198X is an upcoming arcade-action that tackles coming-of-age drama, and it works to blur the lines between game and reality. Currently sitting on Kickstarter with 25 days to go, the project is about $20,000 shy of its $56,000 pledge goal.
This arcade epic takes place in a suburban neighborhood that sits on the outskirts of a city sometime in the 1980s. You’ll follow the journey of Kid, a teenager lodged between the liminal space separating an innocent youth with the obligations of an impending adulthood. Told through various genres, games, worlds, and characters, the story begins to unfold when Kid comes across his local arcade. Here, new worlds are found, and new meanings are placed in his life. Each new visit to the arcade allows Kid to grow stronger, and soon enough, the lines between game and reality begin to blur.
Players will toggle between five distinct arcade games, each tailored to a specific classic theme and genre. These games are fully playable and contain several complete stages with core mechanics akin to each. Unexpected turns and unique twists lay within each game, and no one story will blend with another. You’ll need to get through the hard-hitting street fighting of The Beat ‘Em Up, the laser-powered mecha mayhem of The Shoot ‘Em Up, the pedal-to-the-metal Racing Game, an acrobatic action Ninja Game, and the dungeon crawling RPG. Over-the-top gameplay action is promised, and a deep-seeded sense of nostalgia will be inescapable. With each of the five games taking direct homage from the arcade classics, it’s safe to say the richness of variety and emotional storytelling will be enough to keep you fully immersed.
While there’s no set release date yet, the developers over at Hi-Bit Studios aim to release 198X in March 2019 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Check out the trailer below if this seems interesting, and be sure to check out the Kickstarter rewards.