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<h3>Nostalgia Core</h3><p><br></p><p>As a millennial, I vividly remember growing up in the '90s and early 2000s. I remember biking, skateboarding, and rollerblading around my neighborhood. I remember listening to the radio, waiting for a song to come on so I could hit record on my cassette tape just to have a mixtape of new songs.</p><p>Eventually, that led to copying all of my CDs to the family computer, or the tragically long process of downloading an MP3 from <strong>LimeWire</strong> so I could burn my own mix-CDs. I remember my first experience with dial-up internet. All of these are part of my core memories, and <strong>Mixtape</strong> was able to bring back those memories through its nostalgia-focused lens.</p><p><br></p><h3>What is Mixtape?</h3><p><br></p><p><strong>Mixtape</strong> is less of a game and more of an <strong>interactive movie</strong>. I've seen some compare it to a "walking simulator," but I wouldn't even call it that. While that is the closest comparison for some, this is most definitely not a traditional game. It is a movie, told and sold through the game format.</p><p><br></p><h3>The Story</h3><p><br></p><p>The story takes place in the mid-1990s and focuses on a friend group consisting of <strong>Stacey, Van, and Cassandra</strong>—a somewhat "uncool" and "slacker" group of friends. Without getting into spoilers, each character fits the archetypes you would find in older movies like <strong><em>Dazed and Confused</em></strong>.</p><ul><li><strong>The Perspective:</strong> The majority of the story is told from Stacey's point of view.</li><li><strong>The Stakes:</strong> It takes place on the last day the friends will spend together before Stacey goes to New York for the music industry, Cassandra heads to college, and Van... well, Van probably just wanders aimlessly in their hometown, too afraid to peak, so he doesn't try.</li></ul><p>The story dives into their lives without getting too deep under the surface. Stacey is the most fleshed-out, and you learn a bit about Cassandra’s family pressures. I just wish we got to learn more about Van and were able to get deeper into Stacey's "feels."</p><p><br></p><h3>The Soundtrack</h3><p><br></p><p>Music, of course, plays a huge part. Stacey has crafted the "perfect mixtape", a collection of songs specifically chosen for checkpoints in the night. Things don't go as planned, which requires a bit of "remixing" on their part.</p><p>You follow the group through vintage decorated rooms and neighborhoods while listening to an exquisite playlist featuring bands like:</p><ul><li><strong>DEVO</strong></li><li><strong>Joy Division</strong></li><li><strong>Iggy Pop</strong></li><li><strong>The Smashing Pumpkins</strong></li></ul><p>While I wasn't a fan of every track, the music consistently matched the tone and feelings of the moments as they took place.</p><p><br></p><h3>Technical Performance & Graphics</h3><p><br></p><p>I played this on <strong>PC</strong>. I initially had a stuttery experience, but after closing some background apps (like <strong>LM Studio</strong>), it was mostly flawless.</p><ul><li><strong>Engine:</strong> It runs on <strong>Unreal Engine 5</strong>. I encountered a few random stutters between scenes, which seems to be a common trait for UE5 titles.</li><li><strong>Portability:</strong> While I didn't test it on my handheld, the game is <strong>Steam Deck Verified</strong>.</li><li><strong>Visuals:</strong> The world is beautifully vibrant with reflections and textures that pull off a "retro, golden hazy" memory palette.</li><li><strong>Animation Style:</strong> The characters move in a <strong>stop-motion style</strong>, similar to <strong><em>South of Midnight</em></strong>. I personally wish there was an option for normal animations, but it was luckily reserved for the characters and didn't affect the fluid look of the world itself.</li><li><br></li></ul><h3>Gameplay</h3><p><br></p><p>"Gameplay" is a term we're going to use loosely here. You control characters in limited scenarios:</p><ul><li><strong>Travel:</strong> Skating from one area to the next or controlling an out-of-control shopping cart down hilly streets.</li><li><strong>Set Pieces:</strong> Stylistic moments like a <strong>rock skipping section</strong> that I found myself lost in for about 20 minutes.</li><li><strong>Inspection:</strong> You walk around set pieces to inspect everything in the scene. You cannot skip these or "speedrun" through them; you can’t leave until you’ve inspected the area.</li><li><br></li></ul><p>These moments play similarly to the <strong><em>Life is Strange</em></strong> series. None of these felt mundane; each had just enough amusement and flavor to feel enjoyable.</p><p><br></p><h3>Overall Thoughts</h3><p><br></p><p>I enjoyed <strong>Mixtape</strong>. It was a short, curated experience that took me just a tick over <strong>4 hours</strong>. It thoroughly tickled my "nostalgia feels."</p><p><br></p><p>While it wasn't as in-depth as <strong><em>Life is Strange</em></strong>, I would much rather have these short, sweet inspection moments than the forced gameplay of titles like <strong><em>Dispatch</em></strong> (I found myself over the hacking duties in that game very quickly). This game reminded me of a <strong>playable B-side to an old John Hughes movie</strong> like <strong><em>The Breakfast Club</em></strong> or <strong><em>Say Anything</em></strong>.</p><p><br></p><p>Even though I was only about 10 years old in the mid-90s—meaning my experience didn't match theirs 1-to-1—I still loved the story and the cast. For the price of <strong>$15</strong>, I more than got my money's worth.</p><p><br></p><h3><strong>The Verdict:</strong></h3><p><br></p><p>Developer <strong>Beethoven & Dinosaur</strong> had a clear vision and executed it perfectly. After this, I’m finally going to boot up their other game, <strong><em>The Artful Escape</em></strong>, which has been sitting in my overstuffed Steam library for far too long.</p>
