With his shimmering guitar, the performer formerly known as Francis Vendetti enters the ultimate stage for an astronomical rock showdown. Success means universal fame and fame; Failure, laser-based destruction. The moment is great, but for all of its undeniable show-stopping power, this crowning event doesn’t outshine the more thoughtful moments of the game. The strength of The Artful Escape lies in the protagonist’s comprehensible journey to self-realization, which serves as the crucial basis for his dopamine-spamming extravagances.
Francis Vendetti is an incredibly talented musician who suffers from impostor syndrome and self-doubt thanks to the inescapable legacy of his uncle, renowned folk singer Johnson Vendetti. He’s a personable protagonist, and the game’s funny writing makes it pleasant to listen to his witty observations, but the game isn’t subtle. No time wasted hammering home the promising musician’s needs.
A poster for Francis’ upcoming debut concert can be seen on the home screen. It is dominated by a picture of its famous relative and leaves little room for the actual headliner. Throughout the first chapter, Johnson Vendetti’s looming shadow grows darker and darker. The welcome sign to Francis’ hometown proudly displays a towering display of his most famous native son. An elderly neighbor comments on his family resemblance to the deceased artist. And – due to the ongoing Johnson Vendetti Festival – the singer’s music plays non-stop all over town. The narrative wavers in the direction of clumsy, but quickly moves on to Francis’ transformative space escapade.
In order to escape the expectations of his community and the pressure to be the other Vendetti, Francis develops a dramatic alter ego, and the plot moves away from his sympathetic small town into the fascinating expanse of the cosmos. The way from the small town strummer to the star sensation is satisfactory. It builds from frustrating moments where Francis’ uncertainty gets in the way of his desires to final revelation that leads to self-acceptance and fame. Between these two points is an intergalactic migration where each extraterrestrial location looks as impressive as the other. The levels include extraterrestrial snowy landscapes, deserts, and jungles, each exploring a different aspect of identity, helping Francis discover himself and create his new stage personality.
At certain points, you make meaningful decisions about Francis’ fictional interstellar identity. Those choices connected me to a narrative that might otherwise have felt too bizarre. This process is like a character creator that drags on as the adventure progresses, but also one that allows you to face your character’s mental health. The Artful Escape offers interesting ways to define your new personality, e.g.
As someone who spends a ridiculous amount of time creating the perfect character before jumping into a video game, I found this tiered approach to developing an alter ego really fulfilling. Personally, I felt cool when characters later used my created title or referred to my handpicked home planet. I’ve been thinking about my alien counterpart, and The Artful Escape is well rewarding for that.
For all appearances of incomprehensible cosmic grandeur, The Artful Escape is mechanically simple. You’ll move through aesthetically impressive side-scrolling levels by jumping over gaps and obstacles. Dedicated performance platforms are scattered around every single location on which you can play a short rhythm game. This may put off players looking for a challenge, but the simple nature of the game gives me strength and made me feel like a superstar.
During your travels, you can press a button to play your guitar, and typical platform actions trigger fun, rock-star-like animations. For example, a simple long jump turns into a truly epic guitar solo. The slide button lets the protagonist slide dramatically across the floor on his knees. These actions don’t have a huge impact on the gameplay, but when you combine these flourishes with the incredibly beautiful world that responds to your stimulating tones with bursts of color and movement, The Artful Escape more than makes up for its flat platform.
The performance mini-games are hard to screw up. From small jam sessions to outstanding concerts, the rules stay simple: hit a series of notes by pressing the five corresponding keys in the correct order. There is no set timing or error condition, but like the platform sections, the screen effect of this simple game is fantastic. In the midst of reactive laser shows and exploding pyrotechnics, it was easy for me to feel like the shining star of the galaxy.
Like its protagonist, The Artful Escape leans on its unique identity and thus comes out better. The game is breathtakingly beautiful, rich in music, and will make you feel like an intergalactic rock star as you explore some thoughtful relatable fears.
