And honestly, relationship or not, they are both perfect for the part.
When we were looking to cast our final actors, I was talking about that original idea, and someone on the team suggested finding actors who were in a relationship, and one thing led to another and we found out Bryce and Seth were available. We knew a long time ago we wouldn't be able to do that - the production pipeline had long since moved away from that, but that was my initial hope. My story plan, from years and years ago, was to cast two actors and dedicate a few weeks to having them really build the dialog from the ground up with me, and in the process they'd grow into the characters. They're both pros as what they do, and just a joy to work with. It was that twist the game needed, and it's what gave it its soul.īryce Dallas Howard and Seth Gabel were really amazing to work with. And when I hit on the story of Kenzie and Michael, I knew I had something. So I went back to the drawing board to think about what kinds of stories I wanted to tell, regardless of gameplay. And the problem was, it was a story that was just there for the mechanic. But after a year or two of working on the game in my spare time, I realised the story didn't resonate with me at all. And I initially picked a story just like that. That is, have the heart of the story explain how the world-within-a-world came to be, or set up some plot where the player is actively trying to escape it, or turn it off, or whatever. Having a strong gameplay mechanic like the recursive world in Maquette, there was a temptation to write the story around it. What was the thinking behind this style of narrative? Without spoiling anything, it's unusual in that it focuses solely on such a regular, relatable human tale. The realisation that we could have the player seamlessly carry objects between different scales was a major a-ha moment for me, both in the elegance of the implementation, but also from a puzzle-making standpoint.Īlongside the puzzle gameplay is the story of Kenzie and Michael.
I changed the scale of one of them, and the core idea for Maquette was born. When I ran the simulation and saw two objects bouncing and tumbling exactly the same way, I knew I had something. I was studying this, and I had the idea to copy the complex physics movement from one object onto another. Yes, when we see a bowling ball about it hit a pin, we know the pin is going to fly, but we can't predict how it's going to tumble or exactly where it will land. But I started tinkering with physics around 2010, and I was really enamoured with how a physics engine could create complex, unpredictable behaviours. It had been rattling around in my head for a while. I don't remember the first time I thought about the idea. The central mechanic behind the game's puzzles - worlds within worlds - is really unique. You can place the small key between the dollhouse sized buildings in the small world, and a giant key will also be placed between the life-sized buildings, allowing you to cross. You find a small key, place it within a small world and find that, because the worlds nest within each other, a large key appears within the large world. The recursive puzzle mechanic works a bit like this - you need to get over a gap between two buildings, so you must make some kind of a bridge.
Maquette soundtrack series#
The world of Maquette is a playable, interactive metaphor of the emotional underpinnings between two lovers, played out through a series of puzzles, representing the many challenges and triumphs a relationship can go through. You enter a fantastical world-within-worlds to navigate memories of couple Michael and Kenzie, explore awe-inspiring architecture that coincides with their past, and learn more about who they are on a journey of love, loss, and acceptance. Hanford Lemoore: Maquette is a first-person puzzle game set in a recursive world where players simultaneously experience the life cycle of a loving relationship. Push Square: Firstly, for anyone who may not know, could you give us the rundown on Maquette?
We got the chance to throw a few questions at Creative Director Hanford Lemoore, who talks about the genesis of the idea, working with Hollywood talent, and blending gameplay and story together.
Co-starring in the game are Bryce Dallas Howard and Seth Gabel, who bring characters Kenzie and Michael to life as you solve various tricky conundrums. In addition to a reality-bending core mechanic, it tells a relatable, somewhat subdued love story. One of PlayStation Plus' games for PS5 this month is Maquette, an intriguing and unique first-person puzzler.
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