There’s a lot to like about Mixtape. Beethoven & Dinosaur’s narrative adventure is the definition of a crowd-pleaser thanks to its wealth of excellent music, its ‘90s nostalgia, and a bevy of wacky minigames that always find a way to delight you. There’s only one thing that really harshes Mixtape’s mellow vibe: its protagonist, Stacey Rockford.

Since Mixtape’s launch on May 7, Rockford has become something of a polarizing figure among players. The character is a teenage music snob who is desperate to break out of her small town, even if it means leaving her friends behind. While some players find her relatable, others detest her. A middling review from Forbes, for instance, ripped into the “strangely unlikable” Rockford.

“She doesn’t even feel like a real character, and has few redeeming qualities,” the review reads. “She expresses a weird degree of ‘ownership’ among her friends, including hating a girl her friend Cassandra is friendly with, and comes off as intensely selfish through the whole story.”

That read is correct. Rockford is a selfish snob who condescends to everyone she meets — including the player. She’s not terribly sensitive about her friends’ personal lives and seems more interested in forcing them to listen to her favorite songs than hearing what they have to say. Though not quite the monster that Saros’ Arjun Devraj is, “unlikable” is a fair descriptor. But here’s the thing: that’s the point. Through Rockford’s sullen demeanor, Mixtape reminds players that they don’t need to throw out the things they love just to escape something they don’t. That’s how meaningful memories get reduced to hollow nostalgia.

Mixtape follows a trio of teens living in Blue Moon Lagoon, a quiet suburban town that evokes America’s Pacific Northwest. Stacey is the de facto leader of that clique. Her sidekicks are Van Slater, a chilled-out skater who seems destined to become a stoner townie, and Cassandra Morino, a black-haired ball of simmering rebellion. I use the word “sidekick” here because that’s how Rockford treats them. She presents herself as the main character — not just of Mixtape, but of Blue Moon Lagoon, period. The story is told from her fourth wall-breaking perspective, which means that players are her captive audience as she embellishes mundane teenage stories and overexplains music history.

If you find it cloying, imagine how Slater and Cassandra feel. The character dynamics are made clear from the jump, following an opening skateboarding sequence set to “That’s Good” by Devo. In a monologue delivered straight to the camera rather than to the friends staged around her, Rockford sets up the game you’re about to play: “This playlist, the one you’ll be hearing........

© Polygon