The title of this review requires some explaining. Not just to give you the definition of the word I’ve used (you could Google that in a heartbeat) but why it holds deeper meaning to me given its genesis, my work with the written word and friendships from the past that, thankfully continue into the present.
My long time friend and exceptional writer joyfully introduced our group chat to the The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, a collection of newly created words to capture the depth of the complex emotions that we humans feel. At the time I was abrasive about it, my argument revolving around the idea that such things were useless as they’re not part of the common lexicon. How can I communicate something to someone if they don’t understand it? Of course, over time, many of those words have made their way into common usage and, really, it doesn’t take long to communicate new concepts especially when they’re supposed to represent common human experiences. It was through that dictionary that the word sonder entered my usual usage and, when I went looking for the right term for how I feel about Mixtape there was another perfect one to capture my emotions: Anemoia. The nostalgia for a life you did not live.
That isn’t to say that I’m fully divorced from the world that Mixtape portrays. My formative years were spent in very similar ways: the CD player slotted into my cargo shorts, time spent with friends during the long summer months getting up to all sorts of trouble and being absolutely sure about what the future held for me. What gets me though is that, upon remembering that these developers are an Australian lot, that what they showed in Mixtape feels like a decidedly American experience of this time in life. That’s not to say it’s better or worse here but the cultural elements that would’ve been pervasive in that period of life are much different. That’s also partly where the anemoia comes from here: a lot of my childhood was spent on consuming overseas media and when my experience didn’t line up with it (why don’t Australian houses have basements was one of my major confounding thoughts for a long time) I found myself wanting for something that I couldn’t have.
You can see the fundamental building blocks of Mixtape in The Artful Escape with music still being the backbone which everything else is built upon. They could not be more different in terms of production value though with the art style, graphics and overall vibe of Mixtape just being so much grander than its progenitor in every respect. There’s certainly no small amount of Wes Anderson influence to be seen here with the framing, story beats and off-kilter dialogue between characters all feeling like homage’s to that director’s trademark style. I initially found the low frame rate animations a little jarring, feeling somewhat out of place, but just like Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse it grows on you over time.
As a game Mixtape is a walking simulator, albeit one that’s backed by a rather high-powered soundtrack that spans the gamut of indie, chart toppers and eclectic soundscapes from 4+ decades. You’ll be treated to a wealth of low-interaction activities that include such things as trying to find VHS tapes to watch while geeked off your yipper, flying through a forest to your secret hideout and pretending to be a dinosaur stomping their way through a valley of lesser animals. There’s no blockers, no puzzles requiring to be solved to get to the next section. All that the game has to give is shown to you and, should you want more, then you’re free to explore and find it.
Mixtape manages to strike the right balance between those mini-games and it’s narrative, giving both the right amount of time so that you never feel wanting for either. Given how the puzzle parts of The Artful Escape grated on me last time I’m glad to see their games trend in this direction. Too often indie developers feel the need to pad out the game’s play time with various mechanics that do nothing but get in the way of the story. There’s great variety in the mini-games and environments too, again avoiding the mistakes of their past title that began to feel repetitive after not too long. It’s also the first game in recent memory for me to replicate That Journey Moment and actually make it its own rather than just copying it almost blow for blow.
PLOT SPOILERS BELOW
With us Millennials now at the age where there’s a veritable treasure trove of ideas to mine for nostalgia value it’s easy to see why Mixtape’s story resonates with so many. Stacey’s unfounded confidence in her future, even when it’s clearly hurting her present, is something I think a lot of us can relate to. Heck even the scene with Cass getting grounded and Stacey getting mad at her for it is probably a scene that’s played out for many of us in our teenage years. Really it wouldn’t be that kind of drama if we didn’t hurt each other unnecessarily now, would it.
I will say though that most of the music, whilst great as a baking track, didn’t land for me. To be sure I had a massive grin for a few of them like The Touch (which holds a soft spot for me because Transformers) and the not-quite-period-accurate Mitch Murder track Remember When but everything else was lost in the wash. That’s probably more a comment on my experience with music more than anything else but it’s safe to say that should you be the kind of person that resonates with even a handful of tracks in the game you’re likely going to get just as much out of it as I did.
PLOT SPOILERS OVER
Mixtape was an unexpected joy, showing that Beethoven & Dinosaur have carved out a niche in music backed narratives that resonate both for them and the gaming public writ large. The story is one that’s going to be familiar to many and the varying hits of nostalgia you’ll get along the way will be as personal to you as they will be to anyone else who gives this game a go. For an aging Millennial like myself there was a lot to love here and I’m now very much looking forward to what’s next from this developer.
Rating: 9.0/10
Mixtape is available on PC, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 right now for $29.50. Game was played on the PC with a total of 3 hours playtime and 38% of the achievements unlocked. Game is also available on Gamepass.
