General gaming discussion

Grumpypants · 08-05-2026 09:12PM

Started mixtape this evening. Played around 45 mins. Some lovely scenery in it. The opening skateboarding scene is really nice.

The art and music is definitely enjoyable. But I'm glad it's free. Not sure if pay for it.

jj880 · 08-05-2026 10:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124454195#Comment_124454195

First time Ive heard "Mitch Murder - Remember When" in a game. Great sound track.

Unearthly · 09-05-2026 09:55AM

I see a new Dark Pictures game - Directive 8020 is coming out next week. Guilty pleasure those games are for me.

recyclops · 09-05-2026 02:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124454195#Comment_124454195

Yep it's a perfect gamepass game. Some banging tunes and very well placed. The video interludes are great.

Like a videogame version of Broken Greek by Pete Paphides, a great read for nostalgic music lovers.

Cordell · 11-05-2026 09:46AM

The shady bunch who gave Saros a 7, Crimson Desert a 6 and only a 9 to a real masterpiece like Clair Obscur gave this piece of visual vomit a 10. They call it a masterpiece. Please make it make sense.

Retr0gamer · 11-05-2026 09:47AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459667#Comment_124459667

Who are we meant to be mad about again?

Penn · 11-05-2026 09:51AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459671#Comment_124459671

Anyone whose opinion doesn't exactly match our own.

Cordell · 11-05-2026 09:58AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459671#Comment_124459671

Not mad, but a bit disgusted at the state of it.

Retr0gamer · 11-05-2026 09:58AM

If you don't agree with a review, read the text of the review before you get mad. You might learn something from it.

johnny_ultimate · 11-05-2026 10:00AM

My understanding (solely from people - correctly - making fun of them) is that the ‘Real Gamers ©️’ are mad about Mixtape because iT’s NoT a ReAl GaMe. Same old circa 2013 twitter tedium.

I’ve actually read a few sensible and perceptive critics I enjoy pushing back against Mixtape over the weekend, but by meaningfully engaging with the game as a text rather than the nonsense ‘all real games have fail states’ brigade.

Cordell · 11-05-2026 10:11AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459701#Comment_124459701

Yeah apparently I was born too late to be a teenager in the '90s didn't mean he's not the right person to review this. I'm not interested to learn anything else from someone who rates this a 10. They are either trolling or otherwise doing this in bad faith.

I'm not saying is not good and I'm not even saying it's not a real game - but it's not a fukcin 10.

They couldn't even get the cassette tape right.

Potential-Monke · 11-05-2026 10:15AM

Mixtape is not aimed at me. I heard the music is integral so I gave a quick look at the songs and I recognise 3 songs and 4 artists. I don't think I'd like this game. But, I've read a few differing reviews, and some call it a masterpiece, others are saying its a 3 hour QTE interactive story with extremely simple and limited gameplay.

Now, other games have been panned for being interactive movies before, QTE filled nonsense, etc. But Mixtape is not one of them for reasons. I can see both sides of the argument. Seems like the game is great if you can somewhat relate, otherwise it may not be. Doubt I'll ever know, really doesnt interest me in the slightest, but it is funny to see a 3 hour very specific game get full marks when others get low scores but offer more. It's the nature of reviews and the reviewer. Artsy stuff gets good reviews for some reason. Plus, it's 3 hours and €20, not great value tbh, as I assume the replay value is minimal on such a very specific story focused game.

They (IGN, the driving force behind review discourse lately) gave Mafia The Old Country an 8/10,so maybe they just prefer narrative heavy limited gameplay games.

Penn · 11-05-2026 10:33AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459748#Comment_124459748

"…it is funny to see a 3 hour very specific game get full marks when others get low scores but offer more…"

Games are a form of art at the end of the day, and I'd rather spend 3 hours with a great game which actually has something to say, than spend 60 hours with a game that provides a lot of content but offers nothing which will last in my memory past tomorrow.

I remember when I finally got around to playing Journey, I went into it mostly blind and uninformed about the game, and played the entire thing in one sitting because it was absolutely spellbinding as an experience. Barely had any real or challenging gameplay, but I was completely engrossed in it, meeting other players, and eventually getting to the end. It's an experience which has stayed with me, compared to say Dragon Age Veilguard which I platinumed after 50+ hours but will rarely ever think of again.

That's where it again comes down to the fact the reviews are subjective. If the reviewer connected with the game, story, and everything else which makes Mixtape a whole experience, then there's no reason for it not to be a 10.

If Mixtape is that type of game, where it offers a unique experience using the artform of games as an interactive medium, I'm all for it. Will be picking it up after Saros.

