1. DanielW.

   10

   Incredible game, great replay value, and it's available on steam. The only problem some people may have is how it works, and how they can trace you down, even after disconnecting. However, this is what gives it such great replay value. You play, you learn more, you beat the system.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 4 users said Yes.
2. ForTheUSSR

   8

   This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I started this game and could not stop playing until I had beaten it. It's very engaging - partially because of how great a job it does at immersing you in the world it envisions (through stylistic, yet sometimes inefficient, UI and old-school music), but also because of how the actions required to beat challenges take quite a bit of focus. First of all, the atmosphere in this game is phenomenal. It's certainly intended to be more of a simulation of Hollywood-esque hacking than real life, so if you suspend your disbelief and let yourself slip into that context, it works. The interface is a bit clunky and slow, but that's part of the challenge - you're dealing with old-style computer systems. Second, the gameplay is actually more akin to an FPS than a strategy game - this is because, once you figure out the optimal actions to take to complete any given hacking challenge, it's just a matter of performing all those actions quickly enough and not making mistakes. In that regard, it's pretty engaging . And, as your learning the right actions, it'll challenge your problem solving skills. The main reasons why I didn't give this game a perfect score: Many of the challenges are hard to figure out without using a guide, and not fun because of that. For example, for the "destroy a person's life" missions, you have to somehow figure out that you need to give them 2 random crimes AND another crime that ends with "Parole", and only then can you authorize their arrest. Second, this game feels kind of time-wastery. True, most games are, but I really just felt like I didn't improve myself at all after playing this game - it didn't challenge my creativity, teach me a skill, improve my ability to work with others (it's single-player). That's definitely a tough thing to achieve with a game, but I'm really looking for that for a game to get a perfect score - being fun while beneficial. It definitely does provide you with moments of flow (if you get into it), which is certainly beneficial, though there's many more productive activities that can also do that.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.
3. tech-noir

   6

   Uplink is a very interesting game that fills a much needed gap in genres. Hacking simulation games are rare, and this one fulfills that need beautifully. You are placed in front of a terminal from the very beginning. The tutorial helps you get started without any problems, and once you complete your first few missions, you will understand how to use the basics. The music gets a little repetitive after many hours of play, but does not become a distraction or an annoyance. If you prefer, you can turn it off in the settings. The complexity of Uplink comes from the various missions as well as the many hardware and software changes and upgrades you are allowed to make. Some of the early missions can be a bit confusing, but after a few tries you realize what you did wrong, and will be able to complete them without any problems. The setting of the game is somewhat futuristic but manages to keep facts into perspective as well as keeping all aspects of the game realistic for such a simulation. There is much reading to be done in the form of bulletin boards, viewing items, and reading mission details. Making the video resolution too high will make the fonts too small to read, which makes things tough for the eyes. As the difficulty of the missions ramp up, you are basically left on your own to figure out how the game works, and what you need in order to be able to attempt missions. This can be frustrating and can possibly leave the player feeling almost completely lost. It is often very difficult to understand what tools one needs for the various jobs you have access to, or how to go about correcting some of your mistakes. I suppose Uplink is keeping its simulation genre up to standard, as a real life hacker would probably go through the same hurdles and difficulties for learning about such activities, which can certainly take much time and many errors to master. Getting caught, losing everything, and being forced to end your career early as a hacker is heartbreaking, and gives the impression that you are playing a roguelike. Getting help from a FAQ or guide is almost a requirement. As you complete the missions, you rarely feel safe. It almost feels like at any time, you will get caught and have to restart the game with a brand new character again. The more advanced missions are so complicated, involved in minute details, and difficult to complete, that I don't think there is any way to go about them by trial and error. Once again, a FAQ or guide is an absolute necessity. Worse yet, if you make a ridiculously small mistake in the very first part of the story mission, you will have to start over from the very beginning if you want to do more than the non crucial missions and proceed through the storyline. The player is not allowed to save and reload games at all. Starting from the beginning multiple times because of small mistakes means that you will be throwing away dozens of hours until you get it right even once. This problem of having to restart the game from the very beginning, in conjunction with the lack of variety in the missions makes for somewhat of a disappointment. Even then, Uplink can be enjoyed in short bursts, and is a good choice to go back to every now and then, by keeping it installed for the long run. It is also valid to mention that for its age, Uplink has accomplished plenty. It is a complex and complicated hacking simulation to be enjoyed by those who are patient and don't mind a steep learning curve.… Expand

   • Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.
4. suneater

   3

   A retro-futuristic hacker sim that flops on execution. After your intro to the interface and basic gameplay mechanics it looks like a promising game, with many different upgrades and ways to hack into systems. However the learning curve is strong and requires a lot of repetition to learn the proper paths and ways through systems. Compounding on this issue is the permadeath; if you are caught, it's game over with no save reloading. In some games this would be welcomed but here it's very frustrating because it's so easy to forget to cover your tracks 20 different ways and one slip up is a quick trip to the game over screen. This is definitely a unique game with some exciting concepts but I don't feel compelled to go back to it anytime soon.… Expand

   • Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.

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