I binged Mixtape in a single night. That is not necessarily uncommon for me to do with shorter games. But in some sense, it feels like the perfect way to experience Mixtape. A hazy collection of vibes, strung together by a pretty fantastic, licensed soundtrack and some wonderful performances. Yet, by the next morning I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about Mixtape. I adore narrative adventure games but Mixtape revels in its own nostalgia so much that without that particular context the game rings quite hollow. Much like the adolescents at the heart of its story, it could’ve done with a little more growing up.
Mixtape is the latest title from Beethoven and Dinosaur, best known for their previous artistic endeavor ‘The Artful Escape”. In Mixtape you play as Stacey Rockford, a rebellious teenager who has her mind set on becoming a Music Supervisor. Given her gift of always knowing what song to put on for the ideal mood. In order to pursue this dream, she will be leaving for New York the very next day. Much to the dismay of her best friends Van and Cassandra. Planning to make this last day memorable, the group sets out to find a stash of booze for one hell of a party. Along the way plenty of drama and backstory shows how the three became friends and what may become of the group after Stacey’s departure.
The game plays out like a series of short vignettes as Stacey and her crew explore the town of Blue Moon Lagoon. Perhaps the most idyllic embodiment of an American suburb. Where everyone knows everyone and the teenagers are awaiting their time to leave for college. One scene you’re skating down a hill on your skateboard, avoiding oncoming traffic. The next you’re reminiscing about the past in a hazy dream-like sequence. Trying to reach an abandoned cabin that Stacey’s sister left clues for, while darting and floating through the open fields in the woods. Each scene is accompanied by a music track picked by and introduced by Stacy. The Smashing Pumpkins, Roxy Music, Iggy Pop, and even Stan Bush’s The Touch (Yes, from the Transformers animated movie) make an appearance. But also, the lesser-known songs fit the scenes extremely well. This particular playlist in context with the game is well worth the price of admission alone. The cherry on top is that because of its stylized animation and visuals, the game ran great for me on Nintendo Switch 2. Even with the occasional loading screen between chapters.
The characters themselves take a while to warm up to but once I began to understand their relationship they struck a chord with me. Stacey and Van are already pretty notorious in Blue Moon Lagoon and Cassandra as a relatively new member of the group is out to rebel against everything that resembles her strict parents. The performances by Bella DeLong, Max Korman, and Jessica Ma are wonderful. With the perfect balance of 90’s slang and accompanying grunts that fit their personalities perfectly. Tied together with some great banter, it is truly the beating heart of the game.
However, I do think the Mixtape is also pretty limited by its particular flavor of nostalgia. As a European, the idea of American suburbs and rebellious teens is pretty different from my own upbringing. In a sense the scenes feel like every American movie and television trope rolled up into one. It is especially striking given that Beethoven & Dinosaur themselves are an Australian development company. I cannot help but feel that Mixtape wants to portray this idea of nostalgia and a longing for better, unburdened days but it is almost like it is made of cardboard. Much like nostalgia itself, the game is fleeting. Memories are reshaped and reconstructed every time you think about them. Of course, no game can play to everyone’s nostalgia, but by positioning it so strictly in a place and setting we’ve mostly experienced through American media it feels like a repeat of someone’s greatest hits. While listening to some band’s actual greatest hits.
All this is to say that while playing Mixtape I was mesmerized by its world and characters, but the very next morning I am struggling to think of what I actually experienced. As easy as the comparison is to something like Life is Strange or perhaps even Sayonara Wild Hearts those games definitely had something to say of their own. In the end I’m left with a pretty great playlist that reminds me of those past moments, yet it rings hollow. It doesn’t make Mixtape a bad game, but it does make it a title that can hit very different depending on your own upbringing. And especially if that upbringing was far removed from American suburban life. Mixtape is not a bad game and for three hours you’ll most certainly be engrossed in its world and characters. It may even get you to reminisce about your adolescence. But as a game and a story I was hoping for something with a little more kick. Perhaps, much like an actual mixtape, it will get a nice place somewhere and you’ll think about it every once in a while. Going back however will probably show the cracks in the foundation that were always there.
