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  3. The Artful Escape
The Artful Escape

The Artful Escape

Released: 9/9/2021

On the eve of his first performance, Francis Vendetti struggles with the legacy of a dead folk legend and the cosmic wanderings of his own imagination. In an attempt to escape the musical legacy of his uncle, a teenage guitar prodigy embarks on a psychedelic journey to inspire his new stage persona, searching for who he isn’t in an adventure spanning stolen opera houses, melodic alien landscapes, and the impossible depths of the Cosmic Extraordinary. Starring voice performances by Michael Johnston, Caroline Kinley, Lena Headey, Jason Schwartzman, Mark Strong, and Carl Weathers. KEY FEATURES: * A story about great expectations, towering legacies, aliens, folk music, guitar solos, making stuff up, and living your dreams like memories. * Musical jams. They’re visceral. They traverse dimensions. * Craft your own stage persona from the sci-fi beginnings of your backstory to the trim on your moonboots. * Converse, consult and chill with all manner of beings: disenchanted publicans, nostalgic villagers, lumbering alien wildlife, and reality-defying behemoths. * Shred, soar and dance across the multiverse. Traverse landscapes made of sound -- composed by your movement -- as if the world itself were an instrument.

On the eve of his first performance, Francis Vendetti struggles with the legacy of a dead folk legend and the cosmic wanderings of his own imagination. In an attempt to escape the musical legacy of his uncle, a teenage guitar prodigy embarks on a psychedelic journey to inspire his new stage persona, searching for who he isn’t in an adventure spanning stolen opera houses, melodic alien landscapes, and the impossible depths of the Cosmic Extraordinary. Starring voice performances by Michael Johnston, Caroline Kinley, Lena Headey, Jason Schwartzman, Mark Strong, and Carl Weathers. KEY FEATURES: * A story about great expectations, towering legacies, aliens, folk music, guitar solos, making stuff up, and living your dreams like memories. * Musical jams. They’re visceral. They traverse dimensions. * Craft your own stage persona from the sci-fi beginnings of your backstory to the trim on your moonboots. * Converse, consult and chill with all manner of beings: disenchanted publicans, nostalgic villagers, lumbering alien wildlife, and reality-defying behemoths. * Shred, soar and dance across the multiverse. Traverse landscapes made of sound -- composed by your movement -- as if the world itself were an instrument.

On the eve of his first performance, Francis Vendetti struggles with the legacy of a dead folk legend and the cosmic wanderings of his own imagination. In an attempt to escape the musical legacy of his uncle, a teenage guitar prodigy embarks on a psychedelic journey to inspire his new stage persona, searching for who he isn’t in an adventure spanning stolen opera houses, melodic alien landscapes, and the impossible depths of the Cosmic Extraordinary. Starring voice performances by Michael Johnston, Caroline Kinley, Lena Headey, Jason Schwartzman, Mark Strong, and Carl Weathers. KEY FEATURES: * A story about great expectations, towering legacies, aliens, folk music, guitar solos, making stuff up, and living your dreams like memories. * Musical jams. They’re visceral. They traverse dimensions. * Craft your own stage persona from the sci-fi beginnings of your backstory to the trim on your moonboots. * Converse, consult and chill with all manner of beings: disenchanted publicans, nostalgic villagers, lumbering alien wildlife, and reality-defying behemoths. * Shred, soar and dance across the multiverse. Traverse landscapes made of sound -- composed by your movement -- as if the world itself were an instrument.

Critics
81
Steam
92
Metacritic
75

Score Breakdown

80.5

Critic Average

67 reviews

92

Steam User Score

1,896 reviews

75

Metacritic User Score

136 reviews

Disparity Breakdown

Steam Disparity
-11.4
Metacritic Disparity
+5.5
Combined Disparity
-2.9

Average of both sources

Review Timing

24 early (36%)33 launch window (49%)10 late (15%)

Review summary

Updated May 8, 2026

Based on 67 scored critic reviews, critics give this game an average score of 80.5/100. Critics score this game 11.4 points lower than Steam users and 5.5 points higher than Metacritic users.

How these comparisons are calculated
Sources behind this summary(5 recent of 67)+
  1. Vítor M. CostaviaGameBlast
    Jun 15, 2022·Late review
    75/100View review
    Steam 91.9/100 · -16.9 ptsMetacritic 75/100 · 0.0 pts
  2. Nicolò BicegoviaSpaziogames
    Feb 8, 2022·Late review
    84/100View review
    Steam 91.9/100 · -7.9 ptsMetacritic 75/100 · +9.0 pts
  3. Joe DevaderviaNintendoWorldReport
    Feb 6, 2022·Late review
    80/100View review
    Steam 91.9/100 · -11.9 ptsMetacritic 75/100 · +5.0 pts
  4. Roland IngramviaNintendo Life
    Jan 31, 2022·Late review
    80/100View review
    Steam 91.9/100 · -11.9 ptsMetacritic 75/100 · +5.0 pts
  5. Amelia FruzzettiviaNintendo Wire
    Jan 31, 2022·Late review
    75/100View review
    Steam 91.9/100 · -16.9 ptsMetacritic 75/100 · 0.0 pts