The Music Machine is a game about a 13-year old girl that shares the body with a ghost.
In the game, you’re Quintin and Haley—they’re both inhabiting Haley’s body. It’s not clear why Quintin’s taken up residence in Haley’s body, but it appears that’s been the awkward situation for months now. Haley’s mind remains present, but Quintin is in complete control of what Haley does. At one point, when Haley protests about a decision, Quintin uses his omnipotence to smack her.
The story opens with our bizarre pairing arriving on an island where a series of murders have occurred. As with most everything else in The Music Machine, the reasons behind this are fuzzy. The opening moments are spent watching the two establish not only their dynamic but the stakes:
Haley: You don’t actually want to kill me.
Haley: You haven’t thrown me in front of a bus. You haven’t had me stab myself. Or shoot myself. You haven’t had me jump off a cliff. Or anything like that. You’ve just been dragging me around. To places like this. I mean, what are you hoping to find?
Quintin: I’m hoping to find whoever poked those people full of holes and left them in a pile.
We also learn about how this metaphysical kidnapping takes its toll on each person. For example, Haley was a smoker. She constantly wants a cigarette, as she’s going through withdrawal. But Quintin isn’t a smoker, and despite Haley’s repeated requests to have a cigarette, he denies her.
Haley: I am -dying- for a cigarette, Quintin.
Quintin: I would have thought after three months you’d be over that.
Haley: Well, I’m not. Just go away, let me smoke, and in thirty or forty years I’ll die of lung cancer. You get your revenge and I don’t have someone else controlling my body for the rest of my life.
Quintin: Girls your age shouldn’t smoke, Haley.
Haley: Well, girls my age shouldn’t be puppeted by vengeful ghosts, either.
P.S. Once again, all quotes and information taken from Kotaku
