For a game to truly stand out in modern times, it must innovate. It must do things to evoke emotions out of the player that a military shooter or annual football game cannot. 198X does just that for me; it brings me to a time period I did not even live in, but am immersed into. I feel The Kid’s angst in a time before angst was cool. I marvel at the best pixel graphics I have ever seen, brought to life with fluid animation and attention to detail.

Despite having the time of my life with this game, it’s over before anything significant in its story occurs. It does little more than set the stage of The Kid’s life in 1980’s suburbia. While everything up to this point is immaculate, this is the game’s biggest detractor. I was completely caught off-guard by its ending, with no indication of the 75 minutes I had spent bringing the game to a close.

I take no issue with shorter games; so many, such as Journey, Firewatch, and Undertale, prove to be smash hits due to their ability to make a statement in a matter of hours. It is when a game has as much potential as 198X and does not utilize it that I have a problem. The four arcade games in 198X are serviceable enough, with no sense of urgency during a Game Over screen, but these also only stretch for a matter of 5-10 minutes each.

They say good things come in small packages – in the case of 198X, the package feels microscopic. If this were even a 5-10 hour game, I would be singing its praises, as that is ample time to flesh out the story, explore more genres, and provide us with more immaculate pixel art. The saving grace here is the “To Be Continued” that hits upon the game’s close. While I am irked by this game’s short length, I will most definitely be head-over-heels for the game’s follow-up.

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