Mixtape review

When Mixtape showed a trailer at Summer Game Fest 2024, I fell in love almost immediately. This was a game right down my lane: musically based, story-driven, with adorable characters complemented by beautiful animation, and nostalgia all around. Then I was able to preview the game at Summer Game Fest 2025 (Mixtape hands-on preview — a perfectly nostalgic slice of life), and my expectations were met for the scenes I was able to play through. So much so that we awarded Mixtape with one of our “Best of Summer Game Fest Awards for 2025” awards. This fueled my excitement to see what the final product would look like. The game was then pushed back for release, which I was okay with as long as the product was great. Now, May 7th, we have Mixtape in its entirety, and it’s quite an experience!

Along for the ride, we have Henry Viola, who will be throwing in their thoughts as we go! 

Henry Viola: Mixtape is the second project from Beethoven & Dinosaur, the masterminds behind 2021’s The Artful Escape. From that alone, I already knew this game was going to be a treat, especially one that is so deeply rooted in music. Mixtape practically weaves music into its DNA, with an orchestrated '90s alt-rock playlist that not only invokes memories of our youth, but our innocence as well.

THE STORY

Mixtape is an experiential game. You have to understand going forward that this isn’t a shooter, an RPG, or even a point-and-click adventure. This is an experience. You won’t be punished for gameplay or have a good or bad ending. You can interact with as much or as little as you want. You’re experiencing the final night of high school for a group of three best friends before they shift into the next track on their mixtape of life. This slice of life is for you to run alongside the group, not necessarily change their lives with your gameplay. With that disclaimer out of the way…

Rockford, Slater, and Cass have been a trio for a long time in high school. While Rockford and Slater have been friends the longest, Cass came along and added a great dynamic to the group. We start our story skateboarding downhill on the pavement with beautiful nature around us, cars coming up and down the street, some fun skateboard tricks you can choose from, and Devo blasting the whole way down. I quickly understood the musical mood from this scene; we're going for 80’s/90’s skater vibes, and in a great form. As the trio gets to Rockford’s home, you get a good glimpse of the personality of our three main characters, with Rockford acting as our Ferris Bueller, giving us plenty of explanation on everything from their friend group to “what even is a mixtape.” These moments are a mixture of in-game animation, photos and video, harkening back to those 90’s movies they’re based on.

These little asides fill the tracklist with Rockford providing insights as to why things are important, who the jerks are in their lives, and why the next track always matters. 

As the story continues, we meet the obstacles involved in graduating and moving on from high school. While the trio planned a road trip to deliver Cass to college, Rockford changed the plans so she could get to New York in time to participate in the musical scene with her sister’s friend. This, as you might expect, causes friction in the dynamic. We also meet the authority figures causing our heroes trouble. I don’t want to spoil major story beats, but the way this Mixtape takes us through the entirety of a conflict and out the other side (with the good and the bad) had me in tears by the end of the game. 

THE CHARACTERS

The characters are simply so wonderful to get to know. Rockford is always looking two steps ahead while not letting go of the joys of the past. She wants to create the Mixtape/Soundtrack for movies, as she and her friends know how good she is at compiling these moments. Slater is always there for his friends, helping to support both Rockford and Cass however possible. While he may not have a “main idea” of what he wants from life, he’s an artist in many forms with a lot of talent. Cass (Cassandra) is from a very strict family, trying to find who she is and obtain freedom through acts of disobedience. She’s smart, multitalented, but she’s trying to find “her place in life.” All three of these personalities have some major things in common while having clear ways they can butt heads. 

Even though the game is 4-6 hours, it’s a full concept and story. It’s like watching a very long movie with fun and interesting ways for you to participate. How–you ask? 

THE GAMEPLAY

You control the tongues of two people kissing, TP someone’s home, fly around a meadow, QT (quicktime) handshakes, walk on air, skip rocks, control fireworks, rent a movie while drunk, and many more fantastical and fun moments. While these don’t have consequences to do with your gameplay, they always affect the story. I would suggest playing these moments for as long or as little as you want. I skipped rocks for a long time, whereas I toilet papered the house about half the time. The gameplay, like the rest of the game, is all about the experience of doing it. Sometimes, the best thing for a activity is to know when your time with it should be over.

As you might do in real life, conversations happen as they interest you. So you can talk to Slater and Cass during room scenes as you wish. You’ll know they’re done talking when they say things like, “hey.” and nothing else. I always enjoyed hearing these conversations and the banter involved. However, that’s not for everyone, and the game lets you play however you want to play. You’ll see what moves the story forward with a yellow glow around the object.

THE GRAPHICS

The graphics are so well-suited to the narrative, providing an almost claymation/shell-shaded style that really allows those “out of this world” moments to feel even more special. The mixture of this style and real-life photos during Rockford’s pan to camera creates a dynamic shift between scenes and vibes in the story. One of my favorite scenes was a moment where the vibes go from normal to sad, and the color just disappeared. Everything became black and white while the scene continued on. The level of detail from track to track graphically is well thought through from top to bottom. A clear direction in graphic design and animation is not always easy, but Mixtape hits every note perfectly. 

THE MUSIC

The star of the show, past the characters and story, is the music that makes those things special. The Mixtape for this game is everything you’d want it to be and more, with some major artists of the 80’s and 90’s, including Devo, Lush, The Cure, Joy Division, Iggy Pop, The Smashing Pumpkins, and more! I felt that every song fit the mood perfectly in a Romeo + Juliet, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off-style where almost every scene is its own song.  

All of these songs are catered “by Rockford” for the final night before they leave high school. However, as things in the friend group change depending on the story, that Mixtape has to change along with it, right? The fourth wall breaking makes the musical journey even more exciting as you see the name of the track and the artist name before every song so if one catches your fancy as you play, you can get it on a playlist of your own.

THE CONCLUSION

Mixtape is about the never-ending forward movement of life, (Henry Viola: but also about reminiscing about the moments that make you, you.) You see characters who are stuck in one spot, you have those dreaming of bigger and better, you have some who are just looking for the way out, and more. This game provides everything; there’s no DLC, no alternate endings, just a beginning, middle, and end that provides an emotional and creative look at what happens to friends who all have different aspirations. The “good ole days,” as some might say. Mixtape encapsulates a singular night (with some wonderfully curated flashbacks) of three best friends moving forward and loving each other no matter what happens next.