The Single Best Gaming Moment of 2022

There is no band! Il n'y a pas d'orchestre! This is all a tape-recording. No hay banda! And yet we hear a band. | Watch the intended cut of this video and directly support me by joining Nebula at go.nebula.tv/j...
Watch the intended, uncensored cut of this video on Nebula: nebula.tv/vide...
Support me: / jacobgeller
Follow me at: / yacobg42
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Immortality Explained by Sam Gowing: • Immortality | Story Ex...
Visual Media used: Immortality, Mulholland Drive, Her Story, Telling Lies, Beautiful Darling- The Life of Candy Darling, Women in Revolt, Berlin: Live at Ann’s Warehouse, various concert recordings of Anohni and Lou Reed. Additional footage provided by Getty Images.
Music Used (Chronologically): Allegretto (Beethoven Symphony no. 7), Opening, Life- Supernatural (Immortality), Etude no. 3 for String Quartet (Peter Sandberg), Quiet When Dark (The Tap Room), Art, Religion- Subverted, Religion- Supernatural (Immortality), Ave Maria, Poets (Ciaran Delany), Two of Everything (Immortality). Additional music provided by Epidemic Sound.
Thumbnail Credit: / hotcyder
Description Credit: Mulholland Drive

[@JacobGeller]

There are 50+ changes between this version on KZbin and my intended cut on Nebula. Everything from simple imagery (Immortality is a game with a lot of nudity) to full passages that had to be excised from the script. Most meaningfully to me, the video is about music and in the KZbin cut I can't... play the music. Watch the version that I wanted to make right here: nebula.tv/videos/jacob-geller-the-best-moment-in-a-game-this-year

[@iantophernicus6042]

I always feel a bit sad when I show up to one of these videos, but I have to go back to work or sleep and I don't have anything interesting to comment. It's like showing up to a great party with a loaf of bread. It has some nutritional value, but pales in comparison to the rest of the spread.

[@ecbossc9035]

​@@45545videos The patreon links to the youtube version

[@TubususCZ]

@fck peace Jacob didn't forget, he says it pretty clearly at 2:23. The point is to uncover what that game - the clips, the movies (the plot of which he intentionally doesn't go into, because it isn't relevant to the video's topic) and the story around them - is all about. If you have trouble understanding what Jacob says, you can switch on English subtitles, but that's about all that anyone can do (and I find him pretty easy to understand anyway).

[@ShaunCheah]

After I was done with the game (and after I watched Adventure Vault's videos on KZbin of every scene (and subverted scene) in order on KZbin to make sure I'd seen it all), I thought of how perfect the story would be for one of Wendigoon's deep dives. Turns out a Jacob Geller video essay is fantastic, also, and a pretty wonderful surprise; if I'd've put money on anyone in this genre covering it first, though, I probably would've gone for Leadhead.

[@IrishMorgenstern]

Could you help get James Somerton on Nebula?

[@Wendigoon]

Watched this on Nebula but came back here to let everyone know that Jacob knocked it out of the park...again. The nebula version was well worth it and as with most of his work, it will most likely change me as a person for the foreseeable future and against my will. "A kinder, collective immortality", well done.

[@Skrimbi]

Wendigoon ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

[@ShaunCheah]

I literally just wrote a comment about how awesome I thought a deep dive by Wendigoon on this story would be, so scrolling down to discover that he's not only aware of it but also deeply engaged with its content is super, super exciting.

[@anishmyfriend]

Watching this on Nebula was well worth it. The scenes in the original game are haunting to see in their full glory. What a story.

[@alexspeake9359]

Change your name boy

[@noodle8259]

@@alexspeake9359 fr

[@Vinkhol]

Oh boy, new Jacob Geller essay! Cant wait to be existentially horrified by some concept I've never given a second of thought to before!

[@bustedinsevenseconds1678]

Annnnnd there it is

[@blakksheep736]

Well? Were you?

[@littlebreadlive6232]

The dementia video still frightens me

[@innrex9028]

@@littlebreadlive6232 Whats the title?

[@littlebreadlive6232]

@@innrex9028 fear of forgetting

[@thrownstair]

Jacob’s the only KZbinr that I purposefully don’t watch right away because I seriously have to consider playing the games he’s talking about first. EDIT: I played it, Sam Barlow’s FMV detective games are 3/3. I’m ready to watch this now.

[@noahherman1631]

I do the exact same thing lmao... I don't have enough money to watch his videos anymore 😭

[@thekingslayer2178]

I don’t watch at first cuz I dunno if I’m gonna be ready for the existential crisis

[@dandelionsandcyanide8143]

same here! i have to wait until i can give his videos my full attention, some things i can just throw on my second monitor and multitask, but his videos are too good not to give it 100% of my attention

[@dawsonrudis4642]

Yeah I need to remember this bc I was like nah I don’t need to play this one, these movie clip video games seem dumb to me. I regretted that.

[@DonoGaming]

I did this for Disco Elysium and it was an amazing decision. I've never heard a creator be so serious about saying "you need to play this and avoid spoilers", so I took it to heart. What an incredible experience and Jacob's video added so much to it.

[@AnveshaTrip]

I also interpreted the game as the actors becoming immortal through their art. Especially since when you end the game the clips collapse to reveal the one saying "I'm part of you now" cause now that we have seen it all she is always immortal in our memory

[@Vermic12]

It's striking that this literally immortal being still feels a need to achieve immortality through art.

