Life Is Strange Promising 10/10 Rival Launches For Free On Xbox Game Pass

The Life is Strange franchise is beloved by fans the world over, with the latest instalment, Reunion, having finally wrapped up Chloe and Max’s tumultuous saga.

It garnered a score of 71 over on MetaCritic which isn’t all that bad considering that predecessor Life is Strange: Double Exposure was widely panned.

If you’re looking for something else to play that very much feels like a spiritual successor to Life is Strange, you’re not going to want to miss today’s new launch Mixtape.

Developed by Beethoven & Dinosaur and published by Annapurna Interactive, Mixtape is a new coming-of-age adventure game available across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Inspired by classic John Hughes movies like Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club, it follows teens Rockford, Slater, and Cassandra as they venture to a party on the last night of high school.

Annapurna Interactive

It’s set within the 1990s and has a major emphasis on music with the game’s soundtrack featuring the likes of Joy Division, Iggy Pop, Devo, Smashing Pumpkins, and more.

For Xbox Game Pass users, Mixtape is available as a day one launch on the Ultimate and PC tiers across cloud, console, handheld, and PC.

Read What Critics Had To Say

If that hasn’t already sold you on what Mixtape has to offer, it’s garnered tons of 10 out 10 reviews from critics.

IGN wrote, “A musical delight from start to finish, Mixtape sets a new standard for coming-of-age stories in video games and does so with a masterful sense of style,” in its 10 out of 10 review.

DualShockers added, “The result is a wholly unique gaming experience that's loaded with nostalgic charm, great humor, and many poignant moments that will make you reframe how you think about your own personal memories of youth. I cannot recommend it enough.”

Insider Gaming said, “Beethoven & Dinosaur's Mixtape is a deeply nostalgic, coming-of-age masterpiece that beautifully captures the emotional weight of three friends facing their last day of high school. Through its inventive gameplay, stop-motion-inspired visuals, and stellar soundtrack, it delivers a profound and unforgettable experience about growing up and the bittersweet nature of goodbyes.”

VGC also awarded a score of 10, saying, “Mixtape is a tribute to "the best years of your life." It combines authentic nostalgia for being young, with witty commentary on how life doesn't actually end just because you didn't have a Hollywood-style last night in town. The game's use of music is pitch perfect, and heavily contributes to Mixtape being one of the best coming-of-age games of the modern era.”

Overall, Mixtape has a score of 85, dragged down by a rogue score of 60 from The Guardian and 70 from Metro GameCentral.

For the most part, Mixtape sounds like yet another 2026 banger and perhaps even a GOTY contender.

READ MORE: Debating the Chloe Option is Best to Pick in Life is Strange: Reunion