Music: 10/10
Art & Presentation: 10/10
Characters & Story: A little too pretentious and "lol random". Would probably make a pretty good Edgar Wright movie.

An absolutely beautiful little journey, but don't pay attention or think too deeply about anything anybody says.

Has about as much depth as a Windows screensaver.

The entire 3 hours can be boiled down to pressing forward and square, only to be rewarded with simon says and some crap about how being a folk singer sucks.

Thank god I didn't pay for this shit and played via PS Premium.

The creators of this were smoking and eating something, probably simultaneously. The gameplay is non-existent, with trivial platforming and constantly moving right, holding down the dedicated Shred button. What you are treated to, though, is an absolute deluge of sights and sounds. There are regular sections in the game where you must follow button prompts, but luckily, these don't require rhythmic timing. You never know what to expect or how everything will react to your sci-fi riffs from the space opera of your soul.

I don't care if it's extremely short, I don't care if, as a game, it's functionally simon says + a walking simulator with some light platforming elements.
The gameplay does not matter in a game like this. Just chill and enjoy the ride. It's more of an "art piece" than a game.

All I'm saying is that this game has SOUL.
This really feels like a passion project made true, with the topics probably being something personal to the creator(s?)

The highlights are the great sound design, fantastic character and world designs, great visual effects, and a story about family, legacy, expectations and finding who you are.
Sure the graphics aren't anything crazy but they are the kind that stands the test of time.
It's stylish and, most importantly, unique, and that is the value of this game. Just like what the main character learns: It's better to be yourself, in all of your creative weirdness and imperfections, than to be a lame copy of another's success.

E a annapurna ataca novamente...

the artful escape é uma experiência breve e extremamente marcante! a arte desse jogo me deixou boquiaberta do início ao fim, nem me incomodou muito ser um walking simulator em boa parte do jogo.

isso sem falar da sua jogabilidade, simples, porém diferenciada e divertida. eles realmente acertaram com esse jogo. recomendo DEMAIS!!

contemple THE ALL-MIGHTY BOGA

Uma das experiências mais lindas que tive em termos de vídeo game. Quem nunca se sentiu como Francis Vendetti? Sem ter um senso de identidade própria, afogado em expectativas que os outros jogam em cima de ti sobre o que eles julgam que o melhor pra tua vida.

É isso que me cativa. Por mais simples e tresloucado que seja o jogo e todo o universo maravilhoso criado aqui, as motivações e o que leva a trama adiante são temáticas muito pé no chão e de fácil identificação. Não tem como não gostar.

Isso sem falar na direção de arte maravilhosa, a trilha sonora espetacular (e o fato de que sempre que tu toca a guitarra, a melodia acompanha a trilha sonora do mapa em que tu tá, isso é genial), os personagens cativantes e a gameplay simples, mas ainda assim efetiva. O jogo não é muito longo e é bom que não seja, a duração dele contribui bastante pra história que acho que poderia facilmente se perder se fosse esticada só pra criar barriga e aumentar tempo de campanha.

O final então é emocionante e muito lindo. Comecei e terminei esse jogo com um sorriso no rosto do início ao fim. Não sabia nada sobre ele quando comecei a jogar e ainda bem que não sabia, tornou tudo ainda mais delicioso. Tô extremamente apaixonado e adoraria ver uma continuação dos acontecimentos daqui.

Mas, até lá, fico com a satisfação de ter jogado essa maravilha e ter vivido essa experiência.

It’s always wonderful to see a game developer that embraces creativity rather than chase trends, and see it shine through in the art they create. Doing something like that is always a risk, because as an artist you’re choosing to break away from the status quo in the pursuit of something different. Especially risky when they’re an indie developer with no safety net of success to fall back on.

It’s interesting that this is also written to be a part of Francis’s character arc. Francis being the main character of The Artful Escape. Although, there is a lot more to it than that. It’s also about him having to live under the shadow of his uncle, a legendary folk singer who has made music history. Now Francis has his home town, which is starting to decline economically, place all their hopes onto his shoulders by trying reshape him into something he’s not: a folk singer.

Throughout this narrative you’re shown the pressure that Francis is put under. His fears, insecurity, and the risks that come from trying something new and unusual. How he longs for creative freedom, to be his own person…not the ghost of a beloved folk singer. Even though I don’t create music, I still felt this was all really relatable because I think deep down a lot these issues are something almost every creator struggles with. I just love this story, it dares to be different because it doesn’t rely on sadness to get an emotional response like many indie games do. It was just a feel good game where it was great to watch Francis grow as a character and to overcome his fears.

The art style of this game is simply breath taking. The developers put 3D character models into a 2D world which I loved. It kind of reminded me of a pop up book I’d read as a kid. It was also amazing how they blended the colors together with the music and how everything in the world just seemed to flow together so naturally. It’s pure psychedelic eye candy.

The gameplay is a weird mix of a side scrolling platformer and a rhythm game. Strangely, I found they mix quit well, but I did find the overall gameplay to be a little underwhelming only because there are large sections where you’re just either running or sliding across the landscape, with the only real player input being an optional wail on your guitar. I really like the rhythm aspect of it though and found that part to be really fun. I just wish these segments were a little longer, but I also feel that about the entire game in general.

