varingblaarMixtape
Spoiler warning: If you haven't played Mixtape, I suggest you do so before going any further. If this spoils it for you, it's not my fault.You have been warned.
The story itself is nice. It's mostly nostalgia about the last few years in the lives of the characters. Stacey and her obsession with music, but also narrating most of the adventures the friends go on. It's slightly-extreme petty stuff. Underage drinking, sneaking out to go party, occasionally stealing stuff, never getting caught. Like what every teenager with a weak self-esteem tells other teenagers they've done. Slater just sort of goes with the flow, real best friend energy, there for any ideas and antics to bounce off of. He's probably my favourite character. Cass is the only one with character development. Strict parents (her dad is literally the police) that guide her life while she's trying to figure out who she wants to be.
The combination of somewhat relatable high school experiences, nostalgic music and melancholy "last day of summer break" vibes culminating in a weird dream sequence while we drive to the house party. As is the stereotype, for one night our outcast group is part of the cool crowd. There's an appropriate moment where they get to look at the whole thing from the outside (literally from above) and understand the meaning of everything, before it all goes wrong. Cass challenges her father in the classic "little bird spreads its wings" moment.
The whole experience is not so much a game, as a movie that you get to take part in. It's quite linear. The skateboard sequences are cool. Sometimes it's just getting from point A to point B with some exposition ("car!") and other times it's a chase sequence. Once it gets mixed up with a shopping trolley instead of skateboards but it's still really just a chase sequence and there isn't really a lose condition. It's possible to crash, but it simply rewinds a few seconds and you go again. Usually it doesn't rewind far enough and you crash multiple times before making it, so the story can continue.
A big part of the game is a small location where you can walk around and activate dialogue in any order. It doesn't really make a difference. Some of them activate little flashback sequences that forward the narrative a bit. Occasionally you need to collect a few things or do a few tasks. It's fun but not very challenging. My favourite section is the Night at the Roxbury head bob reference, where you literally tap a button to bob head (and other things) in time to the music.
The music is great, and forms the basis of the whole thing. The fact that songs are often announced with a preamble is a lot of fun. The whole soundtrack is fire.
Overall a nice game that doesn't overstay its welcome. The whole thing is about 3 hours long and I finished it in a single sitting.
