Xbox Game Pass users have another strong month of games to look forward to in September, and one such game is sure to attract particular attention as a day one release. The Artful Escape promises to be a surreal rock opera inspired by the likes of David Bowie and Bob Dylan. In addition to the musical influences, the game also takes inspiration from some major directors such as Wes Anderson and Steven Spielberg. Actors like Game of Thrones' Lena Headley and action movie star Carl Weathers will also have roles in the story.
With such grand musical and filmic inspirations, as well as The Artful Escape's star-studded cast, this game is sure to attract a variety of interested gamers. Citing inspiration from such well-respected directors and musicians does mean this game has a lot to live up to, however. Moreover, not everyone will be intricately familiar with the variety of influences this game takes, so a full explanation of this game is needed.
The Artful Escape's Development
While perhaps not the traditional root to game development, The Artful Escape's creator is a former rock musician from Melbourne named Johnny Galvatron. Following his band the Galvatrons going on hiatus, Galvatron decided to revisit what he had studied in college—film and computer animation—and thus conceived of the game. The rock music inspiration of The Artful Escape makes sense then, and this game is very much the brainchild of Galvatron's own biggest influences. As such, the allusions to Bowie or Bob Dylan can be expected to be loving dedications to the rock gods. Considering the musical influences, and based on what can be seen in the trailer, players should expect a trippy musical experience.
Galvatron formed Beethoven & Dinosaur to work on the game, and the ambitious project had to explore various avenues to generate funding before Annapurna Interactive signed on as publisher. Galvatron has cited Stanley Kubrik, Wes Anderson, and Steven Spielberg as some of the visual influences on the game, which can be seen reflected in the game's colorful and glossy aesthetic. While these directors are known for their scene composition and shot editing, it seems to be a purely aesthetic influence they have on The Artful Escape, since it's a platformer.
Finally, the game has a strong cast. Lena Headley is obviously known for her role as Cersei in Game of Thrones and has appeared in a variety of films such as The Purge. Carl Weathers is a well-known and respected actor, who had a recent role in The Mandalorian. Other film and tv actors who feature include Michael Johnston from Teen Wolf, Mark Strong, and Jason Schwartzman; the latter of which is a frequent collaborator of Wes Anderson, and this game marks his first foray into video games.
The Artful Escape Gameplay and Plot
As mentioned, and seen in the trailer, The Artful Escape is a sidescrolling platformer. Players control Francis Vendetti, who is living in the shadow of his folk musician uncle, Johnson Vendetti. Before his first big performance, Vendetti sets off on a psychedelic musical adventure to find himself. Johnny Galvatron has cited David Bowie's transformation into Ziggy Stardust as inspiration for the plot.
Although Galvatron had reported some fatigue and disillusionment with the music industry after his time on the scene, The Artful Escape is very much a love letter to music. The game's apt title sums up the main intent of the game, which is using art as an escape but also to find yourself. Despite his own experience, Galvatron put every great thing he imagined the music industry to be into the project. Whether the game can live up to such a grand mission remains to be seen, but it is sure to be an interesting play.
The Artful Escape is being released on September 9th for iOS, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.