The Iron Giant · 11-05-2026 10:34AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459701#Comment_124459701

Also, always worth looking at the reviewer and not the publication. The narrative of "ign gave this game x but this game x" falls short when you consider that they have different reviewers with different tastes.

McFly85 · 11-05-2026 10:34AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459734#Comment_124459734

Why are you consistently reading reviews of a publication you disagree with?

Penn · 11-05-2026 10:38AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459797#Comment_124459797

He's not reading them. Just looking at the score they give then getting angry at it.

johnny_ultimate · 11-05-2026 10:39AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459748#Comment_124459748

Genuine question - what would be a ‘fair price’ for a game of its type in your eyes? The game is currently €17 with the launch discount - honestly I’d consider any new release game under €20 as being on the low end price wise when you factor in platform holder cuts. Here it’s for a game with pretty high production values (so likely a decent sized team to pay) and presumably a very generous music licensing budget given the soundtrack. €17 seems like a perfectly reasonable price - maybe even a pretty good deal! - to me to ensure people get paid and the studio can sustain itself for another game.

Regardless of its length - and I’d always much rather a game be as long as it needs to be, whether that’s an hour or 200 hours - I don’t see it as being at all an unreasonable launch asking price, whether or not you’re interested in the game.

Cordell · 11-05-2026 10:43AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459797#Comment_124459797

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459805#Comment_124459805

Can we not make this about me and what I do or not do?

Grumpypants · 11-05-2026 10:45AM

I've "played" more of Mixtape. I think I'm still kinda enjoying it. But I'm not actually sure.

Art is nice.
Music is nice.
The Story is average.
The Game is terrible.

It was "free" on Game Pass, and even though it's only 3 hours, it is already kinda overstaying its welcome. I'll prob finish it, but not in a rush to see what will happen, as nothing has happened so far, none of the characters are interesting.

Potential-Monke · 11-05-2026 10:46AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459794#Comment_124459794

And similarily, I played Journey ages after it came out and only knowing it was supposed to be an amazing experience. Don't think i finished it. "Boring artistic shyte" is my memory of it back then. But, it wasn't aimed at me. Everyone has a different idea of what's amazing. What sticks with me is how much I get dragged into the world (which with my imagination, I can really get sucked in). I won't remember specifics of Crimson Desert in years to come, but it has changed how I view games. It is a bar i will be using to judge other massive open world action adventure games (rpg is a debatable, don't think PA call it an rpg). Because it ticked all my boxes. God of War (2018) is the closest I'd call to a masterpiece in recent times.

Just more examples of not everything is for everyone. I usually do try stuff for myself, but I can tell when something won't be for me. I was a coming of age teenager in the 90s, but it was filled with early 90s dance, electronica and metal, and eventually class A's and pounding, pounding techno music. Mixtape will not make me reminisce. I'm all for short games, palette cleansers between the massive games that are par for course these days. But even if I liked it, €20 is a lot for such a short game imo.

McFly85 · 11-05-2026 10:46AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459817#Comment_124459817

But you posted not about the game, but about IGNs reviews in general and suggesting they make no sense.

You clearly hold no value in their journalistic opinion and their reviews aren’t going to convince you to buy a game, so why do you give them any time at all?

I’m happy to leave it and just talk about the games, but also I would prefer less posts about why a publications scores about games are somehow objectively wrong.

johnny_ultimate · 11-05-2026 10:50AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459831#Comment_124459831

As a general rule across mediums (you see it in the film space too), the people who insist they don’t care at all about critics / reviews often get very, very riled up about reviews and review scores.

The Raging Bile Duct · 11-05-2026 10:53AM

I think if you're a jaded reviewer who is playing plenty of competent by-the-numbers games that offer nothing new, your scoring is going to reflect that when playing said games. A novel game doing something different and doing it well is most likely getting a positive review because it's separating itself from the pack, no matter what it's length. Mixtape seems to be about evoking the feeling that music can generate inside you when you're a teenager. The soundtrack is decent enough for me to give it a go at some point. I wouldn't care if it's only three hours if the experience is worth it. A lot of short, novel games out there have left a far better impression on me than a lot of the longer games out there. Obra Dinn, Firewatch, Road 90, Edith Finch, Little Nightmares, Stray…

I think you can quickly get into the arena of 'Objective' reviewing which is absolute nonsense. 'This is a game. It's average length of gameplay of 3.25 hours. There are 24 QTE events in this game. Two of the three main characters are female and they have average breast sizes which makes this game 66.666% woke….'

Penn · 11-05-2026 11:02AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459817#Comment_124459817

It's hard not to considering how often you've brought up review scores lately from a website you clearly don't align with in terms of taste or opinion. You obviously hold no stock in their opinions, yet complain when those opinions don't align with yours mostly without even reading the reviewers justifications behind their opinions and opening discussion on that rather than just the review score they give.

