Uplink: Hacker Elite

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 132 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 102 out of 132
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 132
  3. Negative: 13 out of 132
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  1. tech-noir
    Jan 25, 2012
    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 littleUplink 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
  2. suneater
    Jan 3, 2013
    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 areA 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
  3. ChristopherP.
    May 11, 2008
    4
    This game carries an innovative and exciting concept, but the execution is grossly off. Most guilty is the interface: there are quite a few strange quirks in entering information, for instance, requiring the mouse cursor to constantly be within the field you're entering information in, or it will be deselected. You'll spend most of the game entering information, so this bizarre This game carries an innovative and exciting concept, but the execution is grossly off. Most guilty is the interface: there are quite a few strange quirks in entering information, for instance, requiring the mouse cursor to constantly be within the field you're entering information in, or it will be deselected. You'll spend most of the game entering information, so this bizarre interface error gets annoying very fast. At resolutions above 640x480 the text and buttons are uncomfortably small, barring the player from playing at more attractive high resolutions. Then comes the basic gameplay, which sounds exciting at first due to the entertaining concept, but in practice is tedious and pointless. You'll start by simply hacking passwords and performing basic tasks like copying and deleting information. As you "rank up", you'll get access to more advanced missions e. g. editing profiles and databases. Starting with cracking passwords is horribly dreary; rather than actually using thought to find the password yourself, you use a tool and select the password field, and the crack will eventually find the password. No, it's not fun. Hacking and editing databases can be fun for a while; going through lists of information and creating queries to find a specific entry and altering it somehow while you have the threat of being traced is modestly fun. The huge problem is, however, is that tasks like these encompass almost the entire game, and there is a very thin list of tasks to accomplish. You'll be tediously working through mission after identical mission to earn the right to partake in large-scale scenarios with a goal that takes some skill and thought to reach. These are the only worthwhile reasons to play the game, with your requiring advanced tools such as voice recorders, decoders and IP apps. Unfortunately, it takes an excessive time commitment to reach these scenarios. In the meantime you'll be clicking dozens of password fields and altering information ad nauseam. Other quibbles include an unnecessary "upgrade" system that forces the player to buy expensive new equipment before being able to perform another mission with or without the rank required also hurt the experience. Also, when you're "caught", it's game over and your save file is deleted, which I assume is to increase the intensity and fear of being caught. This can be worked around by just copying it from the save folder when you want to, but for a game that offers so little reward for so much monotonous work, it's cruel to force the player to work through the multitude of horrendously boring introductory missions again because of a single mistake. Also well worth noting is the method of covering your tracks by deleting IP logs, and this design choice doesn't seem to show any purpose. After every mission or attempted mission there will be logs where you were. These logs have to be deleted to prevent you from being traced. What this means is you'll be revisiting certain places both yours and foreign solely to click your log deleter then a log in a list, often with a dozen or more individual logs, and you'll have to do this very frequently. A game focused on a fictional portrayal of hacking is a terrifically exciting concept, but because this game suffers from a frustrating interface, poor pacing, lack of variety, and poor design choices, the concept's potential is unfulfilled. Not recommended, even to indie game fans.… Expand
  4. BobbyP.
    Dec 22, 2007
    10
    While this game is certainly a bit older, it still has great appeal. The simplistic graphics make it the perfect laptop game for those boring moments between college classes, and I can still hop on at home, and play for hours on end, trying to milk bank accounts and topple mega corporations. It's highly addicting, and I love it!
  5. lukemacu
    Aug 22, 2013
    9
    Simply amazing. It's rare to see a game based off being a hacker that pulls it off well but Uplink is one of them. From call bouncing to sabotages uplink will keep you immersed for a very long time. Even if you only want to play one mission you'll be four or five down the road before you remember why you needed to stop.
  6. DanielW.
    May 21, 2008
    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.
  7. Bruno
    Oct 22, 2007
    0
    Are you guys serious? This is one of the most boring games ive ever played. I mean it's worth $10 as if that hint isn't obvious it's extremely non-interactive boring and repetitive.
  8. VentXekart
    Aug 8, 2011
    10
    Introversion Software's games are not to be underestimated, Uplink is a good example. This game can be replayable with different missions, tools, and locations each time you start a new game. Try this game out, you won't regret it.
  9. KF
    Sep 25, 2006
    10
    I love this game.
  10. GrzegorzS.
    Sep 8, 2006
    10
    This is a super game! Really the best hacking simulation that I've played.
  11. CraigC.
    Apr 8, 2008
    9
    Although Uplink doesn't have amazing graphics, it has tremendous gameplay offering immersion, tension and fast thinking. Really gets the adrenaline flowing.
  12. EricW.
    Oct 6, 2006
    10
    An older game that has finally seen the publicity that it deserves. I first played uplink when it had just come out and I am still playing it to this day. I just love the fact that you can go so far beyond the "hacking" by buying and building new computer systems. If you like the way suspense feels, then this game is for you.
