Stacey Rockford’s love for music and her friendship with Slater and Cassandra work as a narrative vehicle that moves as fast as the trio’s skateboards, or a very memorable shopping cart that I’m not going to talk more about in the interest of avoiding spoilers. You explore their memories of their time in high school, while the underlying melancholy of life taking you in a direction that’s different from your loved ones is a constant undercurrent that gives the narrative the emotional heft it needs to land just right.

You see, Stacey aims to make her passion for music into a career as a music supervisor. But to do that, she’s got to leave her life and her friends behind and move to New York to work with one of the biggest names in the industry. Her bags are packed, and she’s ready to go (if you’ve caught on to the reference, you’re sure to like Mixtape). But that’s not before she has one last evening of togetherness with the people she’s shared her life with over the years.

Stacey’s musical tastes are spot on, especially if you’re a fan of rock music throughout the ages. The story is told via a mixtape that she’s made to celebrate her life so far, and the one she’s moving towards. As such, every song you hear is carefully curated, matching the setting and tone of each scene from the game’s story in a way that brings it all together so well you might catch yourself humming your favorites long after you’ve completed the relatively short story.

When you consider Stacey’s current situation and how music has shaped her life and her memories, Mixtape goes beyond a mere coming-of-age story to become an exploration of nostalgia and friendships. Each memory, triggered by interacting with an object that holds significance to either Stacey or one of her friends, comes with a song that’s matched to the occasion, while you interact with members of the trio in interesting ways.

"Mixtape entertains by being so relatable that you almost feel like you’re a part of the trio and have known them for years."

The opening sequence, for instance, has them barrelling down the slope of a mountain on their skateboards, navigating sharp turns whilst avoiding oncoming traffic. You control Stacey in this part, pressing buttons to perform flips and other stunts while your thumbsticks ensure that she doesn’t crash and burn before her adventure begins. Of course, the consequences for a mistake are almost non-existent, and this one is quite light on the challenge that it offers.

Instead, Mixtape entertains by being so relatable that you almost feel like you’re a part of the trio and have known them for years. It’s rare to find fictional characters that are as instantly relatable, but Stacey and Co. are so well-written, I couldn’t help but think of my own best friends from when I was a teenager. Indeed, it’s all presented so well that I even picked up my phone and had a chat with my own buddies from back in the day.

The dialogues and the manner in which they reflect how teenagers communicate with each other make their friendship feel natural and organic. We’ve all been there, and we know how we often looked at the world with the same youthful arrogance that they display. The rules are only guidelines in their eyes, and they take risks that would have us adults thinking long and hard about our next steps.

"Cassandra’s story is one that I’ve seen way too many times in my years, and it’s one that could have you appreciating your own upbringing a little more."

I’m no fan of certain darker subjects, but Mixtape is clever enough to handle that part of its story with tact, taking a neutral approach to its framing that immediately makes it click. You know what Stacey is doing isn’t exactly right, but the game never tries to preach to you. Mixtape simply presents a problem that exists whether we like it or not, and manages to avoid the darker side of things with aplomb.

That doesn’t mean that it’s all light-hearted and carefree. Cassandra’s story is one that I’ve seen way too many times in my years, and it’s one that could have you appreciating your own upbringing a little more. She’s easily my favorite of the lot, my sympathy for her lost childhood mixing well with respect for her quiet dignity. Stacey is similarly layered, capable of a level of empathy that makes her likeable while having her own flaws to balance things out.

Let’s take stock of where we’re at so far. You’ve got a great story, simple gameplay elements, and a cast of characters who you relate to as soon as you meet them. All of that’s evidence of a video game that does what it sets out to do.

But there are flaws. The animations are a little wonky from time to time, although I must admit the game’s unique art style and presentation were able to smooth things over enough for the experience to do well on the whole. I must point out that the gameplay isn’t anything especially taxing, and you’re going to be spending time sifting through old objects or perhaps trying to craft something that you probably wouldn’t want to use in the real world.

"Mixtape is almost like a short movie, one that you might find yourself putting on from time to time when you have nothing else to watch."

Mixtape is still a fun game, though by no means a challenging one. Its beauty lies in the way the entire experience comes together, and the way each scene is underscored by an intriguing vibe that brings it all to life. I found myself annoyed with Slater when the cassette player in his car interrupted an enjoyable session, a situation that made me think about how Mixtape expertly invokes specific emotions that ground you in what you’re experiencing in a way that’s truly special.