[@ZedAmadeus]

"You're gonna carry that weight."

[@JosephTheAustin]

I think that was entirely the idea. The immortals symbolize the desire to elevate humanity through artistic expressions. There’s a bit where the One discusses how every war has been between the Law and the Artist. It’s a metaphor for the Artist’s side of that endless battle.

[@anonymouswhite7957]

I think he does mentioned this in the video near the end. It’s also a well known form of immortality for us as a social species, memetic immortality. People, what they do, what they created are reduced to information and propagated between generations. Only downside is ideas are fickle, they are easy subjects to alteration (be it conscious or unconscious) and being forgotten

[@anonymouswhite7957]

@@JosephTheAustin I think the reverse can also be true for them (well at least for the one). Like the one mentioning the war between the law and the artist, might be symbolizing how the one pursuit of understanding/being human through artistic means is like an asymptote because of the nature of their makeup. Ultimately futile attempts that can only get you increasingly closer but never achieve it. An artist’s endless battle

[@kylemarik688]

I think one part you missed touching on story wise, is that at least part of the reason The One is falling apart at the end is because she attempted to take two forms simultaneously, of both Marissa and the director, in an attempt to fully remove the human element that had caused her previous attempts at art to fail. I see that as why, or at least partially why, the final movie is subjectibely less... artistically significant than the first two. It is fully The One trying to do what they can't, be human, ironically while "being" 2. It's also physically too much to bear, causing The Other to worry, and ultimately for the forms to fall apart

[@JacobGeller]

That's a great point

[@Reqviemus]

Its also a movie about living as someone else, and how attached to the person you live as you can get. I dont think its less artistically significant, just more personal (and relating very idiosynchratic experience)

[@brendenlyske59]

Adding on to that, there's the story of The Other that gets missed here (granted, this video focuses more on The One). The Other ends up taking the form of Carl Greenwood to interfere with the making of the second movie. That's why Marissa shoots him during filming (an "accident"). The Other is killed when Carl's body is cremated - the only way to kill an immortal, as described in the interview scene with The One. However, Amy Archer at some point watches Carl's work and in doing so, is somehow taken over by The Other. After the last scene, when The One is immolated by The Other (as Amy), returning to the clips menu causes the clips to fall away, revealing The One. She proclaims that she is now part of us, the audience. I think the game, in-universe, was put together by The Other to allow The One to live on in her art the way that she intended. It says a lot about the way art impacts its viewers and how artists live on in their work. This is a game that will sit with me for the rest of my life.

[@OGMillwood]

Excellent point. I remember thinking I had things pretty well figured out until I got to the final film, then found myself puzzled by the director disappearing in the hidden scenes. Eventually came to the same conclusion you did - which makes perfect sense in the context of her needing more / feeling unfulfilled / wanting to create something that was fully hers. God damn this game was brilliant.

[@Chameleonradio]

@@brendenlyske59 It's also worth noting that Amy is "still there" in some sense that the one and the other's previous hosts were not. It's a gentler way to take on those experiences that doesn't require so much violence.

[@charlottakarinmohlin]

This means so much to me. Thank you!

[@cvabent]

The One and only! You are an utterly breathtaking artist. Thank you for what you do.

[@ar6543]

You gave a fantastic performance in this game

[@charlottakarinmohlin]

@@ar6543 thank you!

[@karue7581]

Absolutely amazing work!

[@charlottakarinmohlin]

@@karue7581 thank you!

[@BigHotGarbage]

God this is phenomenal. It reminds me strongly of Bo butnham’s “can’t handle this” which I know sounds stupid but in that song he is preforming. He is doing what he is paid to do and he is breaking down. He has said himself that he was having severe panic attacks behind the stage and it almost happens to him live. It’s horrible but in a way it’s beautiful. “Watch as he attempts to give you what he cannot give himself”

[@toppersundquist]

I hope you're happy.

[@665Sunshine]

@@toppersundquist weirdchamp

[@Kiss_My_Aspergers]

@@665Sunshine They're quoting the special, dude.

[@djscrewfan310]

very hard for me to feel sympathy for bo burnham in the way i do for anyone in this video

[@greanbeen2816]

@@djscrewfan310 and what did he do, weezerfan310??

[@huggingtentacles]

Jacob releasing a video is like him walking into my mind house and going "do you mind if I rearrange some things" and after not waiting for an answer, turning the entire room upside down and leaving. And I'm here for it.

[@alexpatterson5471]

Jacob… you made me cry again. The Golem wasn’t enough for you?!? You had to go and create another melancholic yet beautiful gut punch. Well done!

[@jordangill291]

Pretentious twaddle

[@LostLargeCats]

@@jordangill291 I hope you find someone who will truly love you.

[@jordangill291]

@@LostLargeCats there's plenty who love me. It seems to me, that no one loves you enough. Otherwise you wouldn't come to the comment section of youtube seeking and pretending to like pretentious twaddle.

[@lindboknifeandtool]

@@jordangill291 yeah that’ll show em! Goofy ass.

[@EversonBernardes]

Kinda reminds me a bit of the conclusion to Annihilation (the movie, not the book): The alien entity starts imitating Lena's form, then movements, behavior and then, finally, to completely replicate her, it imitates her thirst for self-destruction. You can't really experience humanity without experiencing finality.

[@RFieth]

Glad I'm not the only one who thought of Annihilation when playing this.

