198X

 PC
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 26 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 26
  3. Negative: 9 out of 26

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  1. loll0one123
    Aug 26, 2019
    3
    The game is slow, short and boring, with endless cutscenes.
    The only nice thing, is the graphic art
  2. FYM
    Sep 16, 2019
    10
    It's perfectly possible to finish 198X in under 2 hours. This is not a particularly long game, but the same could be said about Journey, Portal, Superhot, The Stanley Parable, Dear Esther, Gone Home and countless other short, modern classics. When it comes down to it, it's not the lenght that counts but the experience itself and I can honestly say that this one will stay with me til theIt's perfectly possible to finish 198X in under 2 hours. This is not a particularly long game, but the same could be said about Journey, Portal, Superhot, The Stanley Parable, Dear Esther, Gone Home and countless other short, modern classics. When it comes down to it, it's not the lenght that counts but the experience itself and I can honestly say that this one will stay with me til the day I die. The sprite work is amazing, the soundtrack is absolutely perfect and the melancholic 80s atmosphere is takes me back to my own youth. Do yourself a favour and buy 198X. It's not expensive. It's not lengthy. But it's a ride like none other.… Expand
  3. Slash2x
    Jul 8, 2019
    4
    I really wanted to like this game, but it would not reciprocate my feelings. The story is laughably short, you only play each "game" once, and one is just a reskin of an earlier game. There are two shoot em ups, one Final Fight clone, a racer, and a "maze" game. The "maze" has one path to each boss and one tiny loop. It takes longer because you have to die and grind to level up so you canI really wanted to like this game, but it would not reciprocate my feelings. The story is laughably short, you only play each "game" once, and one is just a reskin of an earlier game. There are two shoot em ups, one Final Fight clone, a racer, and a "maze" game. The "maze" has one path to each boss and one tiny loop. It takes longer because you have to die and grind to level up so you can fight [strike] your virtual dad [/strike] errr the boss.

    The actual gameplay is less than 30 minutes but they make you listen to the Kid exposition for another 30ish minutes to extend the playtime.

    The story that has no real link to anything you are playing other than "I was sad about family thing so I went to the arcade." That is it. The whole story. I would say I saved you from 30 minutes of exposition, but the cut-scenes are unskippable. Oh but do not worry the game ends on a cliffhanger so you can buy the next episode of this game. The only positive of the story is the voice actress does a great job with the lines they gave her.

    In Summary: Save your money unless this game drops sub $2 usd. There are plenty of games on Steam that give you more content for less money in each genre this game covers. Oh did I forget to mention this is the price they charged after a KICKSTARTER for this game paid for development? Pass on this nostalgia grab and get something else.    … Expand
  4. Zer0TheHer0
    Aug 5, 2019
    2
    unskippable opening credits,non-rebindable controls,no subtitles

    too bad,seemed interesting but it's killed by such amateur mistakes
  5. Destinylver
    Aug 29, 2019
    4
    Yes its another Kickstarter scam. The devs raised over 600k of free money based on their lofty promises and excellent video but what we get is so much less. I wanted to say more but there is virtually nothing here at this time.
    I’m a ready player one fan and had hoped this game would take a well written story and integrate it into video game. I loved a night in the woods and hoped that    Yes its another Kickstarter scam. The devs raised over 600k of free money based on their lofty promises and excellent video but what we get is so much less. I wanted to say more but there is virtually nothing here at this time.
    I’m a ready player one fan and had hoped this game would take a well written story and integrate it into video game. I loved a night in the woods and hoped that the story elements would be like that. Or life is strange or monkey island. But what we get is some boring but pretty cutscenes representing a poorly written generic character.

    The lazily titled the kid (robert redford fan?) Is moody and has some family issues...maybe or something equally vauge and high school is tough and blah. Its really pathetic that they couldn’t come up with more or ask an adult of the 80s what it was like or at worse watch stranger things haha Moody kid finds an arcade and wow he can escape into 80 genre games...the end.

