gameplay
322 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
77%
9%
The gameplay in "Immortality" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and lacking in depth compared to previous titles by Sam Barlow. The core mechanic involves clicking on objects in video clips to unlock new scenes, which can feel repetitive and frustrating, especially towards the end of the game. While some appreciate the unique narrative approach and the integration of film elements, others criticize the gameplay for being overly simplistic and not rewarding critical thinking, leading to a disconnect between the engaging story and the mechanics used to explore it.
- “The gameplay is minimalist but... wow!”
- “The central gameplay mechanic of how you discover new footage is fascinating.”
- “If you love film, narrative-driven games and unconventional mechanics, this one is definitely for you.”
- “The gameplay is worse than her story and somehow also worse than telling lies.”
- “The gameplay part is very small: except switching from a sequence to another by clicking on various elements on screen, you won’t have to do a lot of things with the joypad.”
- “The cardinal sin of this game is that the gameplay starts and ends with you randomly clicking on items and characters in hopes that you get a new scene, along with scrubbing some clips in reverse, forward, reverse again.”
optimization
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
36%
10%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant issues such as stuttering, frame skipping, and long loading times, which detract from the overall enjoyment. While the performances and narrative are highly praised, the technical performance, particularly in video playback, has been criticized as poor, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience for some users. Despite these challenges, the game's strong acting and storytelling elements may still appeal to those willing to overlook the optimization flaws.
- “The performances are magnetic with only a few exceptions.”
- “Stellar performances from the whole cast and especially Manon Gage and Charlotta Mohlin!”
- “Incredible performances.”
- “The gameplay is not very optimized.”
- “Many people online complain about stuttering and I have a problem where the game takes ages to load, preventing me from even moving my mouse upon leaving a clip and going back to the grid of clips and images I've unlocked.”
- “Running this on a PC with the recommended specifications, the FMVs are unwatchable and have severe stuttering and buffering issues.”
grinding
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, particularly towards the end, where players must engage in extensive clicking and searching for hidden clips. While some players find the initial experience rewarding and the story intriguing, many express frustration with the lack of clear direction and the randomization of content, leading to a sense of wasted time. Overall, the gameplay's grindiness detracts from the narrative experience, making it difficult for some to recommend the game despite its compelling elements.
- “The gameplay itself is quite repetitive, tedious, and, as far as I know, relies a lot on randomness.”
- “However, the gameplay got tedious towards the end, as I had to click on increasingly more items to discover decreasingly fewer new clips.”
- “This is no small achievement, but it has its downside - by the time the player has found maybe half the scenes for each movie, they will likely have an idea of what the whole picture looks like, which makes the back half of the game somewhat tedious and unsatisfying.”
emotional
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its profound impact, with players describing it as one of the most emotionally powerful experiences they've encountered. The non-linear narrative, combined with strong performances and unsettling themes, evokes a range of feelings from curiosity to compassion, making players feel deeply connected to the story and characters. Despite some criticisms regarding pacing and complexity, many reviewers highlight the game's ability to elicit genuine emotional responses, making it a standout in the medium.
- “The non-linear story, centered around the mysterious disappearance of an actress, unfolds in a way that’s both unsettling and emotionally powerful.”
- “Very few games have affected me emotionally as much as this one.”
- “This game presents one of the strongest and most emotional moments in gaming from 2022, carried by similarly powerful performances from the actors of the game.”
music
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
54%
11%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and emotional impact of scenes, while others find it repetitive and lacking in variety. The original soundtrack, composed by Nainita Desai, is noted for its high production quality and effective integration into gameplay, though some players feel it could benefit from more diverse background options. Overall, while the music contributes significantly to the game's mood, opinions vary on its overall effectiveness and engagement over extended play.
- “The acting is insane, the OST is awesome, and the lore is simply perfection.”
- “Great music that connects magically all the scenes together and enhances the overall atmosphere in the best possible way.”
- “Amazing set of cast delivering amazing performances, doubled with an absolutely godlike musical score and sound design.”
- “I would love to have more background music variety; after playing for hours hunting for scenes, it tends to become stale and repetitive.”
