Mixtape is a game full of feelings and nostalgia for GenX-ers and aged Aged Millennials like myself from Beethoven & Dinosaur. It's a fun narrative experience that I enjoyed, but won't be going back to anytime soon.
What I Didn't Like
Linearity and Nothing Really Matters
Mixtape keeps you on a linear timeline, which makes perfect sense for the game. It goes through the soundtrack, as known as a mixtape, and each song represents a chapter in story being told by our protagonist.
Even though it made sense, I would have liked some choice. Some option to see what else was in this world.
But it wasn't there, and that's okay-- but now that I'm done with it, I won't be going back.
What I Liked
Art and Sound
The art and sound are perfect.
They reminded me of the pretencious music and art nerds I knew in university, and this game just nails it.
The soundtrack a wide variety of songs, from the 60's to the 90's. Most of them I didn't recognize, however it didn't master. It was like being at a party with a bunch of music nerds that had to play this one song from that one band that did the thing once in a garage in 1977 and so on and so on.
I have no doubt there is are music trivia nerds that will be all over this stuff. I'm not that person, but I can certainly enjoy the ride and the vibes.
Short, but Sweet
This game took me about three hours to beat, start to finish. That was the right duration.
Play might be a strong word for this one, but it's very much a game that plays like a movie. Movies shouldn't be more than 3 hours long. In fact, if I were better at games and didn't have to explore every nook and cranny, I probably would been done in two hours, and it would have been just as good.
The Conclusion
If Ferris Buhler's Day Off was a video game, it would be Mixtape.
I can see how people think Mixtape is a "non-game" or "not a real game", but it's a game. It uses the medium of video game to get a story across, but the player is really just along for the ride and doesn't really feel necessary.
All in all, I enjoyed myself and recommend others to give it a shot if they want to kill a few hours. It's a great game to watch. It's fun game to play. What else could you ask for?
