American Theft 80s: Prologue

American Theft 80s: Prologue - This Game Will Steal Your Heart

Experience the Beginning of an Illustrious Thieving Career

The First Taste of the Upcoming Crime-Based Adventure Game

If not for the issues regarding morality and legality, stealing things could be fun, right? The stealth, challenge, and thrill that comes from knowing you might get caught, what's not to like? In the real world, theft is a big no-no, but the gaming world has now provided us with an avenue for getting it out of our systems.

Developed by Noble Muffins (the same developer who brought us Thief Simulator) and published by PlayWay S.A., American Theft 80s: Prologue is an action-adventure RPG based entirely around stealing things. The game, which is only available for PC via Steam, offers gamers an exciting sample of the full American Theft 80s game.

Oh, and did I mention that it takes place in the 1980s? That's right, get ready to steal some VCRs, cassette tapes, and Walkmans!

Assuming the Role of a Hard-Working Thief

American Theft 80s: Prologue takes place in a typical 1980s neighbourhood, and you play the role of a guy named Jack. Jack is good at one thing, which is taking other people's things. All Jack cares about is pulling off heists and lifting whatever he can get his hands on, so that's what you spend the game doing.

The beginning of the game features a cutscene in which you get apprehended and tossed into a jail cell. Once you complete your first challenge of escaping confinement, that's when the fun begins.

In American Theft 80s: Prologue, you'll steal cars, burglarize buildings, and consort with shady characters who have equally shady jobs they need to do. You'll use stealth and various tools and occasionally have to take what you want when you want. And, of course, you'll do whatever it takes to avoid getting caught.

If you've ever played any of the Grand Theft Auto games, the style of American Theft 80s: Prologue is pretty similar. There's an ongoing storyline that includes completing missions and interacting with other characters, but there's also an open-world element. If you feel like exploring the town, poking around houses, and soaking up the 1980s nostalgia, you're free to do so.

Concept Rating: 4/5

Semi-Realistic Graphics

American Theft 80s: Prologue's graphics are decent. The character models and the game's setting both feature a realistic style, and although things occasionally look a bit blocky, most of the game looks pretty good.

When you're driving, running, or creeping through the small town, you'll be impressed with how true to life the scenery appears. The same goes for the interiors of buildings and many of the different objects. Nothing looks especially cool or unique, but the developers were prioritizing realism, and they nailed it.

As for the game's soundtrack, it's a highlight. When you're casually exploring the town, you'll mostly hear the various noises of the setting—birds chirping, cars driving by, etc. However, the soundtrack adapts to the gameplay, and everything you do features fitting accompaniment.

When you walk into a dive bar, you'll hear 80's rock. In a high-speed police chase, the exciting, up-tempo music will kick in. When you're stealthily sneaking around a building at night, the game will begin playing intense, suspense-enhancing music with heavy bass.

Graphics & Audio Rating: 4/5

The Freedom to Sneak and Steal

American Theft 80s: Prologue has some gameplay elements that truly stand out. One of them is the freedom that the gameplay allows you. Although this prologue is only one small piece of what the full game will bring to the table, you still have quite a few options for how to spend your time.

Not only can you explore every part of the town where the game takes place, but you can also steal just about anything from just about anywhere. Whether you want to rob a gas station, a house, or a trailer, all you have to do is make it happen. That brings us to the other thing that makes American Theft 80s: Prologue so enjoyable.

Using Your Stealth

Perhaps the most fun you can have in American Theft 80s: Prologue is using your stealth. When burglarizing a home or building, you'll need to be quiet and sneaky to avoid getting caught. In some cases, your character will be mere feet away from the watchful eyes of a security guard, and your only route to success will be using extreme care and precision with your movements—which can, at times, be frustratingly difficult.

In some cases, you'll need to find other ways, besides stealth, to accomplish your thefts. For example, you might pretend to be an electrician to get into some unsuspecting person's house. Then, once you're in, you'll rob them blind right under their noses (make sure you temporarily turn off your empathy while playing this game). Other times, you'll force your way into homes and buildings using a hammer and a crowbar.

If you see a house, shop, or gas station, you can get inside, but learn about the tenants first. You don't want to get caught.

Each job and target will require different skills and methods, which gives the gameplay some nice variety. It's up to you to stake out a situation, gather information, and decide the best way to approach your heist.

Building Your Reputation

Although we won't know the full scope of the game's storyline until the full version is released, we can get a good idea with the prologue. The main alternative to roaming the town is to take on missions. You'll meet several unscrupulous characters, and they'll have different jobs that they need you to complete.

The job you're assigned might be to steal a specific item. It might be to break into someone's office and take photos of what's on their desk so your client can blackmail them. After a mission is complete, you'll receive a cash reward and a boost to your reputation in the underground world. Use your cash to upgrade your gear, upgrade your character's abilities, or even for bribing the police to avoid being wanted.

Staying Ahead of the Law

As you'd probably expect from a game about theft, the police sometimes get involved. If you become wanted, they'll hunt you down, and you'll regularly find yourself leading a high-speed chase toward escape. If you fail to ditch them and get caught, your character will reset at a spawn point, similar to how it happens in the Grand Theft Auto games.

Gameplay Rating: 4/5

How To Get the Game

American Theft 80s: Prologue is free-to-play, and you can get it right now through Steam. This prologue, which launched on March 8th, 2022, gives you a taste of the complete version which is also available on Steam for $19.99.

Let Your Inner Kleptomaniac Out

American Theft 80s: Prologue isn't going to blow you away, but there's plenty to like. Not only does it give you the chance to steal things with no real-life repercussions, but it also takes you back in time to the 1980s. Whenever a game lets you set your own pace, it's always refreshing.

Utilizing stealth in the game is a blast, and the soundtrack makes it even more thrilling and immersive. There's enough variety in the thefts and missions to stave off tedium, and the game's setting is pleasant to look at overall. 

Replay Value Rating: 3/5

The Good

• Novel concept.
• Stealth aspects are a lot of fun.
• The freedom of the open-world style allows you to set your own pace.
• The soundtrack serves as the perfect accompaniment.

The Bad

• Occasional glitches with character movement
• Sometimes simple tasks require a frustrating amount of precision
• Although using stealth is fun, it would be more rewarding if you had better control over your character

TL;DR

American Theft 80s: Prologue is an exhilarating, theft-based RPG that gives you a taste of the complete game.