Mixtape is almost like a short movie, one that you might find yourself putting on from time to time when you have nothing else to watch. It’s familiar enough to make you invested in the lives of its characters, while also being fresh enough to stand out from the crowd. But remember, there isn’t much gameplay on offer here, but as a fellow Zeppelin fan, I came to appreciate most of what the game has to offer.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

Leenzee’s Souls-like action RPG, now owned by 505 Games’ parent company Digital Bros, is also available for PlayStation Plus Essential subscribers starting today. It follows reports about the dissolution of the core development team and the firing of director/producer Xia Siyuan. Whether the franchise has a future or not, the new owners are wasting no time to ensure more people can play the original.

Mixtape, the next game from The Artful Escape developer Beethoven and Dinosaur, is available on May 7th for Ultimate and PC subscribers. The same tiers will also receive cozy exploration crafting title Outbound on May 11th, followed by Black Jacket and Call of the Elder Gods on May 12th.

Interestingly, Elite Dangerous is also coming to Ultimate and Premium on May 12th, and may be worth checking out for Starfield fans who want deeper space exploration. DOOM: The Dark Ages debuts for Premium on May 14th alongside, at long last, Subnautica 2 on Game Preview for Ultimate and PC subscribers.

Then on May 19th, clear your schedule because Forza Horizon 6 goes live on May 19th for Ultimate and PC subscribers. If you’re subscribed to either and purchase the Premium Upgrade, then you can get early access on May 15th.

Check out all the titles that will be leaving Game Pass on May 15th (and which you can purchase at a 20 percent discount):

• Galacticare (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Go Mecha Ball (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Paw Patrol Rescue Wheels: Championship (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Planet of Lana (Cloud, Console, and PC)

The trailer comes in at just shy of a minute in length, and focuses on the main characters—three high school friends looking for the “ultimate teenage experience”. We get to see the trio go through several surreal experiences, be it flying over their neighborhoods and over creeks, or skateboarding through an exploding car.

The story of Mixtape will revolve around the three friends setting off on one final adventure together, with its core themes revolving around a variety of songs that have been described as “the soundtrack of a generation”. The narrative will focus on how each song culminates in dreamlike reenactments of the time they spent together.

Mixtape was announced all the way back in June 2024, with Beethoven and Dinosaur confirming that its soundtrack would include music by Iggy Pop, Joy Division, The Smashing Pumpkins, DEVO, Roxy Magic, Lush, Sioxsie and the Banshees, and the Cure, among others.

The first trailer for Mixtape gave us a good look at the kind of setting we will get to experience, with portable CD players, open downhill streets that players can skate down, and a general vibe of whimsy that is often associated with teenage life. Paired with other, more realistic activities, the trailer also showed off how the kids are able to partake in more outlandish ones, like floating in the air above one of their roofs, and creating fireworks just by pointing at the sky while driving over a bridge.

The title was originally announced for release in 2025. However, it would get pushed back to a 2026 window. The studio hasn’t revealed too many details about the game yet, likely in its efforts to preserve the sense of surprise when it finally comes out.

The previous game by the studio, The Artful Escape, was released all the way back in 2021. The title, available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch, revolves around Francis Vendetti and his struggles on the night of his first live performance. Since he has to contend with the legacy of his uncle – a dead folk legend – Francis sets off on a psychedelic journey to create an entirely new stage persona for himself.

Alongside gameplay that can often have players engage with a variety of gameplay genres, the storytelling is helped by the fact that it features voice performances by Michael Johnston, Caroline Kinley, Lena Headey, Jason Schwartzman, Mark Strong, and Carl Weathers.

In our review of The Artful Escape from back when it first came out, we gave it a score of 8 out of 10 thanks to its striking art style, strong writing, excellent voice and musical performance, and great gameplay. However, we criticized some of the game’s performance issues, as well as how basic the platforming sections would often feel.

With high school coming to a close, three friends go through a “perfectly curated playlist” of their memories while travelling to a party. These vignettes provide “dreamlike reenactments”, with the friends taking pictures, experiencing their first kisses, skateboarding and much more.

The soundtrack is replete with music by Iggy Pop, Joy Division, The Smashing Pumpkins, and more. Inspired by coming-of-age films, it aims to capture the joy of being a teenager with good vibes and bad. Of course, it’s also about “the bittersweet feelings brought about by growth, transformation, and moving on,” which should be interesting to experience.

Stay tuned for more details on Mixtape in the coming months, including its release date and additional gameplay. Check out our review for The Artful Escape here in the meantime.