



Francis is an awkward teenager going through a personal crisis, and while it’s music related, many of us went through that same sort of moment in our lives, too. Is Francis a rockstar, or does he want to walk the path of a folk singer? At least that’s the main premise of the game, and it’s an interesting one, but the real enjoyment of it comes from watching Francis gain confidence in himself. Along the way, he’ll meet some interesting characters and go on a journey to discover who he really wants to be. The rest of the game is a coming-of-age story for Francis. However, no one knows that Francis can shred and is a natural-born rockstar. A famous folk singer, Johnson is the pride and joy of the town and someone whose footsteps Francis is expected to follow. Vendetti spends most of his life living in the shadow of his uncle, Johnson Vendetti. Its main character, Francis Vendetti, sits at the edge of a cliff while strumming a folk tune on his guitar. The game begins in a small Colorado town called Calypso. The Artful Escape took this approach and managed to knock it out of the park. This is a good thing - many fantastic games are less about challenging the player, or giving them an obstacle to overcome, and instead provide a narrative for them to follow along with. Unsurprisingly, the game he decided to create, The Artful Escape, is heavily influenced by music, so much so that a lot of times it feels more like an experience that you’re guided along than a game. Rockstar-turned-game developer Johnny Galvatron created the studio Beethoven & Dinosaur out of his desire to make his own video game.
