Rating
The Artful Escape
On the eve of his first performance, Francis Vendetti battles with the legacy of a dead folk legend and the cosmic wanderings of his own imagination. In this 2D adventure platformer, Francis, a teenage guitar prodigy, sets out on a psychedelic, multidimensional journey to inspire his stage persona.
Details
- Released
- September 9, 2021
- Developer
- Beethoven & Dinosaur
- Publisher
- Annapurna Interactive
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The Artful Escape Reviews
Professional reviews from gaming critics
A space opera about legacy, self-discovery, and identity, The Artful Escape is a masterful musical narrative adventure. Developed by Beethoven and Dinosaur and published by Annapurna Interactive, this audacious journey follows a teenage guitar prodigy who has an overwhelming reputation to live up to. Traversing levels literally out of this world, this guitar-shredding and harmonious introspective game is a milestone in story-telling. This is a spoiler-free review, which I believe is the best ...
The Artful Escape is a short but oh-so-sweet platformer that will have you bopping to its impossibly catch beats and transfixed by its beauty
The Artful Escape was announced a whopping four years ago during Microsoft’s E3 2017 presentation. Four years! I can’t believe how long it took for the folks at Beethoven & Dinosaur and Annapurna Interactive (a publisher I still have largely mixed feelings towards in terms of their library) to deliver their musical opus. I’ve been eagerly waiting for this game ever since, even though I had no idea of how it would play or what it would be about, besides having a protagonist who wielded a...
As a guitar-shredding odyssey throughout a stunning cosmos, The Artful Escape delivers on its name tenfold. It is a short tale and I'm in no hurry to book a return trip to the Cosmic Extraordinary, but it remains an unforgettable journey thanks to superb art direction, an uplifting story, and stirring guitar solos by cliffside.
Are you ready to shred on your guitar and discover how groovy the universe really is? In The Artful Escape, you will become Francis Vendetti, a young musical prodigy trying to find his place in this world. After spending most of his life in the shadow of a famous relative, it's time for Francis to look to the stars and discover his true potential.
Overall, The Artful Escape is a standout in terms of visual and sound design, with a story that feels relatable even if you yourself don’t have a famous folk-singing uncle. With a runtime of only about three hours it’s a brief experience, but those hoping to find a challenge to overcome will be disappointed in the shallow gameplay it has to offer. Francis’s story is memorable and powerful, and the environments he shreds through are truly a sight to behold. People who enjoy the aesthetics of artists like the late David Bowie should absolutely give this game a look, especially if they also…
The Artful Escape is an enigmatic coming of age story, wrapped in reverb-laden riffs and space opera shenanigans. It is quite unique, and absolutely unmissable.
Rock opera and space opera meet for some artful escapism.
A tour de force of light and sound, The Artful Escape is unlike anything else you’ve played. With no easy genre label to stick on the game, the only way you’ll know if you’re going to enjoy it is to try it. It’s a trip alright, one that will have your foot tapping and your head rocking from start to finish.
“Style over substance” is a common turn of phrase across multiple fields of criticism, punchy and powerful in how it can immediately declare a work to be
The Artful Escape is a great visual-novel and a rock and roll dream. It is one of the best looking games I’ve played with an equally interesting narrative. However, the severe lack of interactiveness really drags down the game.
