Annapurna Interactive's love of bombastic indie titles served 2021 very well, with the release of assorted games across many genres. One of which was the artistic and musical platformer The Artful Escape, which Xbox and PC users have loved getting lost in since September 2021.
The Artful Escape is an indie side-scrolling platformer incorporating psychedelic visuals and a selection of instrumental pieces to tell a powerful story. The mesmerizing high-contrast worlds of color serve as the palette backdrop as players guide Francis Vendetti on a journey to find himself through music. The protagonist's rock and roll influences stem from music icons David Bowie and Bob Dylan, and heavily borrows visual styles from acclaimed directors Stanley Kubrick and Wes Anderson to blend the two artistic worlds together.
Annapurna Interactive dropped a trailer for The Artful Escape today, confirming the January 25 release date for the PlayStation 4, 5, and Nintendo Switch versions of the game. A stunning cinematic showreel of The Artful Escape's story greets viewers right off the bat, deftly interwoven with snippets of high praise from multiple reviewers. The time gap between now and its initial release means interested players can finally revel in the large roster of high ratings that The Artful Escape received in the past four months. With such a strong development team and celebrated cast, it should be no surprise that it received three nominations each for The Golden Joystick Awards and The Game Awards in 2021.
Visually stunning creatures comprised of different geometric shapes, animal combinations, and even random objects are all witnessed across The Artful Escape and its trailer makes sure to highlight their intriguing presence. The talented cast and music composition really gets the chance to show itself off as Game of Thrones actress Lena Headley appears alongside actors Mark Strong and Carl Weathers.
Other indie platformers boast competition and skill as central design choices, but Annapurna Interactive has taken a different approach with its attitude to self-discovery and artistic integrity. Such themes are bound to appeal to gamers who may be artists, musicians, and/or other creatives themselves. Going into this game expecting a conventional wacky platformer, therefore, may not get what all the buzz has been about. The Artful Escape is the gift of music giving something back to players without getting caught up in money or greed.
The Artful Escape is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with PS4, PS5, and Switch versions coming January 25.