[@Reqviemus]

I especially love how the three movies reflect how our understanding of The One develops. Ambrosio is about a young, beautiful girl who is secretly an evil entity. Minsky is about how art can be used as a tool to mask evil and corruption. Finally Two of Everything is about the living someone elses life and unique pain and loneliness it caused. Also I think The One loves art do much because it reflects how she experiences life - she momentarily immerses herself in another persons life, feels their emotions and traumas, but still she is distanced from them and then it ends and another life becomes the focus. Just like watching one movie after another.

[@JosephTheAustin]

Great catch! The meta narrative is brilliant

[@NecoLumi]

Holy shit that's a great take

[@junekaplan165]

The concept of a "vampire" that inherits it's victim's trauma is such an interesting idea to me. It'd be interesting to see it explored in a slightly more, um, comprehensible medium.

[@LAL7887]

That's something similar with iZombie, about a zombie that gets the talents and memories of the people whose brains she eats

[@duh_vinchy]

I'm so envious of your ability to talk at length of these obscure and specific feelings that you extract from particular scenes. You manage to capture them in their totality, so succinctly, runtime notwithstanding, but even so the time passes so easily. Your videos are an absolute delight.

[@VinegarAndSaltedFries]

The fact that this is a KZbin video based on a video game based on a song cover of a song,based on an Andy Warhol character, based on a person. It is just a reminder of why I love humans so much. Absolutely amazing work gave me chills and hope and….just incredible.

[@adri7352]

Jacob, you have such a way of reminding me I'm alive and that I won't always be, and how much more beautiful this time is because of that. Thank you.

[@spectacularstevie118]

this puts my feelings after this video into words, thank you for this comment

[@feliiiciiiano]

It's a shame Charlotta Mohlin never got a nomination for this year's Game Awards. She stole every scene she's in!

[@Ianthe1]

Her performance alone is most of what kept me on this story experience.

[@charlottakarinmohlin]

Thank you🙂

[@toni90227]

Wholeheartedly agree. What a shame.

[@ericraguzin]

@@charlottakarinmohlin Oh wow it's actually you. What did you think of the interpretation in this video?

[@charlottakarinmohlin]

@@ericraguzin I thought it was absolutely beautiful.

[@C0n0li0]

I cannot stress enough how important watching the Nebula version is. If you are financially able, I highly recommend watching it there. If not, I hope that at some point there is a supportive way to still do so.

[@callum6224]

i watched it for free, you can watch your first nebula video for free btw

[@alfonsoarroyo3283]

"I can't remember all the faces". Jesus, what a line.

[@figgy3778]

I can’t even count anymore how many times your essays have made me audibly go, “holy shit, Jacob!” For the record, even watching this extremely censored cut, without the proper music, and with no context of the game except what you provided, I broke down when you first showed “the scene”. It’s viscerally affecting in the way something like a Rothko painting is, and I’m not ashamed to say this is far from the first time I’ve had this reaction to your essays. Fucking brilliant work as always, truly one of the best doing it right now

[@shytendeakatamanoir9740]

How he manages to do this not once or twice but (nearly) every video is truly something else.

[@cassiedevereaux-smith3890]

When I heard Candy Says, I knew I need to play this. "Candy Says, "I'm come to hate my body and all that it requires in this world,' words I feel in my bones. RIP Candy Darling.

[@mcmillan.2k]

I've been struggling with my trans identity. Not sure if I really am. But that... that weirdly reassured me in a way. That hits really hard.

[@CarelessFoolFallsFlat]

Good lord, the final monologue hits so much harder when you can hear Anohni singing over it. Also, Jacob was right: that Jesus revelation _was_ nuts. I've never seen another work of fiction that had Jesus as a vampire. I _have,_ however, seen an anime where he had a vampire sister.

[@radio6sussex823]

Ayy, a Lupin IIIrd fan, in the wild?

[@feliiiciiiano]

Midnight Mass also portrayed Catholics to be bloodthirsty freaks.

[@michaelandrews117]

The 2021 show Midnight Mass has a Bible X Vampire story written & directed by Mike Flanagan. Really fantastic show about faith.

[@vero-kd8vg]

It reminds me of the Mandela catalogue, an analog horror video series about Satan secretly taking Jesus' place (and a lot of other things that are hard to follow lol)

[@paolomilanicomparetti3702]

Gabriel Knight 3 definitely had a Jesus vampire connection, but I don't remember the details...

[@arborwin]

I saw Lou Reed perform with Anohni back in the aughts. He absolutely adored her and her voice and said so up on stage, talking about how she sung his songs better than himself. I'm so glad to see the contents of this song and what it means be represented by a piece of media this way having grown up with it. It's a transcendent song...

[@samg0]

Thanks for the shout-out, Jacob! 💙 Immortality is my game of the year, without a doubt. Nothing comes close in terms of subverting and surpassing expectations -- not only in the story being told but the WAY it is being told. It is truly a landmark for videogame narratives.

[@JamesV1]

Your video is fantastic, although I wish I watched yours first!

[@Ianthe1]

I would call rather call it a player driven experience than a video game. Not much typical "game" to this experience but pulls you in for the story in an interactive way to make you feel part of the story. Somehow I "finished" it a little over half through discovering everything but went back and found so much that brought the story together. The actors performances are beyond what any typical game presents and bring a lot to the experience.

[@AudoPlay]

@@Ianthe1 a game does not need typical gameplay to be a game.

