I accept "virtual experience" as games, but I will judge them in comparison. If a game like ICEY is a 8/10 3-4h game, than something mixtape will be 5 to 6.

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 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.

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.

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?

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

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.

Which mixtape? 80s? Hip hop?