I had a very sheltered life as a child, even as a teenager. A lot of people would probably consider that a lucky thing – not being subjected to too many traumatic things, never being in any danger. But it left me feeling very alone and very much different from other kids. I was teased a lot, and my first real relationship turned out to be an incredibly toxic one, leaving me quite lonely. I dreamed of having friends to share adventures with, and for a while I did, but even then I kept feeling out of place. I didn’t find anyone to feel at home with.
Why do I start off my Mixtape review with such a personal anecdote? Seeing the lives of Stacy, Cassandra and Van, I felt like this was what I dreamed of. Even though these three teens don’t have the easiest of times, they have each other. So from the start of the game, I already felt connected to the story, especially when we learn early on that Stacy is about to leave her friends behind on her quest to become the world’s leading music supervisor. This night is a goodbye of sorts, a last hurrah, a going out in flames kind of thing.
We play as Stacy, and it doesn’t take much time to understand why she’s about to chase her dream. She has a soundtrack for just about any moment in her life, always wearing her discman, and she just knows which moment needs which song. It’s relatable, as I don’t leave my house without headphones on, and my guess is that this isn’t just me feeling that way. There’s even a fun website created by developers Beethoven and Dinosaur where you can create your own mixtape, which I duly used.
So who exactly features on this soundtrack to score the night of all nights? The list is astounding. Roxy Music, Devo, Joy Division, The Cure, Portishead, Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, … I could list all the artists here, but part of the absolute joy that is Mixtape is finding out what music Stacy has picked for us. I love how integral the music is to the story of the game, despite all of this supposedly just playing on Stacy’s Discman. It starts off with a beautiful little touch: as you’re skating downhill with your two best friends and Devo’s ‘That’s Good’ is playing, all three of you clap along to the little claps in the song. It’s a tiny detail, but it instantly introduces how important music is to these young people.
From there on out, we follow Stacy, Cassandra and Van and learn more about their friendship, all while they’re preparing to join this epic party at the end of the night. There’s Van, who is Stacy’s oldest friend and confidant, a creative soul who seems a bit lost when it comes to looking into his own future. Cassandra, on the other hand, joined the friend group later on, coming from a very strict household and rebelling in a way a lot of people will relate to.
As is the case with most, there is shared history here, unspoken things that surface in different ways, and, of course, there is also drama. See, the gang was supposed to celebrate graduation by going on this big road trip, but with Stacy jetting off to New York the next day, it would seem that the trip is now off. Then there are new friends coming in between our trio, a constant threat of futures being taken away by overcorrecting parents, and more.
But not to worry. This night will be an epic journey for our three heroes, and Stacey has just the right mixtape for it. The question now is, will everything go according to plan, or will life find a way to mix things up as it so often does?
There was always a risk that Mixtape would just be a game that panders to those of us nostalgic for this period before the internet took over, to those with a love for a particular era of music, or to those of us who want to relive the epic stories of our own youths. Instead, we get this heartfelt story, with well-written characters brought to life through convincing voice acting and superb character moments. It does probably pander a little bit to the white person’s teenage fantasy, but it doesn’t feel like that’s all it wants to do. There’s a personal story being told here, with vulnerabilities being shown and putting us in very human interactions.
None of the characters in Mixtape are these perfect beings; they are layered and feel very real. Sometimes they react in a way you’d hope they wouldn’t but know they will because they all have their own faults. But most of all, the game celebrates humanity and how we act when we choose love over fear. Yes, big changes are coming for all three of our now favourite teens, but how they tackle them will define the people they will become.
For those expecting a long game, you clearly haven’t paid attention to Beethoven and Dinosaur’s earlier game The Artful Escape, but once again, Mixtape is only about four hours long. That might be a turn-off for some, but it shouldn’t be. The game never feels rushed; all of its moments feel earned; it doesn’t need more time to make a lasting impact.
There’s real magic on show here, even without considering the scenes where you’re literally flying through the air. It’s like when a song feels both very intimate and universal at the same time, if that makes sense. Mixtape is a very personal story, specifically about these three kids, but at the same time it could be about any of us. Maybe not all of us have soundtracks to certain eras of our lives, but those of us who do will find a friend in Stacy. And everyone who has ever felt lonely or out of place will recognise the feeling this shared friendship can give them. There’s nothing like a found family.
