American Theft 80s: Prologue

78%
Game Brain Score Based on 260 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
American Theft 80s: Prologue Game Cover
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Check out some of Jack's first jobs in this prologue before playing the full game. From the creators of Thief Simulator. Every house can be robbed. Just get the right tools and wait for the right time! Meet interesting characters doing shady jobs. KEY FEATURES IN THE PROLOGUE: - explore the first small town from the American Theft 80s - steal from houses, trailers or gas stations - finish…

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

78%
Audience ScoreBased on 260 reviews
story10 positive mentions
stability10 negative mentions
  • The game has engaging mechanics and offers a fun and challenging experience.
  • It's a free demo that provides a decent amount of content, making it a worthwhile try.
  • The 80s atmosphere and nostalgic elements are well-received, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and crashes, impacting gameplay significantly.
  • AI behavior is often unrealistic, with NPCs displaying poor reactions and pathfinding.
  • The controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, making interactions frustrating at times.
  • story46 mentions

    The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its intriguing premise and mission-driven narrative, while others criticize it for being shallow and poorly executed. Many users noted that the game feels like a simplified version of "Thief Simulator," with a lack of depth in storytelling and repetitive mission structures. Overall, while there are elements of potential in the narrative, significant improvements are needed for a more engaging experience.

    • “This game was a little more interesting than Thief Simulator because the story was just better overall.”
    • “Another charm of this game is that there is complete freedom of action here: you can rob any house and even a gas station, but in addition to this, the game has a fascinating plot that will not let you miss when completing quests.”
    • “To the dialogue, NPCs, interactions with various items, and even the strategies for each mission felt so challenging yet fun at the same time; truly can't wait for the full version to come out.”
    • “The voice acting is god awful, the story is non-existent, the tutorial is annoying, and weirdly the thing that annoys me the most is that they call it 'American Theft 80's' but it's only called that so it can have a vaporwave aesthetic; nothing else about this is the 80's.”
    • “Storytelling: 0/10 (placeholder 'story')”
    • “For a game about sneaking, they really force you to play exactly how they designed the missions, and it's ridiculously boring.”
  • gameplay44 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its mechanics and nostalgic feel, while others criticize it for being clunky and unrefined. Players appreciate the introduction of new features and the addictive gameplay loop, but many express concerns about bugs, performance issues, and the need for improvements in core mechanics like stealth and AI. Overall, while there are promising elements, significant refinements are needed for a more enjoyable experience.

    • “This game is so good, and Google says it's made by 2 people. The game has very good mechanics.”
    • “Such an addicting and satisfying gameplay loop, and I really just can't wait for them to hurry up and release it already.”
    • “Great graphics, great mechanics, it's an overall great game.”
    • “Keeps freezing and ruins the gameplay; not sure on buying the full game due to the issues, and sometimes it boots me back to desktop.”
    • “The basic gameplay is lacking, and instead of making the experience enjoyable, someone decided to keep adding features in a shotgun-blast attempt to make the player overlook huge issues with the gameplay loop.”
    • “Still quite buggy and unoptimized; overall feels from control, gameplay, and graphics totally felt like some PS2 games from 2005-ish. Hopefully, it will be fixed and addressed in the full version.”
  • graphics34 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the aesthetic and overall visual quality, while others criticize them as outdated and poorly optimized. Many users note that while the graphics can be beautiful and atmospheric, they also exhibit issues such as blurriness, inconsistent lighting, and performance problems. Overall, the game shows potential for improvement in its graphical fidelity and optimization.

    • “The good points are the graphics are nice, it plays okay and the atmosphere is nice.”
    • “In this part, I was pleasantly surprised by the improved graphics and physics; it can be seen immediately that the developers did a great job.”
    • “I really liked the plot, and the graphics ... it's just a delight, clear textures and beautiful landscapes.”
    • “To that point, the graphics look like Unity from 2005 with 1998 load times.”
    • “The graphics in this game are extremely outdated, faded, and washed out with sort of a blurry purplish tone.”
    • “Still quite buggy and unoptimized, overall feels from control, gameplay and graphics, totally felt like some PS2 games from 2005-ish, hopefully it will be fixed and addressed on the full version.”
  • stability10 mentions

    The game is generally considered unstable, with numerous bugs and glitches reported by users, including freezing during loading screens and getting stuck on levels. While some players find it entertaining despite these issues, the overall consensus is that the game is unoptimized and reminiscent of older titles, leading to a frustrating experience. Many hope for improvements in future updates.

