Lately, I’ve been watching Married At First Sight: Australia a lot. It is a reality show in which two strangers meet for the first time at the altar, say “yes” and then immerse themselves in married life. As expected, it often does not take long for the honeymoon phase to give way to disappointment.
That sums up Maquette, a first-person puzzle game where everything in the world is simultaneously small, but also very big. And as you unfold it with the powers of your intellect, you are subjected to the story of Michael and Kenzie’s relationship. It is one that starts out pink, but gradually fades over time. Feelings range from large to small. I would say my own lie at some intermediate point in a solid medium.
Maquette’s world is recursive, which is an elegant way of saying that things can be small or big because you are looking at a model of the world you are in at the same time. And it’s up to you to manipulate that ability, uncheck this environment and move on.
Right at the beginning of Maquette, you emerge in a square to discover your miniature world. Drop things on this model and they will fall from the sky in a massive way. On the other hand, it will appear in the miniature world as a much smaller object, so if you take something that you just placed in this domain on a Lego scale, you will have a minuscule version of it. I had a deep sense of accomplishment when I transformed a normal-sized key into a gigantic one, throwing it into the miniature world. A quick rotation on the model and bam! I made myself an improvised bridge. My brain cells were in awe. And yet, my face was marked by agony.
Why? Because I knew I had to watch more love stories from Michael and Kenzie, and it’s not as convincing as the human drama in Married At First Sight: Australia. When you progress in Maquette, you are treated to a scene or the dialogue of couples appearing on the walls. They say annoying things like, “I nudged you with my plain white while we laughed, and some of it spilled on your Vans, but you just kicked me in the shins for fun. It actually hurt a lot, but the sting gave way when I saw you smile that smile of yours. Oh, I loved your smiling smile. “
The voice acting is strong, however, and I understand that it goes through a deep emotional arc about how relationships can change, people need to compromise and the like. I mean, I saw everything on MAFS. But on the show it seems somewhat real (even if it breaks my heart to know that much of it is staged), while in Maquette it is pure romantic play. It is as if the developers tried to hit the real and the mundane with such force that, somehow, they broke through the nonfiction wall and became hyperfictitious. Everything is so idyllic and predictable, and I am convinced that no human being has ever had a relationship like Michael and Kenzie.
If you can get past the cheese, then Maquette’s enigmatic isn’t all bad. This will give you those “aha!” moments, all related to doing something big, then small – or vice versa. You need to pay close attention to the details in your environment, such as whether an orb can pass through that space or if you could use something huge to climb to new heights. There is a bit of repetition at the beginning, with a multitude of keys and orbs to move around, but over time things get a little more creative.
I mean, there are still a lot of orbs and keys, but the ways you use them get a little bit more interesting. You may have to think about the angle of your settings a little more, or if that glow up there could mean something.
But, the game doesn’t say anything explicitly, so it can be very frustrating if you’re not sure what the next step involves. There were many, several times when I was jumping between small and large lands, but I put things in the wrong place, or I shrunk something I didn’t want to, or I just didn’t know where to go next. Puzzle veterans are likely to be fine, but those looking for a quiet time may struggle with lack of direction.
I really think that all of Maquette’s recursive schtick eventually gets tiring. Right at the end, there are moments that focus less on riddles and more on the narrative side of things. I had to hear a little more shudder, but the moments when I was not intrigued – like when I was walking down a street that gradually materialized in front of me – seemed like moments of truce. I was sick of the big keys.
And despite my eyes rolled over to Maquette’s story, the way her world responds to the unfolding of Michael and Kenzie’s relationship is quite impressive. As things break between them, the cluttered castles and their colorful exteriors give way to darker settings. There are thick trees, houses locked behind tall gates and a darker and grayer environment in general. And as you change and manipulate what’s around you, you feel physically inserted into a relationship that is literally falling apart before your eyes.
But in the end, Maquette had completely rinsed off her trick and history. Much like the relationship between Michael and Kenzie, it started well, but it has worn me down over time. Too far from season 6 of Married At First Sight: Australia.