You take this rock and set it in the courtyard of the “lifesize” dome. The turtles stack outwards as well, as the player is given the impression that bigger and bigger domes extend all the way to infinity.īut (and follow me here) the secret is that you can pass an object from one incarnation of the dome to another. And in the center of that smaller dome, there is an even tinier dome, with the houses, the castles, and yet another dome. And in this smaller dome, there are smaller versions of the houses, castles, etc. And in the middle of these structures is another dome, a perfect replica of the first. Here’s how it works: picture a dome, under which are several structures – houses, castles, courtyards, and the like. The primary brain-bending mechanic in Maquette is ridiculously clever (VR fans might recognize it from the very-thematically-different A Fisherman’s Tale from 2019). Unfortunately, these puzzles range from “clever and enjoyable” to “finicky and rage-inducing”, which can leave the player a bit distracted when the eventual narrative scene plays out. The player is tasked with solving puzzles to move the story forward and unlock the next scene. Where a game like Giant Sparrow’s What Became of Edith Finch eventually delivers an emotional wallop by blending its story more literally with its setting and puzzles, Maquette is plagued a bit by the disconnect between its gameplay and the story it is trying to tell. Though this narrative structure holds together well enough, it never quite reaches the heights of some other, similar narrative puzzle games, perhaps because the gameplay only relates back to the story on a metaphorical level. It is interesting, because I found myself identifying with first one character, then the other, as various moments rang true from my own experiences. There is no “bad guy” in this scenario, just a couple of people that enjoy each other, and then over time realize that they might not be right together. The entire effect is rather lovely.Īs the game went on, I realized that it was very even-handed in its depiction of the central relationship. As the game goes on, recurring themes run through these sketches, echoing earlier conversations and events. As they appear, sketches – presumably from the couple’s shared sketchbook – slowly appear, sketched on walls to accompany the scene, much like a modern-day Cover to Cover. These narrative moments are brief, never taking the player away from the gameplay for too long. The couple have a natural chemistry (obviously), and the spoken vignettes are effective, lending an emotional weight to a game that is essentially about manipulating objects to solve puzzles. Maquette tells this familiar, universal story well, through dialogue recorded by Bryce Dallas Howard and her real-life husband Seth Gabel. Every step along the way - the bittersweet familiarity of the meet-cute, the giddy honeymoon period, the eventual wear and tear as real life sets in, and the inevitable exchange of possessions on neutral ground - rang incredibly true, a mundane story that is endlessly repeated, but feels exquisitely fresh and raw when it happens to you. ![]() Though the game is visually gorgeous and has a soundtrack that is a feast for the ears, it was this narrative relationship arc that pushed me forward to complete the game. ![]() Frankly, no matter how secure you are in a relationship, you can never truly know whether you are just maquette-ing again. And sometimes even the big show is just a test run for the next big show. Except for those lucky few that marry their childhood sweethearts (and remain married until they die), almost all relationships can be considered maquettes, dress rehearsals for the big show. But I was far more interested in the metaphorical maquette the game depicts, the rough draft relationship that the two protagonists enjoy -and then endure - as the game goes on. Of course, there is a literal maquette in the game – a model within a model within a model, which allow the player to manipulate objects in micro and impact the macro. A maquette is used to visualize and test forms and ideas without incurring the expense and effort of producing a full-scale piece.” According to Wikipedia (the reliable source of all truth on the internet), “a maquette is a scale model or rough draft of an unfinished sculpture. ![]() To understand the game mechanics of Maquette, it is important to understand what a maquette is.
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