[@DianeSteele]

This video made me cry, it's genuinely uncanny how well you manage to just grab me and drag me through every single ounce of emotion you poured into this video, thank you.

[@kyleforbes6048]

Thanks to you Jacob, I have now heard Candy Says for the first time, the original, the cover, and the two singing together....and it brought me to massive tears. It's a work of art, and I thank you dearly for introducing me to it.

[@sataprescott7588]

Watched on Nebula. I literally wept. I did not know about Anohni, and the extended web of context and meaning between these three entities: Lou Reed, Candy Darling, and Anohni, their public and private existences, and the power of this shared and inherited storytelling. While Geller suggests that the characters aren't specifically transgender (and are in fact beyond gender through their supernatural existence), I'd instead argue that this is one of the foundational trans stories. I am a trans person, and before the question came up in the essay, I immediately recognized trans storytelling. Not that this makes the characters "trans" in the literal sense, of course. Beautiful work. Thank you for sharing this moment with me, as I would have never encountered it otherwise.

[@BobDole1216]

Yeah, as another trans person the inclination to see anything involving shapeshifting as a trans allegory is always there, but it felt like this game was screaming it from the earliest shots. ❤️

[@mcmillan.2k]

I'm also trans. I think. I wish I was smart enough to get that. however. The lyrics to "Candy Says", specifically "I've come to hate my body, and all that it requires in this world." Fuck.

[@ren-db1ch]

It actually kinda stung to hear the essayist stress that this is not a trans story but like, Geller is (presumably) cis and I don't think he's really capable of seeing/feeling exactly how queer and trans this is as he lacks the experiential piece needed. 😅

[@1996Tanawuts]

oh my god! same! before he metioned it, i was like.. this feels like a trans story to me. then i knee slapped myself when he said it.

[@karenamyx2205]

​@@ren-db1ch How you see or feel about it is irrelevant to whether the artist intends for immortal beings to be trans. This is a terrible argument. The part that is up to you, is how you interpret the art. So obviously if it hits home as an allegory for your trans state of being, then of course thats gonna resonate for you. Which is fine. Its a great thing to find art that speaks to our human condition. However, to bash his analysis or imply that its inaccurate or inauthentic simply because he doesn't happen to be trans is... naive. And entitled. And short sighted. They are literally immortal beings that swap bodies. They have presumably been men AND woman, many times over. They are factually beyond gender at that point. Obviously there is a thematic similarity to transgenderism, considering the song choice and singers. But to just say they are literally just trans and he can't say they arent because he isnt trans is... just an unpleasant take. Be better.

[@k1rkpad]

FINALLY an essay on Immortality. Thank you very VERY much for exposing people to this masterpiece. Never have I gasped and been locked in place before by a game. Literally petrified cried by the ending.

[@k1rkpad]

Got CS/Nebula just to watch this right the first time. Used your code! Thanks!!!

[@Ianthe1]

It's an experience not a game in my opinion. Between the story and the actors performances we are just witness to push it along.

[@joseanemaria]

24:17 - the answer is "you". Feels like is the black mirror effect. When she leaves, the black screen becomes a mirror of our reaction. I felt that.

[@fatality4272]

I love you jacob

[@CalvinChikelue]

"It's no Kratos vs Thor but I guess it's OK", I say through a flood of tears & sobbing. Another fantastic video, Jacob! I instantly went to buy every version of "Candy Says" I could find on iTunes. As someone who didn't really click with Telling Lies or Her Story, I'm happy to see this had such a powerful emotional core that I personally never got from the previous projects. Used my free Nebula sample to watch your preferred version & as other commenters have mentioned it was well worth it.

[@TheASBSS]

This scene was the first one I saw with The One. The parallel of them both singing, the ambiance and mystery of this character hiding inside the video, and that absolutely amazing acting from Charlotta Mohlin made me feel so many different feelings. This game was a true work of passion, and one deserving of Immortality.

[@charlottakarinmohlin]

Thank you!

[@HaKmonkey]

You just changed what that game was for me and made me realize that I miss looking at games as art that take us on adventures and tell us stories. I’ve been playing them as time fillers and some games are, but now I want to try to look at them differently. The video brought tears and it was wonderful. Thank you for making it.

[@Ianthe1]

It's an experience more than a game at least in the typical "game" sense. If only more story driven games would take note of how well the actors help this story be told with their performances.

[@jaystreizer5151]

Fun fact: my prof actually screened this video in class as part of our lesson materials. Initially, I thought this game was artsy shlock, but after seeing this video, I felt an intense urge to download and play the game for myself. I spent like, 3 days trying to find everything, and the moment 'Candy Says' started up, I felt the tears starting. Most times I'd encounter The One in my playthrough, I had such a visceral reaction of fear, but this time, it was strange, artistic, and moving. I can only hope the person who made this game keeps making more games like this.

[@Ianthe1]

Charlotta Mohlin's performance throughout the entire "game" is an absolute experience. And you don't have to be transgender to connect with such a performance of such a great song.

[@charlottakarinmohlin]

Thank you so much!

[@Ianthe1]

@@charlottakarinmohlin Of course!!! Not to put down any of the other great actors but you really brought the whole thing to life. Not just from this single performance. I spent hours digging through all the scenes hoping to find more or your great acting. So thank you! Hope to see you again in future works... possibly a feature movie?!

