The Artful Escape is a psychedelic platformer from developer Beethoven & Dinosaur that has spent quite a long time in development, and at long last, we finally got to hear more about it during the Inside Xbox press briefing at X019 yesterday. The game will be launching next year on Xbox One and Apple Arcade, with Annapurna Interactive being the one to handle the publishing. Check out its trailer below:
The Artful Escape puts you in the shoes of performer Francis Vendetti on the night of his very first major performance. Understandably, he’s pretty nervous about it, and to make matters worse, he also has to battle the 'cosmic wanderings of his own imagination' as well as the legacy of his late uncle, who was a folk legend in his own time.
In terms of the gameplay, this one will see you traversing across a series of breathtaking environments. And since this is a game about a budding performer, you can expect music to be an integral part of the entire experience. The world itself is made of sounds, and with your trusty guitar, you can play different tunes to alter the landscapes around you and open up access to new areas. It is also your weapon against the many enemies that the game will throw at you.
Moreover, by the look of things, it seems like you’ll spend a good chunk of time interacting with the game's eclectic cast of oddball characters, customizing your on-stage persona, and partaking in musical jams as well.
All things considered, we are pretty impressed by The Artful Escape so far. It’s absurd, it’s quirky, and it’s unique. The game is set to launch in 2020 on Xbox One and Apple Arcade, though no release date has been confirmed as of yet. In the meantime, check out some other interesting titles that are available right now on Apple’s latest subscription service here.