It's also strange given how often you talk about how developers aren't making games with passion these days and are instead just corporate machines, yet you call Mixtape a "piece of visual vomit" even though it is clearly a project of immense passion and love by the developers.

Surely even if you don't like the game itself (can't tell from your posts if you've actually played it or not), it should be something you're celebrating as devs making something they are clearly extremely passionate about.

If you'd like to actually discuss the review itself, maybe post the parts of the review you disagree with and actually put forward something to be discussed, rather than "IGN score different to what I think - Therefore Bad IGN!"

Cordell · 11-05-2026 11:18AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459873#Comment_124459873

I'm not interested in discussing my person, whether or not I'm mad or angry on any of that BS.

We can discuss the game if you want, but I think we already spent more time on in that it's actual length. Work of passion me hole, they couldn't even give enough fukcs to get the iconic cassette - pen mating ritual right.

Potential-Monke · 11-05-2026 11:27AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459809#Comment_124459809

€10. I don't specifically equate time to value, but €20 for 3 hours is too much for anything tbh. I stopped going to the cinema for the same reason. I stopped buying DVDs for the same reason. I personally (that word being the most important) don't think that its worth the investment. But if I was not as broke these days, and this was 15 years ago, it wouldn't have bothered me as much because I had a lot more disposable income (I drunkenly bought Destiny at full price once, and didn't feel the sting the followinf day). It's not a roguelike or metroidvania which has replay value, but I assume it's mostly a one and done type of game (from what I've read) with very little actual gameplay beyond qte's. And a game doesn't have to he Crimson Desert level of value either (210+ hours for €50, bargain if you like the gameplay). I don't think Mafia The Old Country is worth full price, and €50 is even pushing it. I like to play games, not interactive experiences, and Mixtape seems to go closer to the latter.

Annapurna games are so divisive! I haven't liked many of them, but I appreciate what they're doing. Choice is great.

I also get the visual vomit angle. 15fps characters with a world/gameplay that runs 60fps, it's jarring to me, I don't like it and it does make me queasy after a while. But each to their own. Great there's stuff for everyone these days.

johnny_ultimate · 11-05-2026 11:48AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459929#Comment_124459929

I think €10 is pretty unrealistic for a launch price here tbh, given the scale of the production, and would even devalue the work of the developers. Once you account for a platform’s cut and taxes that’s basically a fiver (if even) going to the publisher and developer. I paid a tenner for Titanium Court at launch, but that was very, very close to being a one person production effort so more understandable in that case as the budget was surely tiny in comparison to a Mixtape. The music licensing alone here would’ve been a big cost to recoup.

Again, I sympathise with everything being expensive these days. Everything is expensive! A game’s price will be relative to every individual’s own financial situation (hence why there are always sales down the line). But I still think Mixtape is extremely reasonably priced at €17, given what it is doing and even relative to general pricing trends. And again, even compared to a cinema trip, you get to keep the game in this case - not just a rental or one-time only deal - if you did want to revisit it somewhere down the line.

Retr0gamer · 11-05-2026 11:59AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459734#Comment_124459734

Did you play it?

Retr0gamer · 11-05-2026 12:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124459748#Comment_124459748

I'd take a good 3 hour game over a game spread thin over way too many hours. I mean I can beat Rocket Knight Adventures in 30 minutes and it's a fat better game than any open world game I've played.

I think a lot of people falsely equate time per money value as some kind of metric on how good a game is when you really should be thinking about the actual quality of that time.I mean games are so cheap now it's no like in the 90s when you were lucky to get two games a year and have to swap with mates. You should be curating your own time and playing good stuff rather than games that are long.

Potential-Monke · 11-05-2026 12:28PM

I do curate my time though, and I do spend it on games I personally prefer playing. I like a good short game as much as the next person, I recently enjoyed Thank Goodness You're Here. But I was happy it was on PS+ because even though I enjoyed it, it wasn't worth €20 (to me). I get stuff is more expensive to make these days, but the audience is far higher than it used to be too.

I haven't played Mixtape so I can't say with absolute certainty that I don't think it would be worth €20, but i strongly feel I would think it isn't based purely on my own personal metrics. Crimson Desert ticked all my boxes and is coming in at ~24c a hour, unbelievable value for me. To some, it's a wasted €50-€60. We all value time differently. Picked up Hades 2 for €30 yesterday, and it's not clicking with me so a potential 100+ hour game is currently a waste for me and not worth what I spent. That may change, but right now it wasn't worth the money for me, personally.

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