[@lazysunset442]

Being a trans woman myself, you have no idea how happy I am everytime I learn about a game out there that talks about, or at least features, transgender people irl respectfully. Candy Says is a goddamn masterpiece and I'll 100% have to play Immortality

[@keystep8669]

Based as fuck

[@kevinsundelin8639]

As a trans man, I am even more intrigued by this video now

[@keystep8669]

@@stephen6631 "force society" lmao Calm down there.

[@rachelblake2350]

"Unfortunately before my death I had no desire left for life ... I am just so bored by everything. You might say bored to death. Did you know I couldn't last. I always knew it. I wish I could meet you all again." - Candy Darling As a trans person, this video really moved me. Thank you.

[@xanderdaniels8284]

This will be great to curb my existential dread during my lunch break in a few hours. Love you Jacob

[@shredjward]

hows that existential dread feeling now? lol

[@einarthegolden8637]

Enjoy your Lunch soon mate!

[@strawberrysoupiii4801]

i just. holy shit. i cannot express how gorgeous this one was (back from the nebula version). The song and its history and its meaning and in that context,,,, i feel like a fish that's been filleted

[@innrex9028]

so where are you going, up or down?

[@strawberrysoupiii4801]

@@innrex9028 up. while I'd love to become an eldritch amalgamation of fish, i just cant pass up the opportunity to be Crispy

[@magoranine4084]

I loved the game. Convinced a friend to play and we’ve been talking about it for weeks. But I didn’t realize how many scenes I didn’t see. The game ended for me and I never saw the scene you based this video on. I never saw the one in the mirror, or a few of the others shown here. It’s wild how different of an interpretation I got from what I wasn’t shown.

[@Ianthe1]

I "finished" the "game" with barely over half the scenes and hidden scenes discovered. Not sure how I managed that but I just followed the story intuitively and didn't bother focusing on certain objects and it lead me to the "ending". Immediately went back to it and started digging through scenes more and more until I fully realized that this isn't a game but an experience. It's a joy to dig through a story as obscure as this one was and especially with the actors performances. So much to be interpreted!

[@WorthTheWool]

One of the few content creators I can safely assume the video is a banger before I've even watched it

[@sci7zo]

I was in my last year of high school in 2013 when I stumbled on to Lou Reed. I loved his music and binged it on youtube with my parent's shitty heughs net connection. Growing up on Rush, Radiohead, Frank Zappa, etc from my dad and then discovering Depeche Mode, The Ramones, and The Rolling Stones through my mom I was surprised I never heard of him before. It was about the same week he died too. It was really upsetting to discover him and be excited about him to then learn he passed away. Now I'm almost 30. I came out as trans a few years ago. It feels affirming to know he was such an ally.

[@AlanLaraLobo]

Immediatly ran to watch it on Nebula. Your essays are sooo good that I really want to watch and listen to without YT's ridiculous restricitions. Thank you for the unchained version

[@cogsworther1639]

Jacob Geller is one of the few creators who just, routinely, blows my mind with his video essays. The consistency is impressive.

[@joefromthebardo8273]

You might get this a lot but you truly are my favorite narrator/ storyteller/ writer. Your content is highly underrated.

[@brodielopez1952]

Jacob Geller is the only man who could convince me to buy Nebula

[@elijahmanges1541]

Well, three days later, I finally finished playing the game so I could finish this video. Honestly one of the best games I've EVER played.

[@lucasmarques1045]

Watched on nebula (I think it was free because it was my first video? Idk) and damn, when you got to that scene again and explained it with all the context my eyes watered for real. They really produced something special and human (unironically) with this game

[@LuveenWadhwani]

Sure, this song is transcendent and exemplifies the spirit of the game's title. But Two of Everything is such a bop - my favorite of the soundtrack lol

[@scottdick296]

It's such an earworm. I had that song in my head for days after playing the game.

[@alexanderdesmouceaux4395]

This game reminds me of "the hunger", all the pain that comes from a eternal life, being a vampire, the queer themes, etc. Even the vampire on the game looks a lot like David Bowie

[@jeremysmith4620]

I got those exact same "The Hunger" vibes and the plot also gives off a related feel to Bowie's role as Thomas Jerome Newton in "The Man Who Fell to Earth." Both absolute classics.

[@gorimbaud]

And hey, Bowie did produce Lou Reed's best known solo album, even playing acoustic guitar in Walk on the Wild Side.

[@downwithfun]

Incredible video. Immortality hit me super hard with that emotional resonance you speak about, even if a lot of the meaning went over my head until reading about others' thoughts. I'm amazed it got the budget that it did given how niche its appeal is, but hot damn I'm glad it did. One of the best and most unique gaming experiences I've ever had

[@jobekka]

I think you have a more sympathetic, philosophical interpretation of the immolation footage, which makes the game as a whole take on a more hopeful tone. When I played it, I read that scene very much within the game canon. I got a "The one's gonna do to you what the other one did to amy. Congrats, the one is inside you as we speak!" sort of message out of it, so I got more unnerved than anything.

[@kingjamesbond4009]

Honestly when my dad finished the game the best he could say about it is this is what Wes Anderson would do if he had the ability to make video games.

[@seandevine5836]

Wes Anderson couldn’t do this if he was immortal

[@HugoMakesMusic]

@@seandevine5836 holy shit you killed him!

[@screwtapee]

@@HugoMakesMusic couldn’t kill him if he was immortal

[@HugoMakesMusic]

@@screwtapee oop! Yeah you're right! Thank ypu for correcting my *grave* error

[@nvrndingsmmr]

@@seandevine5836 Wait, do you not like Wes Anderson? Wes Anderson rules.