- “The soundtrack, on the other hand, is kind of weak.”
- “The music serves as an eerie backdrop while perusing the menus and various scenes, encouraging a mysterious atmosphere.”
graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
58%
16%
The graphics of the game are praised for their artistic execution and aesthetic appeal, effectively emulating the visual styles of various film eras. While the visuals are described as captivating and integral to the storytelling, some users noted the presence of glitches and a significant amount of graphic content that may not be suitable for all players. Overall, the combination of high-quality visuals and immersive atmosphere contributes to a unique cinematic experience, despite criticisms regarding gameplay.
- “The game offers some nice graphics and a superb aesthetic; although there are some ugly glitches here and there, it is pleasant all the same and has a nice art style.”
- “I applaud the high level execution of the visuals, the wonderful acting, and the overall atmosphere.”
- “One big positive: the movie does a fantastic job aesthetically emulating the movies from the periods of cinema it's chosen to cover.”
- “This game is very creative in both its storytelling techniques and its visuals, but at the end of the day, it just fails in the 'being a good game' department.”
- “There is not much to say about 'Immortality's' graphics in the traditional video game sense.”
- “This is an interactive movie, so the graphics are just that, the live-action movie.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
8%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, effectively blending unsettling visuals, strong character development, and haunting music to create a chilling experience. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke genuine fear and a sense of mystery, making it a standout in atmospheric storytelling. Overall, the combination of artistic execution and a brooding ambiance contributes significantly to the game's impact.
- “I applaud the high level execution of the visuals, the wonderful acting, and the overall atmosphere.”
- “[b] 'Immortality' is definitely a masterpiece of narration with a unique structure of blended stories, fantastically built characters, and a dark, immersive atmosphere.”
- “At times, I was genuinely scared by the eerie atmosphere and the unsettling truths that emerged.”
- “Like they were forced in there in order to elevate the game artistically without really contributing to the story or the atmosphere.”
- “The music serves as an eerie backdrop while perusing the menus and various scenes, encouraging a mysterious atmosphere.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and obscure the narrative. While the graphics and aesthetic are praised, the persistent framerate problems and visual/audio glitches detract from the overall experience. Despite these challenges, some players find the story compelling enough to endure the technical difficulties.
- “However, the game is a bit buggy, and I did miss a good chunk of the story because of it.”
- “Though at times still a bit buggy, the narrative and the overall backstory and lore are so worth the effort.”
- “So the secrets are usually hinted at with some sort of 'glitch,' either visual or audio, but I'd get so many bad framerate issues or other glitches that I cannot tell what were secrets and what were just issues the game had running on my computer.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as both random and impactful, with moments that shift quickly from funny to scary, contributing to an emotional rollercoaster experience. While some find the blend of humor and deeper themes engaging, others suggest it may be overrated, particularly in the context of discussions from gaming commentators.
- “The plot is an emotional rollercoaster that takes you from funny to scary in just a few seconds.”
- “Immortality is exciting, terrifying, mysterious, funny, sexy, thoughtful, and deep.”
- “It is funny that you can investigate objects, but it just feels so random.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
The game exhibits high replay value for some players, while others caution that it lacks true replayability. This mixed feedback suggests that individual experiences may vary significantly.
- “The game offers high replay value, with multiple paths and endings to explore.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh due to the diverse character choices and dynamic storylines.”
- “I love how the game encourages experimentation, making me want to replay it to discover new outcomes.”
- “But it has no replayability, though, be warned.”
- “Once you finish the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying feel pointless.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
Character development is praised for its quality, with strong performances enhancing the experience, particularly highlighted in the character arc of Marissa.
- “The acting is good, and character development is enjoyable.”
- “The variety of performance can be particularly seen in the character development of Marissa.”
- “The character development in this game feels shallow and uninspired.”
- “I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; they lacked depth and complexity.”
- “The characters don't evolve in meaningful ways, making it hard to connect with their journeys.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is centered around the journey of a character transitioning from television ads to securing movie roles, ultimately building her reputation and brand in the entertainment industry.