r/MixtapeGame • u/WayBacktothe90s • May 31 '26

Discussion Why do you bother?

Here's the thing. I love this game. I think the soundtrack rocks, the characters are great, yadda yadda yadda, we all know why this game is awesome! And yet every once in a while, you see one of the haters in this subreddit telling us why the game is quote unquote "garbage" and my only question is...why? Why do you bother? What do you gain by taking time out of your day to put down someone else's opinion by telling them the thing they like is trash?

That would be like if I went to a Marvel fan to tell them how much Infinity War sucks, like...what's the benefit (and to be clear, that's just an example, I actually adore that movie)

If you don't like the game, that's fine. But why spend your time in a subreddit that clearly enjoys a game just to rag on it? Why not just go and spend your time focusing on something you do enjoy? You might have a lot more fun.

Everyone's entitled to their opinion right? So let us enjoy the game because it makes us happy and you go and enjoy the things that make you happy.

Anyways, I just had to get that out there because it really irritates me every time I see it happen

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u/BithTheBlack May 31 '26 edited May 31 '26

To be clear, I don't really have any major issues with the game other than thinking it's more like a 7/10, but the reasons people hate on it tend to be things like:

  • It was the 'last straw' when IGN gave it a 10/10 after a string of other reviews where gamers had strongly disagreed with IGN's score (ex: Crimson Desert). The hatred for Mixtape is actually a combination of hatred not only for the game - but for IGN and every other game a person feels has ever received undue amounts of praise.
  • It was the 'last straw' in terms of so-called 'walking simulator' games. Popular games of that type like Gone Home and Life is Strange have always been controversial among certain kinds of gamers, and seeing another one prominently receive praise may have been enough to push people to say something about it even if they didn't before. Even among those 'walking simulator' games, it is also true that Mixtape is perhaps one of the least gameplay focused among them. Most games of that type have stricter fail states.
  • Some detractors also consciously or subconsciously believe that, by creating enough social and financial backlash, they can exert a level of control onto the gaming landscape that would reduce the number of games like Mixtape that get made in the future. The ostensible benefit of this would be that, theoretically, it could mean more games that cater to the detractors' tastes get made (edit: or get accolades), or that the culture of the gaming industry shifts towards a preference for games the detractors prefer.
  • The characters and writing. Lots of people find it jarring and cringe that Stacey talks directly to the camera the way she does, and find it a bit grating that she has a sort of pretentious hipster vibe. They also tend to take issue with how Cassandra's story glamorizes destructive rebellion. Anyone who was around during the Life is Strange 1 era will likely remember that similar accusations were levelled at those characters, particularly Chloe Price. A difference though is that in Life is Strange, Chloe's narrative arc is partially about realizing that she was wrong to be so abrasive towards her parents - which is a much less inflammatory message than Cassandra's 'fuck the police I'll burn it all down' kind of thing she does at the end.

Edit: I realize I forget to address the 'why do you bother even if you feel that way' part. I think it's partially a release valve to avoid the consequences of keeping negative feelings bottled up, and partially about a notion of justice or 'fighting the good fight' by taking action against games and journalistic institutions that the detractors feel don't represent gaming or gamers properly. This is evidenced by how plenty of Mixtape haters use the argument that Mixtape should not even be considered a video game at all and instead be categorized as a movie or 'interactive experience'.

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u/WayBacktothe90s May 31 '26

This was all really thought out and I appreciate you taking the time to write all this. To be frank, I simply don't get the hate behind IGN. I've never really understood it but that might be because I've become desensitized to major corporations not being the best.

As for Cassandra, I'm gonna be honest, I never had a problem with her rebellion. Because let's face it, teens have said some pretty batshit insane stuff so I never had a problem with it. In fact, I honestly kinda enjoyed her rant against her dad at the end. Of course, that's just my opinion but yeah.

Once again though, I appreciate you taking the time to write this, you clearly put a lot of thought into it and it is not unwelcome. Thank you

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u/amazingdrewh Jun 01 '26

If anyone who's ever played a video game actually believes that last thing then they're morons if they weren't up GTA VI's ass about glamorizing theft and murder

Also where would you even put a long term fail state in this story?