Every so often, entertainment transcends its role as a distraction from your dreary life, and takes you to places that you’re loath to leave. Mixtape is a great example of that sentiment, and while The Suck might not be a place that many of us might find liveable, it isn’t where the game takes you. Instead, you’re taken back to memories of your own time as a teenager, and all of the bonds you’ve built along the way.
Stacey Rockford’s love for music and her friendship with Slater and Cassandra work as a narrative vehicle that moves as fast as the trio’s skateboards, or a very memorable shopping cart that I’m not going to talk more about in the interest of avoiding spoilers. You explore their memories of their time in high school, while the underlying melancholy of life taking you in a direction that’s different from your loved ones is a constant undercurrent that gives the narrative the emotional heft it needs to land just right.
You see, Stacey aims to make her passion for music into a career as a music supervisor. But to do that, she’s got to leave her life and her friends behind and move to New York to work with one of the biggest names in the industry. Her bags are packed, and she’s ready to go (if you’ve caught on to the reference, you’re sure to like Mixtape). But that’s not before she has one last evening of togetherness with the people she’s shared her life with over the years.
Stacey’s musical tastes are spot on, especially if you’re a fan of rock music throughout the ages. The story is told via a mixtape that she’s made to celebrate her life so far, and the one she’s moving towards. As such, every song you hear is carefully curated, matching the setting and tone of each scene from the game’s story in a way that brings it all together so well you might catch yourself humming your favorites long after you’ve completed the relatively short story.
When you consider Stacey’s current situation and how music has shaped her life and her memories, Mixtape goes beyond a mere coming-of-age story to become an exploration of nostalgia and friendships. Each memory, triggered by interacting with an object that holds significance to either Stacey or one of her friends, comes with a song that’s matched to the occasion, while you interact with members of the trio in interesting ways.
“Mixtape entertains by being so relatable that you almost feel like you’re a part of the trio and have known them for years.”
The opening sequence, for instance, has them barrelling down the slope of a mountain on their skateboards, navigating sharp turns whilst avoiding oncoming traffic. You control Stacey in this part, pressing buttons to perform flips and other stunts while your thumbsticks ensure that she doesn’t crash and burn before her adventure begins. Of course, the consequences for a mistake are almost non-existent, and this one is quite light on the challenge that it offers.
Instead, Mixtape entertains by being so relatable that you almost feel like you’re a part of the trio and have known them for years. It’s rare to find fictional characters that are as instantly relatable, but Stacey and Co. are so well-written, I couldn’t help but think of my own best friends from when I was a teenager. Indeed, it’s all presented so well that I even picked up my phone and had a chat with my own buddies from back in the day.
The dialogues and the manner in which they reflect how teenagers communicate with each other make their friendship feel natural and organic. We’ve all been there, and we know how we often looked at the world with the same youthful arrogance that they display. The rules are only guidelines in their eyes, and they take risks that would have us adults thinking long and hard about our next steps.
“Cassandra’s story is one that I’ve seen way too many times in my years, and it’s one that could have you appreciating your own upbringing a little more.”
I’m no fan of certain darker subjects, but Mixtape is clever enough to handle that part of its story with tact, taking a neutral approach to its framing that immediately makes it click. You know what Stacey is doing isn’t exactly right, but the game never tries to preach to you. Mixtape simply presents a problem that exists whether we like it or not, and manages to avoid the darker side of things with aplomb.
That doesn’t mean that it’s all light-hearted and carefree. Cassandra’s story is one that I’ve seen way too many times in my years, and it’s one that could have you appreciating your own upbringing a little more. She’s easily my favorite of the lot, my sympathy for her lost childhood mixing well with respect for her quiet dignity. Stacey is similarly layered, capable of a level of empathy that makes her likeable while having her own flaws to balance things out.
Let’s take stock of where we’re at so far. You’ve got a great story, simple gameplay elements, and a cast of characters who you relate to as soon as you meet them. All of that’s evidence of a video game that does what it sets out to do.
But there are flaws. The animations are a little wonky from time to time, although I must admit the game’s unique art style and presentation were able to smooth things over enough for the experience to do well on the whole. I must point out that the gameplay isn’t anything especially taxing, and you’re going to be spending time sifting through old objects or perhaps trying to craft something that you probably wouldn’t want to use in the real world.
“Mixtape is almost like a short movie, one that you might find yourself putting on from time to time when you have nothing else to watch.”
Mixtape is still a fun game, though by no means a challenging one. Its beauty lies in the way the entire experience comes together, and the way each scene is underscored by an intriguing vibe that brings it all to life. I found myself annoyed with Slater when the cassette player in his car interrupted an enjoyable session, a situation that made me think about how Mixtape expertly invokes specific emotions that ground you in what you’re experiencing in a way that’s truly special.
Mixtape is almost like a short movie, one that you might find yourself putting on from time to time when you have nothing else to watch. It’s familiar enough to make you invested in the lives of its characters, while also being fresh enough to stand out from the crowd. But remember, there isn’t much gameplay on offer here, but as a fellow Zeppelin fan, I came to appreciate most of what the game has to offer.
This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.