    • “Good game, but super buggy and you get stuck on some levels.”
    • “I played for a little while then shut my PC off and the next day I got on and tried playing again and as soon as I hit continue, it goes to the loading screen and every time it's at exactly 3 bars, it freezes and says not responding.”
    • “Still quite buggy and unoptimized; overall feels from control, gameplay, and graphics totally felt like some PS2 games from 2005-ish. Hopefully, it will be fixed and addressed in the full version.”
  • optimization10 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, crashes, and bugs that hinder gameplay. While some users with higher-end graphics cards noted acceptable performance, others experienced outdated animations and poor frame rates, leading to an overall impression of the game being poorly optimized. Many hope for improvements in future patches, especially given the game's flagship status.

    • “Also, I feel optimization could be a bit better. Although my PC just barely hits the minimum requirements, it would be nice to be able to lower settings a bit more.”
    • “In general, the game is well optimized. On my 1050 Ti, I have not noticed any lag.”
    • “Good optimization.”
    • “Good game, but it's so poorly optimized that I keep crashing on a NVIDIA GTX 1650. It crashes randomly; I would give it a 7/10.”
    • “May change to positive after a few more patches, but come on, this is your flagship release as a prologue. I experienced game-breaking bugs preventing mission completion, horrific performance issues, and poor pathing, among other things.”
    • “Still quite buggy and unoptimized. Overall, it feels like some PS2 games from 2005, with control, gameplay, and graphics issues. Hopefully, it will be fixed and addressed in the full version.”
  • music9 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for enhancing the atmosphere, with many players enjoying the soundtrack and its contribution to the overall experience. There are suggestions for incorporating more 80s rock and pop elements, indicating a desire for a nostalgic touch. Overall, the music is considered a strong point, adding to the game's appeal.

    • “The soundtrack is great and really helps add to the atmosphere.”
    • “The music, sound design, and gritty dialogue make the atmosphere great!”
    • “Super cool game, love the music too! Can't wait for the real game to come out.”
    • “Where is the music?”
    • “For heists like the music shop, there should be an indicator on where the keys are.”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    The game successfully captures the vibrant atmosphere of an 80s action movie, enhanced by a strong soundtrack and gritty dialogue. While the graphics and overall vibe are praised, some players noted that the gameplay can feel clumsy and suggested reducing the bloom effect for a more balanced experience. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, making it worth checking out.

    • “The soundtrack is great and really helps add to the atmosphere.”
    • “The music, sound design, and gritty dialogue make the atmosphere great!”
    • “This trumps thief sim as far as atmospheric vibe, graphics, and physics.”
    • “The game reconstructs the atmosphere of a dashing action movie from the 80s, but the gameplay feels a bit clumsy. It's worth checking out when released.”
    • “The bloom effect enhances the atmosphere, but it needs to be reduced a little; it's just a bit too much in certain areas.”
    • “The game has a strong 80s atmosphere.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the overly precise clicking required to interact with objects, such as opening drawers and car doors. This level of detail can detract from the overall enjoyment, making certain tasks feel laborious and repetitive.

    • “Why do I care about opening 30 different drawers, each requiring tediously accurate (within a mm of an object) clicking?”
    • “You have to look at a specific part of the car door to open it, which feels a bit tedious, same with opening the trunk and putting things in it.”
    • “The last heist at the police station felt tedious.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game has been criticized for its low replayability, with users expressing boredom and a lack of engaging content after completing the main storyline. Many feel that once the game is finished, there is little incentive to return, aside from minor activities like maxing out the hideout.

    • “Replayability: 0/10 (got bored and never finished it)”
    • “One of the biggest problems for me in the original was the lack of replay value, since once you completely beat the game, there was really nothing left to do except for maxing out your hideout.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is primarily driven by its amusing voice-acting, which adds to the overall entertainment value. While some players note that the game can be buggy, these glitches often contribute to its unintentional comedic moments, making it a lighthearted time-waster.

    • “The voice acting was hilarious.”
    • “It can be a bit buggy, as mentioned in other reviews, but it's also a good little time-waster and unintentionally funny to boot.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Users express frustration with the monetization aspect, feeling that the game does not live up to the expectations set by its advertisements, suggesting a disconnect between promotional content and the actual gameplay experience.

    • “I hate this game; it looks way better in the ads.”
    • “The monetization system is so aggressive that it ruins the overall experience.”
    • “I feel like I can't enjoy the game without spending money on in-game purchases.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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