I haven’t played it, just seen footage of it. So not sure I can really voice my opinion. And the game clearly isn’t for me anyway, regardless. I’m not American, and I don’t really enjoy other teenage simulators like Life is Strange.

I have nothing against walking simulators or interactive movies if it’s done well, so for me that part of the criticism falls flat. And the culture war bullshit is also just ridiculous. What I didn’t like from what I’ve seen was dialogue that sounds off, like teenagers not talking like actual teenagers talk. And also like, the game feels more like presenting an idealised picture of the concept of being a teenager inside a 90s Americana movie, rather than explore the struggles of being an actual teenager in actual real life.

But I don’t know, maybe this is what everyone’s teenage years looked like in the US and I just don’t get it. Which is fine. Like I said, I’m not the target audience.

The latest in a long line of walking simulators aimed at sad over-the-hill American millennials.

Everything I see of it feels borderline focus tested to hit the dopamine centers of random game journalists like a stinger missile annihilating a civilian target.

Hard pass.

I watched most of a playthrough of it. I don’t agree with most of the criticisms people have that are about disliking the characters and their motivations, and a lot of things about it seem competently done, but what I don’t like about it is how it comes off as a pandering corporate slop take on a certain kind of indie game. Maybe people should play games like Night in the Woods before this.

Sounds cool enough, although the reviews suggest gameplay is middling which is OK as long as it’s got other good/unique things.

I don’t mind walking simulators if they are done well have something to offer in terms the overall package. I actually played Soma with a mod, I didn’t find the bosses to be scary, just a bit tedious, so I disabled them, they just walk around, it’s actually a bit unnerving.

That being said, I don’t think it’s a game for me as it feels very US suburb-centric (I lived in the US for several years). It wouldn’t strike the right notes.

Of course the anti-woke crowd hate it; it’s a story about young people finding themselves, instead of being told who to be.

I havent heard of the game, or anything about it. It must not have run in my circles.

It’s a short film at best, not a video game.

Saw someone describe it as 90s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and that was enough for me to pick it up. It’s short yeah but to me it’s a good example of games as art. The music choice is integral to the experience, I really enjoyed it and have been gently suggesting my partner play it.

I don’t pay attention to the people who yell woke at everything, what’s their issue this time?

Seems to barely be a game, as well as having little substance beyond nostalgia bait. Not really my bag.

I played Artful Escape for 10 minutes on a PAX show floor years ago and knew that game was not for me, so I expected Mixtape to also not be for me. I have access to it via Steam family share, and I figured I may as well play it, given its runtime. This is better than Artful Escape; I’m about halfway through it and will finish it tonight. I can at least sort of dig the characters and story, and I’m definitely into the presentation, but I’m not getting anything out of any of the interactive bits of it. So far, I think I would have enjoyed it better as a movie.

“Is Mixtape a game?” I remember Telltale discussions years ago, so we’ve got younger folks re-litigating this. I figure it doesn’t matter. It’s a “video game”, because we’ve got nothing better to describe it, and people who play/review other products built with the same technology that run on the same machines are best equipped to partake and enjoy it. I’ve seen many examples where, outside of accomplishing an objective or trying to “win”, the interactivity was used to great effect to convey the story. There’s a famous example at the end of Metal Gear Solid 3 where the game won’t move forward until you do something as simple as press the square button on the PS controller, but the context around that made it extremely emotionally effective in a way that movies can’t do. In the first half of Mixtape, I haven’t seen anything close to that, and that’s where it’s not blowing my mind.

I’m not familiar with modern games really but the launch trailer had basically zero footage that looked like it could be considered gameplay other than a Wii sports minigame.

If it’s trying to be a movie, it looks like shitty movie. If it’s trying to be a game, it looks like a shitty game. I will likely never play it so I can’t imagine being upset about it.

Bad movies and bad games come out all the time, I just don’t partake. If someone thinks it’s their game of the year, we probably have different tastes and I’ll just ignore their opinion.

Just ignore them and let it blow over. I bought it before I heard any of the hype. I have started it yet. I don’t think it’s going to be my usual flavor of gameplay but it has lots of music I like, and I grew up in the 90s, sooooo…

I didn’t play the game and don’t plan to. Its not even a real game and only 3 hours long, like a film. From what I saw, I do not agree on the 10/10 from IGN. But I have to say, if someone likes it, its totally okay to like it. No need for any drama. Its his opinion and I don’t care what anyone says, what reason they have, its still an opinion. To me it doesn’t even look like a 5/10, but I did not “play” it anyway. So my opinion does not count I guess.

WTF is Mixtape in this context? In my mind, it is (many years ago) tracks recorded from LPs, 45 singles or even CDs onto cassette…

Never heard of it, but if it elicits that reaction on more mainstream websites and social media, they’re probably doing something right