I understand a lot of critics and gamers have been praising the release of Mixtape. Now, there is nothing wrong with people liking this game whatsoever, but it sadly wasn’t a game that clicked for me.
One of the main reasons I did not care for the game is that there is a lack of conflict in Mixtape. Usually, when you play a video game, there is a problem to solve or a villain to overcome. This usually occurs in every video game I have ever played with a story mode.
For example, Heavy Rain is a decision-based video game, and your main goal is to solve a series of murders. The game has multiple playable characters, and the twist is the fact that one of those characters is the murderer. The game also has lots of replay value because you can earn multiple good or bad endings.
Even a game without much violence still has conflict. I understand not many people played Aphelion, but even that game had a problem to overcome. The main characters are visiting a new planet to terraform because Earth has gone to shit. We find out in Aphelion that this planet is hostile and uninhabitable, but the main character perseveres to find a way to save this planet and make it safe for human habitation.
In Mixtape, there is no problem or conflict to overcome. It’s just a group of teenagers reminiscing about the good stuff in their lives before they depart to enter adult life. The only minor conflict that happens in the game is when the cops want to prevent their party in the woods from occurring, and that’s it.
The gameplay segments have no consequences whatsoever, so there’s no real replay value. For example, you can crash into a car when you are skateboarding, but this isn’t game over. The game rewinds a few seconds before to let you try again.
Even when the main character is running for her life to let her friend know her dad is coming to bust her for underage drinking, there is no game-over screen. She effortlessly still manages to overcome and jump over obstacles without the player needing to do anything.
Then there are numerous dream-like sequences in the game that have no point whatsoever. There are at least two gameplay segments where the characters are flying while the music plays. Is it fun? Yes, it’s fun, but it’s pointless because there is no conflict or problem or consequences for the player because Mixtape has no game over screen!
I’m also not a player who cares much if the characters in a movie or video game are ‘relatable’. I live in New Zealand, and tons of movies, TV shows, and video games don’t take place in my country, but I can still cheer for the good guys if they have a problem to overcome.
I did not live through the ’80s and don’t live in America, but I still found Stranger Things an interesting TV show because I wanted to see the characters save the world. I also like Spider-Man because he’s also saving the world while he’s poor, unlike Batman, who is rich.
The characters in Mixtape did not appeal to me because they did not have problems for me to cheer for. The only character who faced some type of adversity is Cassandra because she has a strict father who is a cop. The other two main characters don’t have any problems I can sympathize with or relate to.
Anyway, this is just my opinion on Mixtape. People are allowed to like the game, but for me, Mixtape is not a 10/10. The game is too short, and the story is uninteresting and pointless.
On a side note, I also feel the Grand Theft Auto games picked better songs for their time periods. Vice City had awesome songs from the ’80s, and San Andreas had a killer ’90s soundtrack.