The game does offer some replay value because the game gives the player an array of things to pick from for Francis. For example, you can pick out his clothes, the name of his on stage persona, and his dialogue throughout the game. I thought it was pretty fun and they give you a lot of variety to experiment with. Sadly, most of it is purely cosmetic and the dialogue choices have no real effect on the outcome of the story. However, since I loved the story that wasn’t really a problem for me, though it might be a little disappointing for others.


Overall:

The Artful Escape might not be everyones jam (yes, the pun is intended), but for me it was truly a flawed gem with a beautiful message. This is just another jewel in Annapurna library and I can’t wait to see what Beethoven and Dinosaur create next!


Pros:
+ gorgeous art style
+ great story
+ good soundtrack
+ excellent voice acting
+ easy trophy/achievement list

Cons:
-underwhelming gameplay at times
-too short

What a weird game, if you can even call it a 'game'. Firstly, cool graphics, really pretty visuals at times. Music is....I dunno. The whole game revolves around you walking left to right playing a guitar through some trippy space levels. The music itself is kinda cool, its essentially just a dude noodling a solo endlessly on a loop. Its cool, but it does grow monotonous pretty fast. So you walk through the levels, then face a 'boss', which is just like a game of simon says with the controller buttons. Very very easy, never even a hint of a challenge. And that's it, that's the 'game'. There's very little interactive elements to it, its always on rails, and its over in about 2 hours, including getting the Plat. There is zero replayability.

The story is just, kinda weird and stupid. It does have a few funny moments, but mostly the writing is trying wayyyyy too hard to be kooky and weird and trippy, plus there are dialogue choices which you quickly learn have absolutely zero influence on the story, so you just end up button mashing to get through dialogue scenes ASAP. I will say, the voice acting is top notch, especially my man Carl Weathers (!?), who is excellent.

But yeah, its a quick and not particularly interesting 2 hour game. When its over you're kinda just sitting there saying "Is that it???". But you're also glad its over so you can move on to a better game.

You walk forward in an acid-trip-like world, talking to aliens and listening to music while a story focused on discovering yourself through music unfolds. Once in a while, there is some small music mini-game, but for the most part, this is about looking and listening as you move ahead. And that's fine because it does look and sound great, it's a presentation showcase. It's slick and polished, but I wish the music mini-games were fleshed out and more frequent, adding a bit more gameplay to the game.

he Artful Escape is a weird one. There is quite a lot about it that feels a bit overdone, you know? It is trying so hard to be high-minded that it might come off as vapid in another title, but here it’s wholly endearing. The game is a bit silly, and it thankfully knows it is. It melds a vibrant art aesthetic with an earnest look at the process of the artist finding their medium. What is particularly delightful about it is that it is a story of people helping you along the way. The cast of characters are as vibrant and strange as the world around them. The celebrity cast is a novelty, but credit where it is due, they don’t just phone it in. Carl Weathers in particular offers a bright light among the cast as a rock star whose light has started to fade by the time we come around. None of the supporting roles are huge parts but each plays a part in transporting star Francis Vendetti across the universe to find himself.

Although not without a sense of cynicism Artful Escape embraces the idea that you can do what you love and be yourself even if it takes you some time to get there. In support of this are the game’s adventure elements. The game is at its best when it is in the dialogue between characters or just Francis choosing what his rock style is going to be. It is at these moments a true adventure game focused entirely on the character and his growth. Alternatively, there are gameplay sections of platforming and rhythm games. Perfectly fine, but not remarkable. They are elevated by visual style but brought down by how plain they otherwise are. The game needed them to vary itself up but doesn’t mean they are entirely helpful. Regardless they don’t drag down the experience. It is a short and sweet little adventure and that should be enough for most. If any rockstar

This game was recommended by a friend and fellow streamer, Garytron who said, "This is very much a Roy game" and he was right. I can't express how much I loved this one.

The Artful Escape follows a man stepping into adulthood with a shadow of expectation hanging over his head. One he is ready to embrace (albeit it out of the pressure he feels, not out of a love for that future). And then, out of nowhere, aliens show up and take him on a journey of discovery.

The themes of this game had me locked in, figuring out who you are, developing your own personal style and personal sound. Being challenged to create your own journey and definition of who you are, where you come from, and (most importantly) where you are going. And then, wrapping it up with themes of a legacy ending - of losing the thing that defined you and trying to figure out who you are while others take your place.

What a game. What a spectacular game.

I would consider changing two things about it though:
1. I would make the musical gameplay more difficult. This is really a walking simulator (a fun one!) with a few moments of discovery and a few moments of rockband like playing. But the rockband piece is lacking in difficulty and engagement. I think with a little more work they could have made this part of the game more difficult and much better.

2. I felt the ending was slightly abrupt. No way to talk about this without spoilers, but while not a bad ending, it felt like there could have been just slightly more to it and it would have finished the game perfectly.

Still, what a spectacular game. Running through worlds wailing on the guitar is a true pleasure. Definitely recommended!

The game is beautiful, with some of the most visually entertaining art, character and world design you've ever seen, but sorely lacking in the gameplay department. I understand and enjoy that the message of the game is all about self-discovery and going on your own journey to find the things you love, using mediums like art to do so. But man was I expecting there to be more of a GAME. It's an autorunner with no obstacles for most of the game, with a couple of Simon Says repeat-after-me sections that a child could solve. I don't fault this game for having this kind of gameplay, I know it's really not meant to be a challenge, and more of an experience. Just for me personally, I was wanting more to do.