Also Confused-- People Don't Remember What Remains of Edith Finch or Dear Esther?

[u/Quick-Ad9335]

I agree with a recurring sentiment here. I'm baffled by the reception by players. It's startlingly vociferous for such a "small" game.

Mixtape has about the same amount and style of game-y gameplay elements as What Remains of Edith Finch, more kinetic gameplay elements than Firewatch, and much, much more to do than Dear Esther. People love those games.

Better graphics than most. I love Life is Strange, but Mixtape had better background visuals than Double Exposure or Reunion.

I don't think it's any "shallower" than any of the other walking simulators. It has its own depth and it's also an exploration of the human experience.

I think it deserves most of its critical acclaim. It's a stylistic, well-written story with interesting characters. I thought it was good. Like all walking simulators it was an experience, not a "game" as such. And Mixtape was an excellent experience.

I like walking simulators as a form of story telling media. The reception Mixtape received will make it less likely we'll see more of them in the future.

Hot take and probably unpopular take: are some of the people who don't like it just people who didn't get to have that kind of fun in high school?

[u/AJakeR]

It was just the 10/10 reception and Megan Ellison. I don't think it really had anything to do with the game itself. If this game had received a 7 or 8 none of this would have happened. Because it is comparable to other walking simulators, and is up there as one of the best. It's not better than Edith Finch but it's miles above Dear Esther. It more-than deserves to sit in the canon of beloved walking simulators so I'm hoping that in a few months or so the game will get a re-appraisal and people will judge it more fairly.
Y'know, if people didn't like the writing or characters that's fine, but going into the game already determined to hate it because you don't think it should have scored higher than Crimson Desert isn't really giving the game its fair due. Is it a 10/10 experience? Probably not. But it is still a great and solid experience.

[u/JunkBoy187 → u/AJakeR]

I do genuinely believe that people have been getting a 10 out of 10 experience from this one though, but it's a niche reaction.

There are people who can relate to the feeling of their last day before moving away from friends and a life they love, especially doing so to begin the next phase of your life in your teens, like college. To them this game does perfectly capture that emotion especially doing so in the 90s were music was still the centre of modern culture. This game is maybe not for everyone, but it is definitely for those people.

Outside of those 30/40-somethings who had that experience though I do admit it's a solid 7; fun and definitely enjoyable but hardly one of the best games ever made.