    At this point the weak story could be saved but instead we get 4-5 (1 is a clone) fun but like the story and character, simple short games with little depth and little replay (but you cant replay so meh). One or two levels and none of the games finish.
    And then the game an hour to two hours later....is over. That’s all you get. And you pay for this short game which costs the devs nothing to make. And they got to make their dream. But their dream is short and simple and pathetically childish and naive (though beautiful).

    The latter be fine if it was made by a child but its made by adults who are meant to take their experience and fuze it with childhood memories and adult research to get a professional product. They havent done that at this time.

    At this time because they forgot to tell everyone that the game is episodic which means this is intentionally a small part of a larger game. But those who paid for a full game will have to keep paying. It might have well been an epic store pc exclusive to really kill it’s chances.

    If we imagine that this tiny simple game cost 600k then the other 3 or 4 parts to give it a decent run time , will bring the total budget of free money to 2.5 million for what will still be a short simple indie game. I cant imagine this will happen so instead we'll get 1 or 2 rushed short chapters which flesh out the games but add little to the barebones story.

    It’s a scam as the devs choose to be sneaky and dishonest and greedy. If they has explained the episodic nature or made all additional chapters free etc then players be happy. Better still finish the game first and then make sequels.

    I’m not a game dev but it doesn’t cost 600k over a few years for a few people to make a 2 hour game with 1 hour of gameplay. I feel they made the full game and gutted it for cash. Or worse this is what we get because they all took huge salaries. I’ve seen their social media posts and they’re snarky and unapologetic and will fully ignorant with few specifics and yet more promises..if you give them more money. Real poke in the eye for backers. This type of bs hurts Kickstarter too.
    It’s a really bad first impression and a bad business model with the history of episodic being in the gutter now.

    To fix this mess they need to release 4 more chapters with 45 mins of game play and 15 mins of cutscenes with a story with direction and actual relatable characters. The real world needs to seep into the games much more and each game needs to represent another part of the kids journey. The cutscenes need to be a point and click adventure or have some interaction and choices as the series progresses like late 80s games.

    These chapters need to be free for purchase one and or 5 each etc. And there needs to be a guarantee they willbe made or refund. This is how you make a hit game and a beloved studio and get money for sequels.

    What’s good about the game? Most of it actually but that’s irrelevant if it’s mis sold and too short and too expensive. Graphics art 8bit retro but beautifully drawn. The animation is basic but effective. The sound and music is spot on for 80s and really immersive. The game play is simple but fun. The lasting time ...virtually nothing..an hour of gameplay. And it's not quality over quantity as its only average.

    Value...just a mess due to the way it was funded and mis sold etc.

    Should you buy it? Yes if you have money as I’d like to see what the devs do with this. Should you be mad if you funded it? 100% as the devs have not delivered a full game. Should you avoid the game if I’m broke? Yes because it has little in it original or stand out that you need to play. Wait until the entire game is out ..If it ever comes out.
    Overall a 4 for the 4 games (1 was a clone).    … Expand
  6. TitaniumDragon
    Apr 4, 2020
    0
    198X is more of a short story than a video game. The game uses a series of 1980s-esque arcade games as a framing story for the coming-of-age story of the main character.

    There's a major problem, though: the story is boring, generic, and bland. A 1980s teenager plays at the arcade and dreams about going to the big city, and uses video games as escapism after their father leaves. The end.    198X is more of a short story than a video game. The game uses a series of 1980s-esque arcade games as a framing story for the coming-of-age story of the main character.

    There's a major problem, though: the story is boring, generic, and bland. A 1980s teenager plays at the arcade and dreams about going to the big city, and uses video games as escapism after their father leaves. The end.

    The story itself is incomplete (shock and surprise, given that this is supposedly an episodic game), but what is here isn't something that makes me compelled to play the other episodes. I don’t care about the main character (and they have no real personality beyond “generic 1980s teenager”) and I don’t care about the story. So what is there?

    The gameplay certainly isn’t going to hold it up; the games are very simple and not terribly challenging (which makes sense) but without the story being fun, there’s really nothing here.

    I managed to complete the whole piece in about an hour, and at the end of it, was left thinking “Is that it?”

