Hacknet (2015)

In terms of mechanics, Hacknet is a very straightforward game. You have certain tools at your disposal, and you have to combine them in multiple ways to break through the defenses of a system - any system. Once you do that, you'll typically have an objective to complete - maybe on the same system, maybe on a different, but connected system.

Where Hacknet excels is its ability to go beyond these mechanics. For each contract that you accept, you have to implicitly make a moral choice. Although this point is raised at different points in the game, the game is never preachy about it. The standout mission for me was Project Junebug, which brings up a moral conundrum: if you could use your hacking skills to take someone's life, would you be willing to do it?

The Labyrinths DLC takes all these aspects of the game even further. More tools are introduced, missions get a lot harder, and yes, so do the moral implications. It really builds upon the platform offered by the base game to provide a much more interesting experience.

I had a few minor frustrations with the base game, but the Labyrinths DLC compensated well enough for that. Hacknet gets a 5/5 from me for a thoroughly engrossing experience.

I have a confession.

I like goofy fake hacking scenes in movies.

I know it's not indicative of "actual" hacking, and as a programmer I should probably be a little miffed at how unrealistic they make the whole thing seem. But I don't care! I love it anyway.

Hacknet promised to give me that kind of feeling, and like Uplink before it, it kinda did. It's a puzzle game where your tools are 'hacking programs' and your problems relate to breaking into computers and grabbing info, deleting info, or causing chaos.

It works well, and it reveals just how satisfying it is to solve software problems, even when it's heavily abstracted and simplified.

But my biggest problem with Hacknet is that it never really takes that next step into something greater than a simplified hacking game. Toward the end of the game there's a distinct feeling of "That was it?"

Want to hack an SSH port? Then use SSHportHack.exe. Want to hack an FTP port? Then use FTPportHack.exe. The entire game is like this. For each problem or situation there's almost always exactly one answer, and there are few opportunities to feel clever.

In some ways the game actually feels unfinished. Many computers you hack into contain generically named folders that are either empty or have snippets of IRC conversations from Bash.org. The game is set in modern times, yet your computer only has ~800mb of RAM and you can never upgrade it. The UI for selecting systems to hack into is an absolute nightmare.

There are even mechanics that don't seem to actually...exist? For example, a big deal is made about deleting your logs and leaving no trace behind - a classic hacking trope - yet I never once saw any consequences for forgetting to do so. I eventually just stopped clearing logs and it never was a problem

As I said, I like Hackers-style hacking. It's fun and goofy and still scratches the same itch as actual hacking. Hacknet gets close, but its far too shallow and misses the mark.

I work in computer security, so when I saw this game I was intrigued and wanted to pick it up. I mean, no one thinks that a game is going to be like actual hacking - but I enjoyed how the game explains it to you that you're using an experimental 'hacking OS'. Nice touch. =)

The interface is fun, with just enough common tools to make you familiar with how the game works, although some *nix power users might be frustrated at typing out common commands that have different syntax in the game. =)

Some of the stuff gets repetitive after awhile, but I don't hold that too against the game since it is not a title-a game with 45 millions dollar budget behind it.

The potential for the game was great. I do wish some of the features, such as hostile hackers, or log tracing back to you was implemented in the game, but it wasn't a bad showing.

Oh and the soundtrack was amazing.