As part of an amazing month for PlayStation Plus, subscribers were treated to Maquette for free. Standing next to a huge, triple A hit like Final Fantasy 7 Remake, it may not seem like much, but dig a little deeper and it has a lot to offer. On the surface, Maquette is a mind-bending puzzle game about a recursive world that seems to endlessly grow and shrink simultaneously. Players must use the recursive nature of the world to their advantage, thinking outside the box, (or the maquette) in order to solve various puzzles. Accompanying this is a romance story about two characters, Michael and Kenzie.
Many players find the romance story a bit overbearing. It's full of tropes and cliches of typical idealized romance, and it's easy to dismiss it as silly or unimportant. Even so, the puzzles within Maquette intricately tie into the story and the way that Michael remembers it, so paying close attention to the wording used can often help solve certain puzzles. On the other hand, there are those that absolutely love this admittedly cheesy romance, but even they are in for a rude awakening. In short, Maquette will affect each player differently depending on their own perspective at the time. Spoilers ahead for the ending of Maquette.
Chapter 1 and 2 - The Maquette and The Gateways
After a short stroll through the Gardens as an introduction to Maquette's story, players find themselves in the first real chapter of the game, aptly named The Maquette. Right away, players get to learn how Michael and Kenzie met, and where else would it be than a coffee shop? Kenzie asks to sit next to Michael, and accidentally spills her coffee on him. There's even the classic "I'm such a klutz" line to reinforce the stereotypical circumstances of their meeting. Throughout the rest of the chapter, their relationship grows and they become closer. It's corny, but the characters seem to be aware of that as well.
The whimsical writing style and dreamy narration may cause some to roll their eyes, while others will find themselves enraptured by it all. By the end of The Maquette chapter, the two have made things official, both agreeing that they are more than just friends. The next chapter is a lot of the same, with Michael and Kenzie's relationship becoming more and more serious. It's still relatively new for both of them, but it slowly starts to feel more normal and less fantastical.
Chapter 3 - The Wedge
Naturally, all good things must come to an end, and The Wedge is where that starts to happen. Players are introduced to small cracks within Michael and Kenzie's relationship, and the puzzles players must solve reinforce this idea. For example, a small crack in the wall doesn't do much for players at the start of the level, but later they can exit the Maquette and go to the scaled-up version of the world. Here the crack is big enough to fit through, showcasing how the cracks in their relationship also grow bigger with time and distance.
The things that Michael and Kenzie argue about here seem miniscule and stupid from the outside, but there's a subset of players that won't see it like that. As two people spend more and more time together, little frustrations inevitably mount up. That's why there's classic examples of arguments like couples fighting over toilet paper or milk and eggs. Ultimately, this is yet another relationship trope the two have fallen into, "bickering like an old married couple" is a phrase for a reason. Those players that experience this kind of thing with their own significant other will find the experience hits closer to home.
Chapter 4, 5, and 6 - The Escape, The Spiral, and The Exchange
The Wedge ends with a big fight that ultimately leads to the two breaking up. With Kenzie out of the picture, players watch Michael as he tries to run away from his problems. The Escape isn't very heavy on puzzles, but players will see the symbolism without a problem as they travel through the dark maze away from the world that Michael and Kenzie created together. The Spiral is even darker in theme, as it clearly represents Michael in a downward spiral.
Those players that were rolling their eyes at Michael and Kenzie's chance encounter at the coffee shop might be feeling a little differently now. At some point or another, almost everyone loses someone close to them in some form. Whether that's a coveted relationship that just couldn't hold or a loved one that passes away, there isn't much harder than going through that kind of loss. Trying to navigate this dark maze with some of the hardest puzzles in the game can be daunting, but both Michael and the player get through it. In Maquette's final chapter, The Exchange, Michael starts to take care of himself and he and Kenzie have one last meeting.
The Beauty of Maquette
Recapping the story as a whole, it's nothing out of the ordinary or unexpected. A couple falls in love, they start to get serious, problems arise, and they break up. This story has played out time and time again, but the beauty of Maquette is in the way it presents this story. During the first couple chapters, the narration can help to make players feel just like Michael and Kenzie do, like this good thing can never end. In the back of their minds, players know it must thanks to the undertones in the writing, but there's still hope that it won't.
What's more, each player will experience different section in different ways. For someone in the beginning of their own relationship, the start of the game will likely feel uplifting while the end will seem like an intimidating warning. By contrast, players in a long standing, committed relationship might recognize each part of the game as a part of their own relationship, and find themselves determined to not let the small cracks break down the walls. Ultimately each person is different and there's no way to predict how Maquette's story will feel to everyone, but it's an interesting phenomenon. Players should try playing through Maquette again in a year and see how different the story feels then.
Maquette is available now on PS5.