198X

198X is so promising. It's pure nostalgia, the faux retro games are very cool, the music's amazing and the pixel looks great. Why only two stars then? Because it's just a demo. There are 4 "levels" and the story only gets started when we're treated to a "to be continued"! I strongly believe that people overestimate the length of game compared to the quality of the experience, but when even the narrative barely gets the time to start, you've got a problem, even for an indie game. I didn't even expect the devs to make up a new game for each chapter, discovering new levels for the ones in this demo would be very fair to me (and maybe mixing them up at the end?). But as it stands, this is a prologue. That's not ok.

I wish 198X had something like "Episode 1" in the title. I did not realize that it was the first chapter of a longer story when I purchased it. After completion, I can say that $10 feels a little steep for a game that is sub-2 hours and has a narrative that, while certainly intriguing, never quite makes it off the runway. In spite of the 5 distinct gameplay scenarios, 198X feels oddly more like an interactive story than an actual video game, in and of itself. This would be fine, but even in an episodic format, you still want each chapter to have some amount of closure. This is hardly more than a prologue that ends very abruptly. All that said though, this game has no shortage of heart. The whole package, from the design aesthetic (even beyond the gorgeous pixel-art), to the music (in and out of the games), to the individual games themselves, feels like it was produced by people who have true love and nostalgia for 80's life. The 5 games contained within the story feel more-or-less authentic. The final affair ("Kill Screen"), while possibly my favorite of the bunch, feels the least like something you'd have found in an 80's arcade. And all of the games feel just a touch more polished than the original games they pay homage to, but that doesn't stop them from hitting the mark when you are playing them. None of them are overly-difficult but you may find yourself challenged by a type of game you've just never been into or good at (for me it was the Shmup). But overall, 198X is fairly forgiving and you get unlimited "quarters." Also, props to the ambiguously androgynous main character. It's a very clever device to allow anyone to relate to this story. This will appeal to many, but understand what you're getting for your money. Even still, I genuinely look forward to seeing where the story of 198X is headed.

This is one of these products that will only appeal to a very narrow, specific audience, but when they will, they will hit hard. It's a thing that will be appreciated by "the freaks, the geeks, the misfits, the outcasts". This is by no means a game. It's an interactive art piece – you are supposed to buy this to feel and appreciate the music, the atmosphere, the amazing pixel art. If you feel like you don't belong, are a fan of arcade, retro, synthwave and "the good old times" you never actually lived in, this art has moments that will bring a tear to your eye – you will feel understood, you will relate. I've finished the thing but I'm still listening to it on repeat – listening, because this thing is an audio-visual experience and once you complete the game, you can just listen to it on YouTube or something, because it will provide you with an hour long stunning retrosynth music seasoned with relatable dialogues. Many will say this is cliche and boring, with the main character being an edgy rebeling teenager – we've seen millions of these at this point, but this is how it is supposed to be. It's not a complex story to follow, it's a simple thing to relate to. Also it should be mentioned this is more like a teaser of an upcoming series. If you've watched the trailer and are wondering what this game is about, you won't get the answer by playing the game at all – it's more like an extension of the trailer. I'm really looking forward to see where it goes. I'm really glad we are seeing productions like this. I wish more of such things were made. This is NOT a game and shouldn't be judged as such. This is a music album, interactive comic book and radio drama combined into one thing. You can separate them all and still enjoy it by listening to the music alone, just looking at the pixel arts or listening to the whole thing with dialogues as a sort of a radio play.

If what you want most is value for money, then this will not offer that. The quality is there, definitely, fantastic art/music/hearfealt story...but for only 1 hour or so of gameplay/story the price is steep. They could have at least given us the sountrack then it would have been almost worth it. I don't regret buying it, I just hope to see more next time.

This game feels like it's Saturday morning and you're 10 years old again. If you were born in the 80's or early 90's, then you know what that means. It's not a flawless game and sadly, it's pretty short. Music is just awesome and pixel art style absolutely stunning. This is a pure dose of nostalgia and I wholeheartedly recommend it.