While the story may not be for everyone, Maquette‘s vision and concept are a striking first entry for indie developer Graceful Decay, published by Annapurna Interactive.
In the same vein as first-person puzzle games like Superliminal and Antichamber, Maquette finds itself in the perspective of someone exploring and resisting their memories of a past relationship. The world around the player is metaphorical; by using building blocks to progress throughout the world, the building blocks also represent the relationship and its obstacles.
The world of this debut indie game from developer Graceful Decay is undeniably stunning. It’s a fantastical plane of existence whose sense of immersion is absolved by its gorgeous colors and impactful sound design. The world of Maquette is within infinite versions of itself, and each chapter is a model—a maquette—of the world around the player.
However, while astounding when first dropped in the world, some critics feel that this sense of wonderment isn’t upheld by the continuous story. But other critics disagree with that sentiment, feeling that Kenzie and Michael’s story properly echo the emotional rollercoaster that is a relationship.
Screen Rant (Zackerie Fairfax)
“Maquette is an important piece of art because it tells a familiar story that many people have been a part of. It’s deeper than just Kenzie and Michael’s own personal experiences – it details the importance of communication in relationships and that it’s okay to let go of the relationships players no longer have. Every inch of the world Maquette is set in tells a story and properly visualizes the emotions that its characters are feeling.“
Score: 4/5
Inverse (Giovanni Colantonio)
“Everything seems simple and effortless at first (in both story and gameplay), but becomes harder to navigate as the bickering starts. Players suddenly find themselves wandering outside of the dome within a dome where they become the miniature in an overwhelmingly large version of the world. . . When the characters feel lost, so does the player. The narrative and gameplay work hand-in-hand to form an emotional journey about re-centering oneself after a disorienting break-up. It’s a story about picking up the pieces and moving on where players literally must pick up pieces in order to move on.”
Score: 7/10
Forbes (Matt Gardner)
“Thankfully, Maquette doesn’t do this; even in its least challenging, story-heavy sections, it continues to throw smaller, but no less clever, mechanics your way before building back up to a strong, if not abrupt, finish. While the game doesn’t end as you might expect, it’s certainly not unsatisfying–aside from the fact you’ll always want more from a game as inventive as this.”
Score: Unscored
But voiced by Hollywood star couple Bryce Dallas Howard and Seth Gabel, the relationship might ring somewhat hollow to players somewhat because objects used for the puzzles are somewhat disjointed from the story, and puzzles don’t always feel as rewarding as overcoming obstacles in a relationship should. And much like a struggling relationship, the puzzles grow redundant after some time once that initial feeling of amazement dies off.
Push Square (Stephen Tailby)
“One thing we feel lets the game down is that it doesn’t push its core concept far enough. It’s a unique mechanic, and some of the puzzles present are great, but it feels like it all comes to an end before the recursive world idea can truly blossom. Also, while you’re messing about trying to figure out a puzzle, it can be all too easy to get yourself stuck. This happened to us a couple of times, and while you can hold Triangle to return to the dome at any time — or simply load a previous save — we’d argue you shouldn’t be able to wind up stuck at all.“
Score: 7/10
IGN (Tom Marks)
“While it tells that story well enough through attractive animations and succinct text, it’s a fairly basic look at the evolution of a relationship that feels largely unrelated to the magical world it’s being told within, held at arm’s length from most of what I was doing mechanically. It’s charming at times, sure, but not enough of a draw on its own – especially when you could just play Florence, also published by Annapurna Interactive, which is pretty much just a better version of the same story.”
Score: 7/10
Grievances aside, Maquette‘s somber story, interactive puzzles, and magical environments are sure to leave a lasting impression. For those looking to follow-up games like the recent Superliminal or indie game Manifold Garden, perhaps give Maquette a look, especially because it’s on the list of PS Plus games for March.
Maquette releases March 2, 2021 for PC, PS4, and PS5.
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