[@tranquility1991]

I watched on Nebula and have no regrets. The multi-layered meaning of immortality(/"Immortality"), the mourning of a life one will never get to have, the *music*...just. Tears. This one will stay with me for a long time.

[@TheWigwaggle]

I was a slacker in school, i never applied myself. always thought it wouldnt be important. Every time i watch one of your videos i am pleased someone took the time to apply themselves. The way you write these video essays captures me, makes me curious. keep up the fantastic work Jacob.

[@VietNguyen-xs1ne]

Immortality feels like a condemnation and a love letter to humanity at the same time. Immortals visit us at our worst as well as our best, and they still struggle to grasp with humanity and feelings. We might not have an endless life like theirs. We might look like flocks of sheep. But we are, inherently, humans, and we are proud of that. The Other One reminds me of the protag from All Men are Mortals by De Beauvoir, a work that deals with roughly the same subject matter.

[@Ianthe1]

Herd somebody reference The One and The Other as Adam and Eve with their wanting to be connected to humanity and the struggles of life and death after being condemned by God. Now they are on a journey of being immortal and struggling to understand their own existence. Seems rather fitting with the many references to Jesus and the devil. Just don't get hung up on the religious aspect and see it as a human experience attempting to be understood.

[@zeobuilder106]

the nebula version made me cry, your videos are truly one of a kind. Thank you for what you do.

[@brab927]

I sympathize with this video. Immortality was incredibly emotionally impactful and yet also a nebulous experience. My interpretation of the fire ending was different than this video. I'm not even sure that's important because it was still so powerful to me. One thing is crystal clear and that is Sam Barlow should make more games.

[@lozza901]

It’s artists that create features like this for very little money or recognition that inspire me the most to create art that is important to me and no one else.

[@derricktiffin]

Holy shit. I knew I liked you, but when I saw that you straight made a video on an idea I shared... It just cements my opinion of you. I 100% felt this was the best scene in any game made this year and one of my favorite video games of all time. I posted this moment on my Facebook and, of course, no one I knew understood what I was going on about. I can't tell you how many times I rewatched this moment and teared up at it and all its glory. Thank you, Jacob for somehow mirroring my tastes in things and for the awesome work you do. I wish I knew people like you in the real world.

[@aefirthrift]

This game was staggeringly good. I had such a hard time explaining it to people without spoiling it, but my god, what a spectacular showing from each and every actor involved.

[@CubanSpartan]

Well that just hit me like a goddamn freight train. I should know by now than to take any of your work lightly, but I'm still caught off guard by the depth of the writing, combined with the exquisite editing and music. This might finally be the thing to make me sign up for Nebula, because frankly I cannot even fathom what your "Director's Cut" looks like.

[@CharlotteDove]

Coming from Nebula -- what a beautiful video. I never would have expected from the title that this video would veer into talking about the exact deep sandess and grief I'm processing as a trans person right now but here I am. Jacob truly never disappoints.

[@DerAykac]

KZbin really needs to loosen up a bit. EDIT: Three months later. I now have played it. Holy smokes, the acting in this is stellar. The one leaves such an honest and real impression on me, it feals haunting. I get you now, Jacob. This truly is something special.

[@franklyfrancis3462]

I see a notification for a new Jacob Geller video, and suddenly I know how I’m going to spend the next half-hour of my time. A huge thanks to you, Jacob, for your consistently astounding content and the monumental effort I’m sure you put into each minute of your craft. Wishing you only the best.

[@muchachogrande2019]

I was laying here listening to this in the background and as soon as you started talking about the mechanics and rewinding things to see "the one" I accidentally triggered the skip thing on my earbud. It took me like 8 minutes of listening to the H3H3 podcast before I realized it wasn't just a clever Geller-ian stylistic skip to a different subject momentarily.

[@huntsurveys7477]

Soooo its not very often I watch things that stump me because I recognise something from a few decades ago. Jacob, I've listened to a few of your video essays and found them superb. I couldn't see a situation where I'd actually play Immortality (I've waaay too little time to do that) so I listened to your video. The Cyndi / trans explanation at the start kindof threw me as I never knew that bit of history. Your video explained the mystery brilliantly, and by the time you revealed who the real-life signer was being played in the game I thought "I've got to listen to this". Turns out I had listened to her... about 20 years ago on the other side of the planet, and never saw her face so never recognised her until I heard her almighty unmistakable voice. Immediately I read into this the real-life connection from USA's Warhol's Cyndi, to my Welsh musical tastes 20 years ago, to listening in New Zealand your explanation of the game mystery. Genuinely put shivers up my back when I considered the immortality concepts you discussed, and how Cyndi's story story had morphed and followed me across oceans. Sorry, this was poorly written but I'm very busy today and wanted to take time out to say thank you. Am genuinely stunned by this video and its connections.

[@elderflower2133]

I absolutely gasped hearing it was anohni singing the cover of the song featured in the game. She's such a beautiful singer!!! great video

[@DonTinker]

I haven't played the game, I haven't listened to Candy Says, and yet, I cried a little on the end of the video. I love your way to storytell.

[@Stormkyleis]

This is the best commercial for Nebula I've ever seen, and I mean it in the best possible way.

[@surgodt]

So what I'm getting out of this is that Immortality is like if you placed two pathologic characters in an otherwise "normal" film.