    Bad as a game and bad as a story, there's really nothing here.    … Expand
  7. HarrisonKHall
    Apr 6, 2020
    8
    I walked away from 198X feeling the same sort of euphoric rush I felt when I finished Journey and The Beginner's Guide, Unlike those two titles, 198x didn't feel complete; it's not that it feels lacking, it just feels like a short story that was intended to be a novel. The story it tells doesn't fill in the space the presentation made for it.

    Also unlike Journey and TBG, it has    I walked away from 198X feeling the same sort of euphoric rush I felt when I finished Journey and The Beginner's Guide, Unlike those two titles, 198x didn't feel complete; it's not that it feels lacking, it just feels like a short story that was intended to be a novel. The story it tells doesn't fill in the space the presentation made for it.

    Also unlike Journey and TBG, it has substantive game play that is narrative and metaphorically linked. All the ":mini-games" invoke the spirit of their respective genres without the frustrations or barriers to entry. Sometimes the metaphors are heavy handed, but it all works together beautifully. It has some of the greatest pixel art I've ever seen. The music and sound are equal in quality.

    I can't rate this in the "yellow" because the artistry, passion, and drive on display is breath taking; this is one of those places where "an A for effort" feels deserved. The story feels stunted and undeveloped, however. Everything feels shorter than it seems it should, and it leaves a disconnected feeling. If that kills the experience for you, I don't blame.

    However, this is a work of art all the same. Incomplete perhaps, but a gloriously beautiful passion project that deserves to be seen.    … Expand
  8. MahaA
    Feb 6, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A Fun game with great art style.What attracted me the most to support this game is the Art, the 16-bit art style is my favorite. I love arcade games and 198x has a plot revolving around arcades which is attractive to me. Then i heard Yuzo Koshiro will make music for the game i got super excited , but i was very disappointed with the ninja levels that have Koshiro’s music in them, the music is great but the gameplay on those levels is very disappointing. It is like a mobile run game. It didn’t give arcade experience like expected. The kid in the game is talking about his arcade experience but he is playing a mobile game. I wish part 2 of the game will give a true arcade adventure experience.… Expand
  9. Oregondanne
    Apr 12, 2020
    9
    This game hits home on so many levels, probably with more power the stronger your connection to the 80s is. If, like me, that's when you lost your video game virginity you're in for a real sweet journey. "Kid" will be your chaperone for the ride, guiding you from one classic 80s genre to the next. All interwoven in a beautifully narrated and illustrated coming of age tale. A bit genericThis game hits home on so many levels, probably with more power the stronger your connection to the 80s is. If, like me, that's when you lost your video game virginity you're in for a real sweet journey. "Kid" will be your chaperone for the ride, guiding you from one classic 80s genre to the next. All interwoven in a beautifully narrated and illustrated coming of age tale. A bit generic perhaps, but my guess is that the developers want you to substitute Kid's story with your own. Just as you made the games from the 80s, often lacking in terms of plot, your own adventures.

    The first part of 198X ends way too soon, but not before leaving impressions that last for a lifetime. The graphics and music simply blew me away, adding infinite replay value. 8 Bit Studios have truly worked wonders with the 60K at their disposal (not 600K as falsely stated in a review below; the total pledged on Kickstarter is in Swedish currency). I do hope though that in the second part we'll be able to play more of each mini game, as they end as soon as you've gotten a feel for them. Perhaps Kid will eventually be able to roam freely around the arcade and we can set our own high scores.

    But for the first part, pour yourself a glass of wine, wait until the twilight hours and let Kid lead you through a night that blurs the lines between dream, game and reality.    … Expand
  10. furinkan
    Feb 7, 2020
    9
    I really enjoyed 198X, or at least the first instalment of it so far. Make no mistake, it's relatively short and not everyone's cup of tea. It's a nostalgia trip, and if you don't share that childhood then you'll probably either love it for the art, or hate it because it's pointless to you.

    I grabbed a bottle of coke from the fridge, turned off the lights, sank into my comfy chair, and    I really enjoyed 198X, or at least the first instalment of it so far. Make no mistake, it's relatively short and not everyone's cup of tea. It's a nostalgia trip, and if you don't share that childhood then you'll probably either love it for the art, or hate it because it's pointless to you.

