Title: The Artful Escape
Platforms: Steam, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass
Played on: Xbox Series X via Game Pass
Developed and Published by: Beethoven & Dinosaur, AnnaPurna Interactive
The website for The Artful Escape describes the game like this:
DISCOVER WHO YOU AREN’T
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. Francis, a teenage guitar prodigy, sets out on a psychedelic, multidimensional journey to inspire his stage persona.
https://www.theartfulescape.com
And that pretty much says it all. The Artful Escape is another entry in the series of games that feel more like an interactive story than a game. That’s not to say that there isn’t a game here, however. There is some light platforming to be done and several parts that resemble a game of “Simon says.” However, at least for me, the gameplay is not why you download something like The Artful Escape. You download something like this because of the narrative journey it will take you on and, in my opinion, this is a journey you definitely want to go on.
As the blurb from the game’s website tells us, The Artful Escape is the story of young Francis Vendetti. As the game opens, we learn that Francis is the nephew of famous folk singer Johnson Vendetti, who has recently passed away. A concert is being held in the Vendetti’s fictional hometown of Calypso, Colorado and Francis is the main attraction. This is his first public performance ever and, as the opening of the game shows us, Francis is struggling to tap into the same spirit of folk music that his uncle did. After a couple of tries at strumming and singing some folksy ballads, Francis stops playing and a smile comes to his face. He reaches down to a knob on his guitar and turns it all the way up. You are then prompted to hold down a button in order to play, not a folk song, but something that sounds like it came from a sci-fi, rock’n’roll space opera. Francis proceeds to shred, letting loose a string of notes that sounds much more like Eddie Van Halen than Bob Dylan. After a few moments of this, Francis stops and starts making his way back into town. In those few precious moments, however, we see Francis come alive. In fact, we see him at his most alive. We see the true Francis emerge before sinking back down into the image of his uncle that has seemingly been forced upon him.
And here you have the central conflict of The Artful Escape. The backdrop, or setting, of this tale is exactly what the game’s description says. Francis proceeds to go on a journey through time and space, crossing dimensions and meeting all sorts of fantastic creatures and alien life forms. The different planets, space stations, and other weird places that Francis travels to are gorgeous to say the least, and contribute a great deal to the sense of awe that the game provides. An added bonus is that by holding down a button as you make your way through these worlds, Francis will pull out his guitar and launch into a face-melting guitar solo. The world around him will then respond. Plants and animals will seemingly come to life, reacting to the presence of this incredible sound as if they are being awakened from a deep, deep slumber.
Graphically, and musically, The Artful Escape is indeed artful. The voice acting is well executed too. Michael Johnston brings a youthful uncertainty to Francis that fits the character so well. You can hear the conflict and self-doubt within him with just about every word. Caroline Kinley as Violetta made me laugh on more than one occasion and the legendary Carl Weathers shined as Lightman. Jason Schwartzman also appears as Lightman’s right-hand alien Zomm.
As I said before, The Artful Escape is certainly aesthetically pleasing. But, even as nice as the game is to look at and hear, I feel like I have to emphasize again that the biggest attraction this game holds is the journey that Francis goes on. I dare not say anything about it for fear of spoiling it for you, but I will tell you this. There is a moment somewhat early on in the game that got me emotional. I won’t say what it is because, again, I don’t want to risk spoiling it for you, but in that moment I felt like I identified with Francis so much. One of the great challenges of writing fiction, regardless of the medium, is writing characters that people will connect with. This matters, because when we connect with a character we become invested in that character, and we want to see where that character’s story goes. We want to go on their journey with them because the reality of it is that it’s not just their journey anymore. It becomes ours too.I went on Francis’ journey with him…and I am so glad I did. I encourage you to check out The Artful Escape whenever you get the chance. It’s a game that can easily be finished in a day if you have a few hours to set aside. There aren’t any penalties for failure at any part of the game, so you can play through without any need for stress or worry. Kick back, relax, get lost in the story…and don’t forget to keep that button held down for maximum shredding.