Francis Vendetti is in a bit of an artistic rut. He is a teenage musical prodigy who is given the opportunity to carry on the legacy of his dead uncle. His uncle was a legendary folk singer who could spin out a poem with just a few strums of his guitar. Francis' musical ambitions, however, lie in another type of music: cosmic. He dreams of epic rock and roll riffs that transcend dimensions and radical jams that create rifts in the galaxy.

The Artful Escape is a story-driven platform adventure that follows Francis' journey to becoming a rock star. In his quiet Colorado hometown, the community had hoped Francis would carry on his uncle's musical legacy, planning a debut show that would launch his career. But on the night of the performance, he is whisked away on a strange intergalactic adventure.

Francis begins to fly around a kaleidoscopic planet that stretches across the galaxy, but something still binds him to his uncle. Because of these two personalities, this musical genius is literally stuck between two worlds.

Francis' quest to establish the most elaborate stage persona the world has ever seen takes him on a magical mystery tour of colorful landscapes and jam sessions with various galactic beasts and beings. Impress celebrity nightclub hosts, light up interstellar cave discos, and shock alien civilizations with new grooves.

As you travel through the levels, you'll find yourself more engrossed in putting on a spectacular show than in operating the platforms. As he flies around the world, he instructs Francis to start playing his guitar, and the world around him lights up. Plants and flowers blaze with light, stars shatter like fireworks, and creatures come to life.

The guitar strums only to satisfy his visual and auditory senses, and for most of each level he simply runs to the left, sometimes platform jumping. There is a lot going on all around, and it is a stunning sight. Sliding down snowy peaks while rocking epic solos with split kicks couldn't be more exhilarating.

There are times when Francis must perform on stage.

There are times when Francis must perform on stage, either for show or to impress the powerful (but musically picky) alien overlords. This is where the music production mechanic comes in, which mimics button combinations in a call-and-response format. Basically, it's like a musical "Simon Says," but it doesn't change as the story progresses. The same thing that was done in the tutorial will be done in the epic final performance.

Testing the player's ability to copy the flashing color patterns is not the real purpose of The Artful Escape. It is so effortless and easy that anyone can shred a guitar against a rich orchestral soundscape. It's a heartfelt love letter to music, which is not surprising since rock star Johnny Galvatron (former head of the rock group Galvatron) is literally at the helm of this game. You can feel his love for music in every chord he trashes. No guitar solo sounds the same, which is quite a feat for a five-hour game.

Joining Galvatron's epic guitar licks are a diverse group of stars, each playing a space weirdo. Jason Schwartzman plays a deadly brain floating in a bottle, Mark Strong plays an intergalactic music producer, Francis' eccentric mentor and space guide is brought to life by Carl Weathers, and Lena Headley of "Game of Thrones" fame, plays a terrifying but magnificent and omnipotent cosmic being. Each cast member's performance is equally matched by the energy of each character's bonkers design, and each voice fits perfectly into this world.

But beneath the blockbuster casting, dazzling worldbuilding, and wonderful guitar wailing is a genuinely honest story. The musical guitar mechanics of The Artful Escape never quite reach the heights of the stunning visuals, but Francis' journey of self-discovery is universal."