    I grabbed a bottle of coke from the fridge, turned off the lights, sank into my comfy chair, and got into the experience. Because that's what 198X ultimately is, it's modern love for retro arcade games, with a little bit of a story wrapped around it.

    Difficulty: I thought that it was just right, but I can acknowledge that some people will find it too easy or too hard - there's no difficulty settings. If it's too hard for you then you need to keep trying and git gud. That's what I did and it was satisfying, albeit frustrating for a while. If you find it too easy then the game will be very short.

    The game's interface is minimal, that's deliberate. It's just like dropping a coin into the machine and getting on the controls.

    So, the graphics are excellent, as is the music. The retro aesthetic is beautiful and spot-on for the developers' creative vision. The gameplay is tight and the controls feel perfect. If that sounds like your kinda jam, you will probably really enjoy 198X.    … Expand
  11. Za_Uvek
    Dec 7, 2021
    8
    This is a hard one to class as there it is a nice tribute to arcade games of old. A few short and sharp experiences that have been taped together with a cool cinematic story.

    The slightly pixelated cartoony visuals really lend itself nicely to the overall game play here. You get a small shot at a beat em up, horizontal shooter, an 'outrun like' racer, side scrolling hack n slash and a    This is a hard one to class as there it is a nice tribute to arcade games of old. A few short and sharp experiences that have been taped together with a cool cinematic story.

    The slightly pixelated cartoony visuals really lend itself nicely to the overall game play here. You get a small shot at a beat em up, horizontal shooter, an 'outrun like' racer, side scrolling hack n slash and a mini RPG. All of which really do capture the feel of popular 80's arcade games in a satisfying way. What is really impressive is how they are all blended into the story of a teenager getting lost within the 'arcade world'. That, coupled with the amazing soundtrack really captured to imagination of the fictional character's love of gaming. However, the big let down is how short the whole experience is. As mentioned above, there are only 5 games in total and they are nothing more than a couple of levels each.

    You'll probably be left a little disappointed as this game can breeze by in one sitting. But once you factor in the price of around $15AUD and the great cinematic presentation, it's still worth it. Hopefully 198X acts as a bench mark for what these developers will build on in the future.    … Expand
  12. 3ls0ul
    Mar 7, 2023
    8
    Este juego aún no lo eh jugado o completado, así que pondré una reseña y nota diferentes cuando lo haga.
  13. 99Cyborg
    Feb 12, 2023
    9
    90/100. (Recomendado / Recommended)

    Diferentes géneros en un solo juego, rememorando la edad de oro de las recreativas junto a una narrativa, aunque no especialmente novedosa, realista y contemporánea. Un pixel-art genialmente trabajado y animaciones fluidas. Different genres in a single game, recalling the golden age of arcade games along with a realistic and contemporary narrative,    90/100. (Recomendado / Recommended)

    Diferentes géneros en un solo juego, rememorando la edad de oro de las recreativas junto a una narrativa, aunque no especialmente novedosa, realista y contemporánea. Un pixel-art genialmente trabajado y animaciones fluidas.

    Different genres in a single game, recalling the golden age of arcade games along with a realistic and contemporary narrative, although not particularly new. A brilliantly worked pixel-art and fluid animations.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
63

Mixed or average reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. GamingTrend
    Apr 14, 2020
    85
    198X does a fantastic job of breathing some life into genres of old, paying homage in a respectable, loving way while achieving an identity all of its own. For me there was no weak link in the gameplay and the storytelling moments kept me engaged and looking forward to the next bit of exposition. Hi-Bit Studios’ 198X is a short experience but one I’m glad I’ve had. Here’s hoping for future instalments to build upon this solid foundation.
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  2. GameGrin
    Aug 19, 2019
    85
    198X feels like it was made specifically for me and my nostalgia. Despite it being very short, I love everything 198X is trying to do and I think it succeeds with excellent results. I can’t wait to see what kind of games they will bring in part two.
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  3. Meristation
    Aug 9, 2019
    65
    A good story and an excellent way to present it, but lacking in duration and gameplay.
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