Beethoven and the Dinosaurs’ last game was more like a psychedelic rock concept album than a game – and that’s totally fine. I said so at the time when I was writing for rival publications and music magazines. This game, Artful Escape, is a love letter to all of us who dream of being rock stars. It’s a game aimed directly at anyone who’s loved music since childhood – and, of course, anyone who’s a little weird.
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The developer had been quiet for a while, but at its big Xbox Showcase in summer 2024, the platform holder brought Beethoven and the dinosaurs on stage once again. What an encore. If the gorgeous art style and fuzzy nostalgia filter didn’t draw me in, then the confirmation that the game will be set to a soundtrack by DEVO, Roxy Music, Lush, The Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Joy Division did.
I was born in 1991, so a lot of this music is a little before my time, but my dad is a punk veteran, my mom loves Motown, and as a teenager I was into progressive rock and skateboarding. Mixtape seemed to be made for me – I couldn’t find a game that fits my taste better with a gun to my head.
The trailer tells us that we’ll be joining a group of grown teens as they skate, party, evade the law, make out, sneak around, hang out (and more!). Remember having free time? These kids do.
Mixtape tells the story of three teenagers (whose names have yet to be revealed, as far as I know) as they prepare to graduate high school and leave their hometown in Northern California. We will be reimagining and reinterpreting key moments in these upcoming teenagers’ growth into who they are today through a series of mini-music videos.
A press release states, “Players will be immersed in a teenage wasteland with a variety of hilarious gameplay experiences, from skateboarding and flying to taking after-hours photos at an abandoned theme park, playing baseball, and setting off a firework show from the back seat of a car. It’s all about the best of teenage friendships, from first kiss to last dance.” Perfect for 30-something losers like me who have settled into an office job but still secretly dream of being a rock star.
While the game was announced at the Xbox Showcase and we know it’ll be coming to Series X/S and Game Pass on day one, I also received an email telling me The game will also launch on PlayStation 5 and Steam on the same day.