198X

198X is a strange, quiet thing on Steam. Hi-Bit Studios built it as the first part of a larger arcade epic, and that context matters the moment you boot it up. You are not here to master a single mechanic. You are here to feel something. The game strings together five distinct arcade-styled stages, each representing a different genre: a side-scrolling shooter, a driving sequence, a platformer, a beat-em-up brawler, and a dungeon RPG crawl. None of these stages overstay their welcome. None of them are particularly deep. That is either the whole point or the whole problem, depending on what you want from a night at your desk. The pixel art is the first thing that earns real attention. It is not retro-lazy, the kind that slaps 16-color sprites on a black background and calls it nostalgic. Hi-Bit pushed the visual craft into something genuinely cinematic, with wide establishing shots, moody color grading that shifts between stages, and character animation that communicates feeling without dialogue. The unnamed protagonist moves through suburban nowhere and neon arcade corridors alike, and the transitions between story beats and gameplay feel deliberate, almost theatrical. Paired with a synthesizer-heavy soundtrack that knows exactly when to swell and when to pull back, this is one of the better-sounding indie releases in its weight class. What 198X is not, and what trips up roughly a quarter of the people who pick it up, is a complete game. This is Part 1 of something unfinished. The story lands in a place that is more ellipsis than period, and if you need closure, you will leave frustrated. The gameplay itself is intentionally surface-level: each stage mimics a genre but does not interrogate it. The beat-em-up does not have Deep Fight System energy. The RPG segment does not ask you to build a character. They are mood pieces dressed in genre clothing, and if that sounds thin, it probably is thin for a certain kind of player. On Steam, the Mixed rating reflects that split honestly. Where 198X earns genuine respect is in knowing its own register. At roughly ninety minutes to two hours, it does not try to be a twelve-hour RPG. It tries to be a short film you can interact with slightly. For players who grew up haunting arcades or who feel something particular when they hear FM synthesis bleeding out of a CRT cabinet, it delivers that sensation with real care. The coming-of-age framing is earnest rather than ironic, and that earnestness is either endearing or cloying depending on your tolerance for that kind of thing. I find it endearing. The longing this game packages is specific enough to feel honest. The honest caveat: if you buy this hoping for Part 2 to follow soon and complete the arc, you should know that as of its release the sequel chapters have not materialized on a clear schedule. You are buying a fragment. A well-made, emotionally coherent fragment with excellent sound design and handcrafted pixel art, but a fragment. If you can accept that on its own terms, it is a worthwhile ninety minutes. If you cannot, hold off.

Kai · Scout Team

Indie & narrative

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