Uplink

Uplink is a hacking simulation game with hacker movie aesthetics.

In Uplink, you take the role of a mostly-unnamed hacker whose identity is hidden behind a computer screen. At best, you can get the impressions that other characters have of you, and reply to emails to continue what are mostly one-sided conversations with cryptic and overbearing employers – but at the end of the day, your in-game identity is threadbare. Because you, the player, are performing (fictional) hacking and typing away at a computer screen!

This immersive conceit aside, the game does quite a good job of keeping its atmosphere going. From your first hacks to the slow-burning climax of the game, it is at once slow-paced and hectic, with infinite time to make your employment decisions but very little time to cover your tracks and finish hacks. The game's tiny-fonted whites on cool blues remind one of what a 2030 computer program might look like, and its themes amount to those of cold, hard airplane-thriller spy films.

The basic gameplay has you typing commands, deleting or retrieving files, and interacting with both online servers and email correspondents. This may not sound exciting, but it is essential to maintain the game's atmosphere, and truth be told, this reviewer found it quite exciting when they were on the verge of bungling a hack and being arrested – an act that shuts off your in-game computer screen in an instant!

Overall, Uplink is an impressive game today, and an even more impressive game considering when it was released. It might be considered the premiere hacking simulator out there, and if you're in the mood for a hacking simulation game even slightly like Uplink, it won't leave you wanting!

Pros

• Interesting, player-driven storyline
• Highly immersive, simply by nature
• Multiple endings

Cons

• Late-game gameplay can become repetitive
• Unlocking new commands/abilities is very linear