I got kind of similar vibes to Genesis Noir from this, outside of the obvious musical/artistic wavelength. Both games celebrate or exemplify improvisation in their aesthetic, and both are, to put it politely, pretty uninterested in mechanics at best. I would go as far as to say at worst the mechanics here even fight against the story's core.
Games with rhythm or Simon Says elements are difficult to get right outside of a few select templates I feel. Rock Band and Guitar Hero sell you on being a rock star in a band, so when you play your favorite songs note-by-note, whether with friends or alone, it accomplishes that pretty well through the plastic instruments and presentation [and of course it helps to offer scores for those who crave the chase]. And there's value to just capitalizing on the appeal of playing to a rhythm and getting into a groove, in games as wildly different as Crypt of the NecroDancer and Rhythm Heaven.
But using Simon Says as the central mechanic in a game about marching to the beat of your own drum and fighting tradition and expectation? In Artful Escape there is improvisation at times, usually on your way to the final battle in each scenario. You can hold a button to play your guitar to light up the world around you if you desire, and there are locked platform sequences where you get to improvise notes with five buttons. They're fine, not that exciting but pretty colorful and ultimately welcome. There is also a point in the story when you're allowed to design your wardrobe, a wonderful moment for expressing your inner rock star.
But when it comes down to it and you reach the story battles, improvisation is reduced to how quickly you play notes. You still won't progress unless you play the notes indicated for the battle, in order. They're not presented as the notes that come from within, because the indicators are literally a part of your opponent. I would add that these mechanics are slightly clumsy in how they're presented, but that was minor to me compared to the general sense that I was playing a story about self-expression and, in its biggest moments, basically wasn't allowed to do that at all. The only real positive to them [outside of the game's obvious excitement for music] is that they're incredibly short.
The story still ends up being mildly sweet and endearing, and the aesthetic and music come together to make a pleasant, short experience, in spite of it being a little boring to play [didn't even mention the ho-hum platforming that's... there]. Also the voice cast is a wild journey, including Carl Weathers, Jason Schwartzman, and Lena Headey, so that's pretty fun!
Games with rhythm or Simon Says elements are difficult to get right outside of a few select templates I feel. Rock Band and Guitar Hero sell you on being a rock star in a band, so when you play your favorite songs note-by-note, whether with friends or alone, it accomplishes that pretty well through the plastic instruments and presentation [and of course it helps to offer scores for those who crave the chase]. And there's value to just capitalizing on the appeal of playing to a rhythm and getting into a groove, in games as wildly different as Crypt of the NecroDancer and Rhythm Heaven.
But using Simon Says as the central mechanic in a game about marching to the beat of your own drum and fighting tradition and expectation? In Artful Escape there is improvisation at times, usually on your way to the final battle in each scenario. You can hold a button to play your guitar to light up the world around you if you desire, and there are locked platform sequences where you get to improvise notes with five buttons. They're fine, not that exciting but pretty colorful and ultimately welcome. There is also a point in the story when you're allowed to design your wardrobe, a wonderful moment for expressing your inner rock star.
But when it comes down to it and you reach the story battles, improvisation is reduced to how quickly you play notes. You still won't progress unless you play the notes indicated for the battle, in order. They're not presented as the notes that come from within, because the indicators are literally a part of your opponent. I would add that these mechanics are slightly clumsy in how they're presented, but that was minor to me compared to the general sense that I was playing a story about self-expression and, in its biggest moments, basically wasn't allowed to do that at all. The only real positive to them [outside of the game's obvious excitement for music] is that they're incredibly short.
The story still ends up being mildly sweet and endearing, and the aesthetic and music come together to make a pleasant, short experience, in spite of it being a little boring to play [didn't even mention the ho-hum platforming that's... there]. Also the voice cast is a wild journey, including Carl Weathers, Jason Schwartzman, and Lena Headey, so that's pretty fun!