[@RevolutionaryLoser]

That's exactly what it is.

[@sopranophantomista]

I love it when I'm watching a video from a creator with Nebula and I'm like, "yeah, I get to watch the creator cut next!" There's a certain sense of excitement to that. E: I also want to add that you pick the most intriguing games to critique and I find your passion for them infectious and fascinating. Even if I never pick up a game like Immortality, I'm willing to listen and learn and share in the joy with someone who's genuinely excited about what they're talking about. Yes, I realize that this is a curated piece of art from you and that this is only a facet of you that you're comfortable showing others, but still. Thank you for the time and effort and passion and excitement that you bring to each of your essays. Thank you for spotlighting hidden gems in the game sphere.

[@KunjaBihariKrishna]

Every time I thought I had figured out Ambrosio, it kept getting way more twisted than I could have expected. This "game" did something completely new, in my opinion. The way it plays with your minds natural tendency to want to link together a story, and how the snippets lure you into inevitable assumptions of "Oh, it's that kind of thing"

[@williamelliott186]

This was gorgeous, I spoiled it for myself, but needed this!! Thanks Jacob!

[@littlegoblin6923]

For those hesitant to watch the uncensored version because you can’t afford to pay for it: your first video on nebula is completely free! You don’t even have to make an account! The uncensored version of the video is truly beautiful and deserves to be seen, so please go watch it! ❤️

[@keystep8669]

Oh thanks for the heads up! I didn't know that was an option.

[@ThrottleKitty]

About the time I was asking myself "Is it just me or do these immortals give me trans vibes", suddenly Jacob answers "No, no it's not just you". Didn't expect this video to hit so close to home! Thank you for making it, Jacob!

[@zoidsfan12]

Just watched this on nebula and my god. This truly is such a beautiful thing, transcendental in nature. The idea of immortality through expression is something which has been a driving force making me pursue art. But the perspective and way you word it, it adds a whole new perspective. I have always viewed it that our art can live on for hundreds of years after we die through people consuming it. But I see it as so much more now. I have always had a hope deep in my heart that I could one day inspire others to pursue their dreams, but I see from this that that is the entire point. Not a wonderful byproduct but the whole point. Absolutely profound. I truly thank you for this.

[@Veelofar]

I’ve started to have a habit with these videos. I watch the video on KZbin, I like it, and then I go over and watch it a second time on Nebula. It kind of helps me get a feel of the core of things in a weird way

[@EarthworksAudio]

Really great work with this one Jacob. That cover of Candy Says is remarkable, and I’m so glad to see it being used in other pieces of art. Nice ETHOS in the intro btw :)

[@Road_to_Dawn]

I played both Telling Lies and Immortality. Loved the journeys of both games but felt underwhelmed by the time the credits rolled on each. You legitimately gave me a whole new appreciation for Immortality, and now I want to go back and see what I missed in it. Fantastic video.

[@NeatOz]

I really hope I can someday be able to hit emotions in my writing like jacob does some day

[@vorpalrabbit4927]

FMV Games aren't my bag, but I have 0 regrets about using that first free video on Nebula to watch this essay. Brilliantly done, thanks for making it because Immortality would've definitely never even hit my radar.

[@andyandy9449]

Man, if I had played this game on my own I would've just not gotten it and rated it super low because "wtf am I playing" I'm glad you've digested this for us

[@asjacc4557]

You glorious bastard. You finally did it. All these years, and this is the video that finally convinced me to sign up to Nebula. Lindsey Ellis, Philosophy tube, Hello Future Me, none of them could do it. And yet, you somehow break my resolve in a single video. How dare you. Amazing work.

[@ShaunCheah]

Just in case anyone is out there reading the comments before watching the video or getting too much further than the introduction, just play the game! Don't make my mistake by spoiling it too soon. It's so worth an organic blind playthrough. I heard this game highly recommended in a podcast while cycling to Germany, so when I got back home to Groningen I immediately purchased, installed, and played it. The hosts had gone out of their way to avoid all spoilers, so I went in basically blind and I suuuper enjoyed it. Then, for reasons I don't understand, I went to read Steam reviews and Reddit discussions while I was still only partway through the game (about a third of the way, I'd say? I had discovered the hidden mechanic and found quite a few subverted scenes, but I knew a lot less than the totality)... I ruined things for myself, basically. I was so upset that I'd spoiled the game. There were still some surprises to be found, but I wish I had found them on my own. At some point I realized that spoiling it for myself had kinda limited my enjoyment, so I uninstalled and gave up and watched the whole thing (including subverted scenes) via footage someone had uploaded to KZbin. I wish I had just stuck with it and not read anything about it until I was properly done. It's probably my biggest gaming regret, right next to the time I accidentally killed a dolphin while hunting squid in Minecraft.

[@Ianthe1]

I think it was so disappointing for you to spoil it because it isn't a game, at least in the traditional sense, but rather a player driven experience. Between the obscure story and the amazing actors it just feels different than other "games" and for that it's absolutely amazing! Btw I "finished" or got the "ending" barely over halfway through discovering everything.... immediately went back and continued my digging and finally found Candy Says just by chance and it really bring the story together. Now that I have found nearly everything I'm watching videos about the "game" and I'm so glad I waited.

[@randomhorror1266]

I immediately moved on to Nebula to watch this video and am so grateful for an uncensored version of this video. Amazing as always Jacob. Good job at making me so sad and happy at the same time.

