Mixtape Review: A Love Letter to Growing Up Before Everything Went Online

There’s a very specific kind of nostalgia that Mixtape taps into, and if you grew up in the 90s, you’ll probably feel it almost immediately.

Not the forced “remember this?” nostalgia a lot of media leans on today, but something quieter and more personal. Summer nights feeling endless. Discovering music through friends instead of algorithms. Riding around without GPS tracking your every move. Hanging out simply because there was nothing else to do.

As someone who grew up during the 90s and early 2000s, Mixtape connected with me less through its plot and more through its atmosphere. It captures that strange space between childhood and adulthood before smartphones and social media permanently changed how people interact with each other and themselves.

And honestly, I think younger generations will never fully understand how different that world felt.

Before social media, moments didn’t exist for an audience. Friendships lived mostly in person. Music discovery felt personal. Boredom forced kids outside instead of into endless scrolling. There was more mystery to people back then because not every thought, photo, or experience immediately became content.

Mixtape understands that feeling surprisingly well.

Presentation & Atmosphere

This is where the game shines brightest.

The visual style has a dreamy, memory-like quality where scenes blend together the way old experiences do in your head years later. The soundtrack does a huge amount of heavy lifting emotionally, but thankfully it never feels like the game is relying entirely on recognizable music to create impact. The songs, visuals, and pacing all work together naturally.

What impressed me most was how cohesive the experience feels. Mixtape commits fully to its tone, and that confidence helps the game stand out in a crowded indie space.

Gameplay

Gameplay is intentionally lightweight, which will probably divide players.

This is absolutely a narrative-first experience. The mechanics mainly exist to support the emotional pacing and atmosphere rather than provide deep systems or difficult challenges. Personally, I think that works in the game’s favor.

The game moves between cinematic sequences, exploration, and smaller interactive moments that help keep things engaging without overstaying their welcome. Some gameplay sections feel genuinely creative when paired with the soundtrack, although a few moments feel more passive than interactive.

At around four hours long, though, the game avoids dragging things out unnecessarily.

Story & Writing

The writing works because the characters feel believable together.

The dialogue captures the awkward, messy energy of teenage friendships well without trying too hard to sound profound. Themes around friendship, growing up, memory, and identity sit at the center of the experience, but the game handles them with restraint instead of melodrama.

Some of the strongest moments are actually the quieter ones where the music, atmosphere, and silence do most of the storytelling.

Performance & Verdict

I played Mixtape on my ROG Ally X via Game Pass, which honestly felt like a perfect fit for this kind of game. Performance was smooth throughout my playthrough with quick loading and no technical issues.

Mixtape won’t connect with everyone equally, but for players who grew up before the internet became the center of everyday life, there’s a good chance this game resonates on a deeply personal level.

Not because it’s chasing nostalgia, but because it understands what made those years feel special in the first place.

It’s absolutely worth experiencing, and also my Game Pass game of this week.

Score: 9.5/10

Replaced

Going into REPLACED, the biggest question was whether the game could be more than just another visually impressive indie side-scroller. After around 15 hours played on the Xbox Ally X, it absolutely delivers — especially if you enjoy cinematic action games built around atmosphere and responsive combat.

The first thing that stands out is how good the combat feels. Attacks have weight, movement stays responsive, and fights rarely turn into mindless button mashing. There’s a smooth rhythm to encounters that keeps the gameplay engaging without becoming overly complicated. On a handheld especially, the game just feels right. Honestly, REPLACED feels like the kind of side-scroller that was meant to be played portable, and the Xbox Ally X ended up being a perfect fit for it.

Visually, the game is gorgeous. The mix of detailed pixel art and modern lighting gives the world a layered cyberpunk look that constantly grabs your attention without feeling overdesigned. Even quieter moments have a strong sense of style and atmosphere. One of the standout moments comes later in the game during a fight sequence across moving train cars that genuinely felt like something out of The Matrix. It’s the kind of cinematic set piece that sticks with you after the credits roll.

The story also surprised me in a good way. It stays intriguing without overexplaining itself, and the world-building gives you enough reason to keep pushing forward. It’s not trying to reinvent storytelling, but it keeps the momentum going throughout the experience.

Performance on the Xbox Ally X was solid overall. Since launch, the developers have also done a good job supporting the game with updates, including bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements like chapter selection options for going back to retrieve missed items. That addition alone makes exploration feel much less punishing for completion-focused players.

What also says a lot about the game is that even though it was available through Xbox Game Pass, I ended up buying it anyway. After spending enough time with it, this became one of those games I genuinely wanted to own rather than just sample.

The game does have a few weaknesses. Enemy variety could be stronger over longer sessions, and some moments lean a little too hard into presentation over gameplay depth. Players wanting deep RPG systems or highly complex combat customization may come away wanting more mechanically.

Still, REPLACED succeeds because it understands exactly what it wants to be: a stylish, atmospheric action game with tight gameplay and incredible visual presentation.

Score: 9/10

If you enjoy cinematic side-scrollers, responsive combat, and strong visual design, this is an easy recommendation — especially on a handheld.