The Artful Escape

 PC
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 28
  3. Negative: 1 out of 28
  1. GamingTrend
    Sep 8, 2021
    70
    The Artful Escape perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being transported away by a David Bowie track to a far-out world filled with colorful characters and wildlife and great music, but its gameplay falls flat, offering little depth past its first tutorial. While the game is short enough for its systems to never feel too egregious, it never reaches its full potential through its story or its mechanics. Fans of zen games, nice visuals, and quippy dialogue may want to pick this up, but do not expect a deep experience in playing The Artful Escape.
  2. Wccftech
    Sep 8, 2021
    70
    The Artful Escape is a rockin' Space Opera but it doesn't have much going for it besides its pretty visuals and incredible music. The platforming is basic and the plot is serviceable, but it's nothing that audiences haven't seen before. I'd recommend this game only if you're a fan of rock music from the '70s and '80s.
  3. CGMagazine
    Sep 8, 2021
    70
    The Artful Escape has a stellar narrative with actual good humour enhanced by the voice acting talent and beautiful landscapes, but the gameplay is stale and those who dislike electric guitar are in for a long haul.
  5. Noisy Pixel
    Sep 8, 2021
    65
    I wanted to come away from The Artful Escape feeling inspired and changed, with a story to really mull over. I came into this four-to-five-hour experience with expectations set by early gameplay, and while some of them were met, I don't know that it does enough to really justify its choice of medium. It has got more than enough in terms of eye candy and audio bliss, but I can't confidently say that any of the other pieces manage to come together in this space oddity.
  6. Shacknews
    Sep 8, 2021
    60
    While The Artful Escape does a strong job with its presentation and sense of style, it still suffers the same drawbacks as most adventure games, particularly with the boring-at-best game mechanics. The celebrity voice cast does well enough, though I only recognized Weathers during my time in the game. The trip here isn’t long, though it does manage to be memorable thanks to its relentless desire to look like a Liz Frank-emblazoned Trapper Keeper. Depending on the drugs you keep handy, this could be the ticket.
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In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Sep 8, 2021
    So: a funny spectacle that doesn’t have the staying power beyond the length of your average concert (plus several encores). I wish there was more reason to return to this world once the applause dies down - I could see myself firing it up for a nostalgic listen down the line - but it’s fun while it lasts. The perfect Game Pass game, then, or a slightly more indulgent treat at £17. A recommend, but not a full recommend. Too ambiguous? Ha, the Slippery Matthew Castle strikes again.

Awards & Rankings

86
#86 Best PC Game of 2021
97
#97 Most Discussed PC Game of 2021

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 61 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 61
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 61
  3. Negative: 14 out of 61
  1. sabev94379
    Sep 14, 2021
    3
    There are some nice visuals, decent performances, and even a few moments of inspired writing in The Artful Escape. It's not enough to buoy aThere are some nice visuals, decent performances, and even a few moments of inspired writing in The Artful Escape. It's not enough to buoy a game with this many glaring, bone-deep, ever-present flaws. I'll start with the most damning: the music in this game is pretty bad. It sets a bar for itself with some Bob Dylan-inspired folk music near the beginning which it then completely fails to live up to with a nearly nonstop rush of nonsense guitar shredding/wailing. Music forms the basis for all character motivation, plot developments, and gameplay in The Artful Escape. The fact that it doesn't sound good and is extremely clunky to engage with is just too much. No game is strong enough to shoulder that kind of burden. The Artful Escape, in particular, is too weak to support almost any part of its genuinely interesting premise. If you've seen the trailer for this game, you've played all the best parts of this game.… Full Review »
  2. hamik17594
    Nov 9, 2021
    0
    As other reviewers have pointed out, this isn't a game with any real gameplay mechanics. If you're playing The Artful Escape, you're playingAs other reviewers have pointed out, this isn't a game with any real gameplay mechanics. If you're playing The Artful Escape, you're playing for the story and music. Let's be real: The story is poorly-written in terms of character development, pacing, plot, pretty much anything that you'd want a story to do well. The music is much, much worse. Even as a fan of this style of music, the music is a pretty much non-stop assault of bottom-tier guitar noodling. There aren't enough drugs in the world to make The Artful Escape an interesting trip.… Full Review »
  3. hosolah302
    Oct 21, 2021
    2
    In some ways, The Artful Escape plays out like a film director's first attempt at designing gameplay. At other moments, it feels like a gameIn some ways, The Artful Escape plays out like a film director's first attempt at designing gameplay. At other moments, it feels like a game developer's first attempt at writing a story, any story. Overall, it's an extremely bad game with a very meh story that spins its wheels for a few hours and then unceremoniously ends with all its characters half-developed. It's a game in which the gameplay sucks. It's a story about expressing one's self through music, but the music is the least expressive part of the game by far.… Full Review »
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