Biblical allegories in interpolations of ‘Immortality’ (2022)

Abstract

This article discusses the excerpts with biblical content interpolated in Immortality (2022), a game from Half Mermaid Productions, directed by Sam Barlow. It features excerpts from three fictional films, Ambrosio (1968), Minsky (1970), and Two of Everything (1999). The protagonist, Marissa Marcel (Manon Gage), is the connecting link between the three films. Searching for clues to the actress’s whereabouts, the player must find the footage for key moments by rewinding and speeding up the tapes. Furthermore, the player encounters interpolated films with characters telling a biblical story. This text addresses gameplay issues related to studies by Espen Aarseth (1997) and how games work, then addresses the biblical allegories found in the interpolated videos. Therefore, the aim is to question how these allegories are represented in the game and what themes they address.