The Artful Escape released last year on the Xbox family of consoles to widespread critical acclaim, racking up an impressive list of accolades and nominations from a variety of publications. The art direction and music earned developer Beethoven & Dinosaur some well-deserved attention and put another feather in publisher Annapurna’s already feather-laden cap.

Now, four months after its initial launch, The Artful Escape is finally available on other consoles, and I took the time to play through the game on the Nintendo Switch. This was my first time playing through The Artful Escape, and I can safely say that not only is it a remarkable game, but the Switch just might be the best way to play it.

Story

The Artful Escape can easily be categorized as a narrative game, but not all narrative games have a story worth telling. Fortunately, that’s not the case with this game, as The Artful Escape is rich with hilarious dialogue, amazing set pieces, and some of the most entertaining characters this side of Galaxram. And that’s good for them because failing to entertain can literally get you killed in the universe Beethoven & Dinosaur have created.

There’s a great deal of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy in The Artful Escape, and it does a great service to this inspiration by telling a suitably wacky story that is also a deeply heartfelt ode to human emotion. The Artful Escape tells the story of one Francis Vendetti, a lonely young man who feels trapped by the specter of his dead uncle, famous folk musician Johnson Vendetti.

The night before Francis’ debut concert, though, he’s whisked off-world by the crew of an interdimensional spacecraft known as the Cosmic Lung. Thus begins the adventure of a lifetime that takes Francis across the known universe as he struggles to discover who he truly is under the veneer of his uncle’s legacy.

The Artful Escape tells an utterly incredible story about loss, self-discovery, and transformation all wrapped up in a laser-light rock concert that takes place across the galaxy. The Cosmic Lung is crewed by an enthralling cast of characters: there’s Violetta, a master laser-light artist who isn’t quite ready to be in the spotlight; Zomm, the bizarre-looking alien first-mate of the Lung; and Lightman, the Lung’s captain and the most famous musician in the universe.

Violetta and Lightman serve as foils for Francis as they send him to various planets to serve as Lightman’s opening act on his interdimensional music tour. While Violetta isn’t quite sure Francis is ready for this kind of experience, Lightman pushes him to go beyond his own expectations of himself. But their insecurities mirror Francis’ as they’re not quite comfortable with themselves, either.

The best thing about The Artful Escape’s story is the contrast between its relatable themes and the zany nature of its aesthetic. Setting such an emotionally grounded story against the backdrop of an 80s-themed rock tour was an absolute stroke of genius that brings a level of clarity and depth to the game that otherwise would have been hard to see.  

Gameplay

The Artful Escape is a pretty simple game to play, but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment. The entire game plays out on a 2D plane, so Francis can only ever move forward or backward. This movement through the world is how The Artful Escape delivers itself as a video game, and it’s pretty brilliant in its simplicity.

As Francis runs through the world, I could hold down the Y button on my Switch controller to make him shred on a holographic, electric guitar. If I pressed A while in the air, he’d go into an iconic rock-n’-roll slide, and if I pressed X he’d slam the butt end of the guitar into the ground with a resounding chord. Each of these moves makes running to the next destination feel fluid, and each one comes in handy during some of the more compelling moments in the game’s story.

Some of these moments offered me the chance to live out some of my own rock musician fantasies. There are several instances through the game where a flying stage will zoom in from offscreen and prompt Francis to jam alongside a host of different fantastical alien beings. Each note is tied to a particular button, so it ends up like a more sophisticated version of Simon Says, but it’s still a blast to play.

There are also a few sequences that required me to play my guitar to interact with the world around me as I traveled, whether that was just lighting up a city or getting a tree-top village to break out into a full-on dance party. By far the coolest example of this was an intense sprint through the fashion-conscious city of Glimmer which culminated in a chase sequence atop the back of a warp turtle.

Audio & Visual

The Artful Escape is an incredible-looking game, from the numerous laser light shows to the colorful alien environments, and I was frequently in awe at how well the game portrays scope with such a restricted view. Mountains rise up in the distance as the camera draws away from Francis, or spot-light tinted clouds part before him as he rides on the head of a gargantuan alien.  

I will say that the Switch does struggle to handle some of The Artful Escape’s more visually impressive scenes, at least when docked. There were a few hitches, and the graphics could get a bit muddy at times, but playing the game in handheld mode cleared most of those issues up right away. I had the best time with it just playing on the couch with some headphones plugged in.

This brings me to the game’s music. The background score and accompanying guitar riffs Francis plays while walking around are superb, and there’s a surprising amount of variety as well. Different planets feature different musical styles, with some featuring the blistering rock of the 70s and 80s while others sport a smoother sound that incorporates a few jazz elements.

It’s worth noting that the voice cast is remarkable as well, both in notoriety and performance. Michael Johnston turns in a solid performance as Francis Vendetti while Caroline Kinley shines as Violetta. Jason Schwartzman brings a delightfully sinister edge to Zomm, and Carl Weathers delivers one of his best performances in years as the aging rocker, Lightman.

Verdict

The Artful Escape is a wonderful experience that combines the classic elements of a coming-of-age story with the splendor of 80s-era rock music. It’s a treat to play on the Switch, especially in handheld mode, and it’s short enough that I can see myself diving back in for a replay every year. With its stunning visuals, exceptional music, and wonderfully out-of-this-world story and characters, The Artful Escape is a triumph in every sense of the word.