The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur) Video Game Review

INCLUSIVE TALLY (Overall): 8.7/10

"A Cosmogonic Cinematic Rock Opera Adventure of Introspection"

Bang for your Bounty (Value): 8.5/10 - 

Obviously better if:

Got just a few bucks to spend and on a gaming dry spell through this Fall??? The game released at $19.99 on the Steam/Xbox stores and was made available from day 1 on Xbox Game Pass. The longevity of the game tops out at 5 hours EVEN if you are a completionist. The fact that they realized this and brought the price down makes it feel very reasonable considering the quality.

Ocular Pleasure (Graphics):  10/10

Some would call it a Tron RGB Acid Trip, but personally I would call it a kaleidoscopic colorful cosmic masterpiece.  I give big praise to the creativity, imagination, and execution over at Beethoven & Dinosaur. This experience had me grinning ear to ear from start to finish. I am in awe of the  unique setting they created in each area.

Butter or Stutter (Mechanics): 8.1/10

We'll call this one margarine, the controls were smooth and very responsive, nothing ever felt laggy, unresponsive or buggy. It delivered in a big way for what the game is, but there are few controls. I would call this more of a cinematic/musical experience game than a mechanically driven one. 

Body of Expression (Story): 8.5/10

Feeling trapped in a shadow and like you can't be yourself due to expectations of what you should pursue due to parents, siblings or pressure from peers? Are you wearing Morrissey sunglasses when you want to wear "Powerline/Randy Savage" shades??  You can probably relate to Francis Vendetti then. I relished this becoming tale of a young man feeling like he had to fill the shoes of his uncle, a deceased folk legend. It only took Francis an "Excellent Adventure" of sorts to find himself and the confidence in being himself. An artful journey with lots of emotions.

Appraisal of Recapitulation (Replay Value): 

The fact of the matter is I  don't see this game having replay value regardless of how much I enjoyed it.  If you are completionist, the achievements can be done in one playthrough and choices don't appear to affect endings, only dialogue. The only thing I may revisit is a certain chapter, to go into a certain closet and mess around with the plentiful stylish options because that was a great addition to this game

Harmony of Workings (Balance/Interest): 8.8/10

Couldn't put it down. In fact I found my 31 year old self playing this into the midnight hours and a certain Danny Glover quote popped in my head and it took me another couple hours in the morning. The game does a great balance of just enough to keep you going and wanting the next epic shred session or vibrant terrain ambience. 

Unique Entities (Characters):  8.1/10

Inventively marvelous. The game does a notable job of providing voice behind the main characters. I love the apparel, looks and voice acting. I do however, find myself wanting more background and screen time from some of the unique supporting cast. Perhaps with the success we can see some of this in a sequel. 

 

Triumphs/Keepsakes (Achievements/Trophies):

1/10 difficulty, roughly 4-5 hours timeframe.  If you know the cheevos ahead of time will shave about 20 minutes off revisiting via chapter select

Undefined duty (Other): 

*double metal hands* - I can't review this game without giving a high praise shoutout to the music and the journey of harmonic ballad madness it takes us on.  

"That was it" I wish the game was longer and had more budget for characters. If that was possible I think we could have a GOTY nominee on our hands

I loved the character customization the closet - let's see your costumes you came up with in the comments - mine is below, went for a Punk Style Macho Man Randy Savage. 

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