198X

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. God is a Geek
    Jul 30, 2019
    90
    198X is an incredible nostalgia trip for those who grew up playing arcade games and gives younger players the opportunity to experience those games in all their 80s glory.
  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Aug 27, 2019
    80
    It also has some excellent riffs on Streets Of Rage, Shinobi III, and R-Type. The pixel art and lo-fi soundtrack are gorgeous throughout, both in-game and out. This bills itself as “part 1” of an episodic experience, but it’s a short, satisfying, and cheap experience on its own. [Issue#166, p.84]
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  3. PlayStation Universe
    Jul 21, 2019
    80
    A fascinating if overly lean meditation on the video game scene of old, 198X is a compressed, weaponised dose of nostalgia that deserves to be experienced by anyone whom professes a love for this greatest of hobbies.
  5. COGconnected
    Jul 24, 2019
    70
    While 198X did not quite live up to expectations set by its undeniably awesome trailer, the game has displayed a dedication to what it set out to do. Though its narrative at times felt more like a method to which to introduce the various levels, it definitely left me wanting to learn more about the world. Similarly, the game’s relatively shallow stages made we wish that they had been more fleshed out. Sitting at a playtime of somewhere between one and two hours, 198X gives players a glimpse of the retro-inspired world that the developers have crafted, leaving players wanting more of what they got.
  6. GameCritics
    Jul 23, 2019
    70
    As a piece of work that encapsulates a specific time, place and mindset, 198X is totally on-target and resonated with me strongly. As a piece of work judged on its own merits, it feels more like a tone poem or a proof-of-concept than a fully-developed experience. The story’s an unfinished sketch, the gameplay is too brief, and I’m not sure the content would make any kind of impression on someone who didn’t grow up in the ‘80s. It’s a hell of a start, but this team has much further to go.
  7. Gamer.nl
    Aug 9, 2019
    60
    The idea behind 198X is very good, but it does not turn out as great. This is just a mediocre tribute to an era bygone.
  8. Video Chums
    Jul 22, 2019
    60
    Although it's fantastic to be able to experience 5 completely different gameplay styles, 198X's campaign is over within an hour or so and all you can do after that is replay its brief chapters again and again. The fact that you can't skip cutscenes is just a kick in the pants.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 16
  3. Negative: 6 out of 16
  1. CWLPodcast
    Jul 31, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. 198X A pixel are game that has you going through the life of a seriously emo kid in the 1980’s which would likely be around the time arcades fell apart with the Atari crash, or got really good after Nintendo released the NES and things picked up… except that was in the early 90’s when things like Street Fighter 2 and Final Fight were released and given that the entire thing plays through like a 16bit game, which didn’t also kick in until the 90’s they were a bit off on the naming.

    That aside, the game was short, about an hour and ten minutes, but you play through five “games” in this game, one is a Final Fight beat ‘em up, a racing game ala Out Run, a space bullet hell shooter like Gradius, a Ninja Gaiden clone, and a pre-doom RPG which you control with the stick, but had the nice feature of the “player” typing int “Walk forward” “Turn Right” in the old zork way of thing.

    The games themselves weren’t difficult really, and just long enough to be fun before they got annoying since they don’t have the real depth the full games they copy would. The pixel art though? Amazing. The big sprawling screens when Emo Elliot were amazingly well done and crafted and really worth the price of admission (5$ on sale at Steam at the moment) alone.

    The story… I mean. It’s a thing. The kid has so many sharp edges to his personality he could shave his face by rubbing his hands on it. Something, something, dad died or left, something something, mom struggles… something something, kid is a dick to the only parent he has left and both are in a depression, something something… he finds an arcade with the “Coolest bunch of losers around” Honestly, the narrative was so laced with CW emo writing, it didn’t matter in comparison to the rest of the game.    … Full Review »
  2. MahaA
    Feb 6, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. 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.… Full Review »
  3. Melkiades
    Aug 10, 2023
    3
    Una amalgama de minijuegos retro de sólida jugabilidad y atractiva estética ochentera, el problema es que estos minijuegos son demasiadoUna amalgama de minijuegos retro de sólida jugabilidad y atractiva estética ochentera, el problema es que estos minijuegos son demasiado simples y quedan lastrados por una dificultad muy mal medida.… Full Review »
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