Review of The Artful Escape - Finding Yourself

The Artful Escape is an unexpectedly powerful experience, a marvelous coming of age story about one man's quest for his identity and his place within the world, and his own life and community, as viewed by him, and not as defined by others. It excels in nearly every aspect of what it does, from its jaw-dropping artwork to the psychedelic vistas that it takes its players through over its short run; from the sharp writing that gives life to its characters to how well-recognized the environments that they inhabit.

It's impossible to distinguish any of the games triumphs from others because everything just comes together to create a coherent and unique vision for what the game is about as a story and an experience. The game's settings are amazing and jaw-dropping, but without its strong art style, they wouldn’t be as powerful. Without the context and story behind it, the art style would be nothing more than pretty pictures. Without engaging execution, the story and content would be flat. The game is a puzzle-solving experience that demonstrates how each part of the story contributes to the whole.

It's simple: you take on the role of Francis Vendetti, the nephew of a folk legend and have spent his whole life living under the shadow of his uncle. Francis isn’t his uncle. He knows that much but doesn’t know what he is or who he wants to be perceived as by the world. This minor identity crisis is the latent conflict and struggle that Francis faces. Does he want to be treated as a folk musician like his uncle? Or do he want to forge his own path and create his own persona and voice? This is The Artful escape's core conflict and what allows Franchs to be transported to a transcendental experience that spans the traverses between time and space.

"The Artful Escape" is a powerful and unexpectedly moving story about a man's search for his identity, his place in the world, his life, and his community. It is not defined by anyone else, but by him.

Because of the way that well-written the game is, this setup works. The first scene is a real treat. Francis' voice and the voices of the others he meets are authentic. The game's characters speak as you would expect them to. This is a remarkable feat when the game gets as "out there" after only a few hours. Even though Francis is immersed in scenes that are incomprehensible to the core (but stunning in their psychedelic incomprehension) to his senses, it is still a matter of how well he and other characters are written.

These characters help to bring the rich setting of the game to life. The small town where you begin the game is set creates a warm and inviting atmosphere. You are drawn into the intimate proceedings by the charming setting. Every setting feels rich and fleshed out, even when things get crazy. It's possible to find yourself in an alien world surrounded by Eldritch monstrosities playing your music. However, it doesn't feel absurd or break the suspension of disbelief because it's done so well it feels completely believable within the confines The Artful Escape.

It is obvious that music is essential for any game like The Artful Escape. And the music is amazing. You can actually embed it into the gameplay - when you hold down the key, you will constantly be shredding your instrument, changing the landscape around you. This creates new paths, hazards that you need to avoid, and visually, causes massive changes in the environment. Even if you aren't in a platforming section, you can still hold the key and your surroundings will respond. Usually, it lights up like a Christmas tree.

"You may find yourself in an alien landscape surrounded by Eldritch monstrosities jamming out to your music. But it doesn't feel absurd or breaks the suspension. It's all done so well it feels completely believable within the bounds of The Artful Escape.

The game's music also influences other gameplay sections. For instance, you can play the "bosses", a set where you must follow their lead and pick the right notes to play. You can then create your own rhythm using these notes. Your musical inputs expand from just one to five. It's clear that the game's music and the way it wraps it in its story is top-notch.

Its performance is the most significant failing . The frame rate is generally good. However, once you move beyond the simple areas and into more complex ones, frame rates drop or slow down are not uncommon in the platforming segments. It doesn't break anything, as this is a platformer game, so it isn't relying on frame perfect inputs. However, it is a problem because the fluidity of the game's animation and the way it synchs up to the music are definitely affected.

The Artful Escape has a very short game. It's the right length for what it is and does not need to be any longer. It is able to see that the game's pacing and strength as it nears its climax would be compromised if it tried to over-pillow itself. A shorter game, on the other hand, wouldn't allow it to fully flesh out its characters, settings, conflict, and resolution. It does however mean that it is not for everyone. Personally, I think the asking price is fair and the value you get from it more than justifies the cost. But that decision is ultimately up to you. It is a great thing that the game will be available on Game Pass immediately after launch so that subscribers can play it without additional cost.

But I believe The Artsful Escape is a worthwhile experience. It is beautiful and sounds amazing, with beautifully resonant characters and themes, and it's a joy to see and interact with. It is an inspiring journey to self-discovery that everyone should undertake.

This game has been reviewed on Xbox One.

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By: Pramath
Title: The Artful Escape Review – Finding Yourself
Sourced From: gamingbolt.com/the-artful-escape-review-finding-yourself
Published Date: Wed, 08 Sep 2021 16:05:08 +0000

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