[@idontwantahandlethough]

Even the "clean" version is amazing. You do great stuff, consistently :)

[@RobStevens64]

Went and watched this on Nebula, but came here to say ... wow. Amazing analysis, Jacob. I haven't played any of Sam Barlow's games, because I often have to play when my child is around, but I certainly have an appreciation for what Barlow creates. But this ... this is really phenomenal and I'm glad you brought my attention to it.

[@tinkergnomad]

Just watched this on Nebula. Watching and liking on KZbin just to make sure it gets the boost it deserves. This was amazing, and I'm desperate to play this game ASAP.

[@BobDole1216]

Just finished watching it on Nebula and freaking loved it. Steve-O has expressed multiple times that one of the main reasons he's filmed so much of his life is that it feels like it gives him a sort of immortality, which was especially important to him when he was sure he'd die before 30. The bit about art sticking with you and becoming a part of you gives me heavy CJ the X vibes (yes I watched your Social No Para episode and freaking loved it; you were right about the massive fanbase overlap); they've talked about the same thing with regards to every person being a work of art that is modified in some small way by every single thing they experience.

[@adampliszka4855]

Nice to see another video; it's always a real pleasure to watch one. I'm just very happy there's someone with a big reach who understands how important the humanities are (and I say this as a CompSci student). "Western" society has been glorifying STEM and treating humanities like a joke. I just really wish more people saw the immense value in them.

[@_fudgepop01]

Humanities - the study of what makes us human and reminds us of our own mortality and morality throughout the ages, and how we continue to struggle beautifully to put that into words today. I’m now a professional game developer, and I can think of nothing more important than this privilege of individual and societal expression, and hope that one day we can expand it to understand the way other animals do the same. Part of what makes me *want to* pursue game development in the first place is this appreciation for humanities, amplified by Jacob Geller’s wonderful video essays throughout the years. Though I’m sure he looks back at some prior videos and cringes at things he could have presented better now having more knowledge of his craft, I hope he rests well at-least knowing that they’ll have influenced myself and many others for the better for years to come.

[@Wolfbarr01]

@@_fudgepop01 t-that's what Humanities is supposed to be? oh... i thought it was math

[@isabellamorris7902]

Tbh, I think we should just break down the divide between STEM and humanities altogether. Pure maths and comparative literature are ofc very different disciplines, but really it matters more what exactly you learn, not what you call your field.

[@benbrown1430]

I believe videos like this on platforms like nebula will be the source of your own immortality, Jacob. There's very few videos that you create that don't live in the back of my mind, slowly changing everything I see and put into the world.

[@deltalunaris]

Jacob, I wish I could describe how much I love your work. Maybe I've already written about it in another comment- I almost feel I have- but I have to say it again: What you do, and what you share with us, is so meaningful. There is a sense of genuine, from-the-heart honesty that comes from you, and it makes the topics you discuss all the more impactful. To this day, I think about your discussion of Four Short Games About Pain, the first video I ever saw of yours. Not only did you introduce me to Kitty Horrorshow, a creator whose work resonated with me more than human language can ever say, but to you. Without even thinking, I went to watch Anatomy, and was further enthralled by the way you weave your essay together. My ADHD often prevents me from just sitting still and watching a video with eyes and ears, but yours engaged me unlike any other. I'm pretty sure I've watched nearly every one of your videos. Spoilers pending, of course, I still haven't finished Subnautica because the area near the ending is very claustrophobic to me. But with each one I watch, I find myself teary at the end, moved by your composition. In a way, I feel like this ties in with what you discussed of Immortality. Long after whatever events will transpire in the future, you and your art will still stay with me. Hopefully my own creativity, inspired by yours, will echo into time and psyche as well. Anyways, sorry for gushing. I just have a lot of respect for someone like yourself; a creative who speaks from the depths of the heart and subconscious alike. Thank you for your artistic courage. :]

[@GoodPunk]

Great video. So sad that I've missed almost all the essential clips in my playthrough. Nothing made any sense when the credits rolled and I couldn't appreciate any of the underlying story.

[@revanchistvakarian575]

I'm two minutes in and stopping there so I don't spoil this particular game for myself, but I promise to come back once I've played it and finish the video (maybe even on Nebula!) Also your hat is amazing

[@mossdarragh]

this may not be a horror game, but the idea of, say, sifting through hours of disconnected footage only to find partway through that there was more footage to be found, documenting the breakdown of an immortal being as they try so desperately to both be, and not be, would leave me with such nightmares and emotional scars that it may as well be categorized as horror. nothing i have watched or experienced has really embodied true emotional horror like this has for me... i don't think i could play it myself, honestly, but this video alone, as well as "candy says" as a song and an experience in one, are sure to stick with me.

[@WitherVideos]

Your content is so great it deserves to cost tons of money, but you’re still putting it up on KZbin for free. Thanks for that!

[@canw555]

This was just fantastic, what an incredible 25 minutes.. I haven't played Immortality and not sure I will, especially because I might not be able to find the meaning and importance Jacob Geller highlights here even if I did play it through myself - and art is about the message we take away from it.. Bravo

[@MattHorton]

You killed it with this one. Also I immediately started singing along to Two of Everything.

[@JanBart]

This one, @Jacob Geller, this one is the reason I subscribed to Nebula! I wanted to see, hear, experience it to the fullest, ... Thanks for making these essays.