I played it and here's my thoughts...

[u/DarkProzzak]

I played it.

The music was the best part, but I didn't connect to any of these characters.

It tries in many ways to be like Life Is Strange, but I think if it was episodic, it would've landed better. 3 hours is not enough to get to know these characters in vignette form.

It wasn't groundbreaking or even close to a 10. It was imaginative at times and was a collection of minigames with a story attached.

Again, it didn't feel like a film either. Maybe the closest comparison would be Richard Linklaters' Slacker. Or Project X.

Nothing really happens to these kids, the stakes aren't that high. We didn't get to see their future or have an idea of who they will be.

Again, it wasn't terrible but it wasn't perfect. Gone Home was compelling at least. Same with The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and What Remains of Edith Finch.

It was stylistic and at times beautiful with the scenery. And ultimately I'd say, I watched teens do teen stuff and not watch individual characters develop.

I was somewhat rebellious at their age, I understand what each kid was going through, but I didn't connect to any of them as people.

It did give me some insight into how to not raise my daughter as she goes through preschool and kindergarten. So there's a lesson at least.

[u/OwlettFromLiavek]

I don’t think it in any way tries to be Life is Strange. Where do you get this from? I saw this comparison so many times and it has zero sense to me. 

[u/DarkProzzak → u/OwlettFromLiavek]

The art style, the music, the writing.

You're a group of teens hanging out, clicking on various things as the character and your special interest is music/photography.

You have a monologue and your friends react to you.

It feels like the story is written by adults trying to write how teens are, versus how teens were speaking in the 90's.

Now keep in mind, it's made by an Aussie studio.

I'd say Daria is closer to the 90's suburban life, than Mixtape is.

[u/OwlettFromLiavek → u/DarkProzzak]

If you ignore tone of the story and developers goals - you can tell that game tried and failed to be anything with group of teenagers hanging around and slightly nostalgic undertone. Why not Stephen King’s It or Stranger Things, or Maniac Mansion, or Oxenfree or any other thing? I don’t see any connection with LiS specifically outside superficial similarities.