Ten Dates is the follow-up to Zoom dating FMV game Five Dates and with it comes two playable characters and ten potential relationships. In our review, we loved the main characters and how realised and grounded much of the writing is.
In pursuit of this, Ryan and Misha had a lovely friendship that kept the game going whilst pointing out how important the relationships in our lives are.
To get to the heart of this, we recently had the chance to sit down and talk to Charlie Maher who plays Ryan to figure out his process, how it differs from traditional acting and where he thinks the magic in FMV games comes from.
Hi there, can you introduce yourself and your character?
Congratulations on the launch, how has the fan reception been so far?
What is the process for working on a sequel like this? Did you play the first game to prep for the general tone?
How does your process of acting and prep work differ when moving into video game acting?
Could you tell us a little about your role and what the talent scouting team were looking for in you?
The best version of you
Being asked to put a different spin on the same basic scene, what was it like playing the best and worst version of your dating self?
Which version of Ryan would you say is most like yourself?
Would you ever go speed dating?
Where do you think the power in FMV games lies?
Give us your sales pitch, why should someone play Ten Dates and who would you say it is for?
Have you watched others play the game? Is it a bit of a surreal experience to see someone choose what you're going to say?
Is there an improvisational aspect to some lines? There's a nice flow to things that comes across very naturally.
Being from Ireland, me and my partner got a kick out of hearing you sing Amhrán na bhFiann. Did you brush up on your Irish for your performance?
Has this experience made you reflect on your own dating life? Are there any romantic lessons you have learned?
Would you like to see yourself in a sequel? Twenty dates, perhaps?
What's next for you after Ten Dates?
It was clear from my brief chat with Charlie that he and Ryan are very different but there's something at their core keeping them together. Ten Dates touches on this well. Actors were encouraged to improvise and this gave it a lot of heart. Though Twenty Dates seems an interesting prospect, I can't wait to see what Charlie does next.