Fittingly for a studio named Half Mermaid, this game is something of an impossible creature torn between two worlds. It begins by asking an irresistible question: what happened to Marissa Marcel, an actress who made three films that were never released, then disappeared? As setups go, it’s unbeatable.
You answer this question by diving into reels of unreleased footage, featuring a bit of everything from rehearsals to late-night talk show interviews. If you’re familiar with Sam Barlow’s earlier work, you’ll be right at home playing database detective here. However, rather than typing in keywords to find clips, you click on points of interest within the mostly period-appropriate mise en scene (don’t get us started on the wigs). For instance, clicking on a rose Marissa’s holding will take you to another clip…
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PLAY (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 2024