If you like 'hacking' Facebook profiles...
Uplink is a very unique game. Even up until today, there hasn’t been a game this similar to Uplink, and it has been over ten years…
It’s hard to classify this game. In a sense, it’s a game where you take on the role as a hacker, using programs to crack passwords, your wits to fool authorities into framing someone, and covering your tracks to ensure you don’t get caught for your crimes. You act as an agent of a company called Uplink, which manages its ranks of freelance hackers by providing a central location where you can find jobs, buy programs and read the news about successful infiltrations, arrests and it also serves as a place for you to get a glimpse of the storyline.
The game is a true one of a kind, but it has a moderate learning curve and a really unforgiving ‘game over’ mechanism, you’d be glad you played this game. In this game, you only get one shot. There is no official way of saving the game, so if you were slow in covering your tracks before the Feds come after you, it’s a hard-hitting game over where the only way back into the game is to start all over again. The makers of this game probably were trying to inject some realism into the game… or maybe it’s because the game was created in 2001 when games were tougher.
Missions are varied, and you get more challenging ones as you climb up the ranks
The progression of the game is simple. You start out with a pretty lousy machine capable of doing things at a snail’s pace. With the 3000 credits you start with, you must buy the basic tools such as a password breaker. This allows you to take up beginner missions which require you to hack into a system and delete or copy a file.
As you progress, you will be up against higher security computers, such as government computers or banks. Hacking a government computer will allow you to change someone’s education credentials, or authorize his arrest. Yes, there are no females in this game. Similarly, if you hack a bank, you can view someone’s balance, max out their credit limit, and (riskily) transfer their balance to your bank account. Mid-level missions usually require you to do something of this sort, although at this level, there are proxies and firewalls to counter against, which require you to buy programs to counter it.
But the chief characteristic of how Uplink makes itself extremely exciting is in the fact that everything you do seems like brinkmanship. One of the most basic programs is called a Trace Tracker, and what it does is it tells you how far you are to being caught. As the server you’ve hacked into traces your footsteps backwards, the Trace Tracker tells you how much time you have left in the worst way possible – beeping like a bomb. In high security computers, you might get traced really quickly, and the constant sound of BEEP BEEP BEEP will definitely put you on your toes.
Uplink runs excellent on a netbook. It runs great, is extremely addictive, and has few problems. The best way to get an optimal experience is to ensure you patch it to the latest version once you install it. Version 1.00 only allows you to play at 640×480, but once you upgrade it, you can play the game at a resolution compatible with a widescreen display, and it also smooths out any bugs.
The graphics are simple, the soundtrack is excellent and the game is extremely addictive. Try it!
Digital footprints... must be destroyed!
Tweak: How to Save Game
The game doesn’t come with a simple ‘save game’ button, so you need to do it manually. In order to save your game, you’ll have to head to your installation directory, and copy the contents of the users folder to somewhere off-site. Remember to always go into the main menu by clicking the ‘X’ button in the top left hand corner while in-game before you attempt to copy the files.
Like
The thrill of being a hacker with the ability to change things
Wonderful soundtrack
Plays excellent on a netbook
Dislike
Some bugs
Extremely unforgiving!
Verdict
Three days, three nights. Prepare pizza delivery numbers.
Gameplay: Keeps you planted at the edge of your seat for hours.
Graphics: Not fancy but functional.
Work needed to get game to play: Get it patched ASAP.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
“centralised location” worst idea for hackers ever.