  13. gravytrain
    Dec 4, 2007
    10
    With all the FPS garbage out there....this is a breath of fresh air, especially for anyone that's a little on the older side of the gaming scene.
  14. MarkP.
    Jan 20, 2008
    10
    Uplink is the most unique and satisfying game I have played in a long time. Something new and refreshing that I have not seen in MMO's, RPGs, FPS games and the rest. This game will remain fun for years to come. I can see a lot of potential if this was to be made into a MMO.
  15. RyanE.
    Apr 24, 2008
    8
    It's always fun to (pretend to) break the law. It misses the 'oh shit, the CIA is after me' factor of hacking, but that can't really be emulated. fun while it lasts.
  16. EdTheRabbit
    Aug 2, 2008
    9
    Don't play this in your office - they don't like it when you tell them you're trashing a rival's mainframe - truly brilliant, a gameplay over SFX formula that we should see more often.
  17. JimF.
    Jul 25, 2009
    8
    Though the gameplay eventually becomes somewhat repetitive, and the story arc begins too late in the game, this game is most definitely, and by far, the best 'hacking" game out there.
  18. YukonD.
    Jan 26, 2010
    10
    One of the Best games i have ever played. It is Gripping and suspenseful. Those Last moments where the tracer timer is ticking, your trying to change someone's criminal records really count. Every time is a new experience, and the game never gets old. Those last few seconds, where your heart is pounding, your mind is racing, you know you have to get out or your going to be caught are One of the Best games i have ever played. It is Gripping and suspenseful. Those Last moments where the tracer timer is ticking, your trying to change someone's criminal records really count. Every time is a new experience, and the game never gets old. Those last few seconds, where your heart is pounding, your mind is racing, you know you have to get out or your going to be caught are the best moments in the game. Thrilling and one of a kind. As PC Gamer said, this game is truely a stroke of genious. Introversion Software have truely outdone themselves with a game equally entertaining, if not more, than the award winning game Darwinia. I haven't even got to the end, this game is as long as it is suspenseful. Buy it, it was definitely worth it. P.S. If you want to save, go into the Uplink folder, users, and copy the (Insert Name here).usr and .tmp files to a backup folder. It probably wasn't intended to be done that way, but you can save. This game is, by far, one of the best games in the world.… Expand
  19. AcidIce
    Nov 8, 2002
    10
    SUPERB GAME!!! i have spent ouhers completing the dome again and again its really cool even tho theres not much grafic in it. ONE TO BUY!!!
  20. DanM.
    Dec 1, 2006
    10
    Just incredible such a simple game but so fun and addicting.
  21. BillW.
    Dec 7, 2006
    10
    Challenging and addicting game. Very nicely done and original compared to the plethora of FPS/RTS/Sports games that come out anymore.
  22. ThomasF.
    Apr 8, 2007
    10
    I was a bit disappointed from the demo (I didn't get it really what and how to do) but I bought it and I adore it... It does collect the flair of the hacker movies and it gives you the feeling to be a big part in the hacker scene.
  23. AlexM.
    Jul 30, 2007
    10
    An amazing game, it has a theme and a goal, accomplishes them, and stops before getting bogged down. More games should follow this example of focusing on game play, without getting hung on graphics.
  24. HarveyB.
    Jan 23, 2008
    10
    A fantastic game - in-depth plot, great gameplay and a lot of scope for replaying the game. Add to that the sheer inventiveness of the title, and the support features offered by the dev. team and you've got a brilliant game!
  25. CharlesC.
    Mar 26, 2008
    9
    It takes a while to really "get it" but once you do its quite engrossing. You are always on the verge of losing, something a lot of games don't do much anymore. Fear of starting over from the beginning encourages you to step careful and thus the atmosphere of the setting is created.
  26. LouB.
    Aug 24, 2006
    10
    Excellent, so simple, and yet so captivating. I wish all games were this original. I love it.
  27. JeremyM.
    Feb 21, 2007
    10
    A thinking game full of adrenaline moments. It is an older game, but the play value isn't based on graphics. This game is solid, addictive, and will have you singing its praises in no time flat.
  28. MikeM.
    Mar 11, 2008
    9
    There's something eerily intoxicating about the atmosphere of a cyberpunk game - connected to the world, but isolated and alone in your own, little way. Uplink disguises itself as a real 'hacker interface', its simplicity drawing you in and its Deus Ex-like charm keeping you glued to its hazy, frightening premise.
  29. KronTheMad
    May 16, 2009
    8
    This is a great game but I question the need for the repackaging... yes thats right this is a seriously old game, giving it a new UI and bundling it on steam seems to be all it took to get noticed. I first played it in '98. ....wonder if I can still make my own boards?
  30. JonesR
    Feb 17, 2011
    7
    This hollywood style hacking game is a must play for those that have a curiosity for computer espionage. Yes, it is quite an old game that has been around long before its release on Steam and the graphics are just plain non-existant, but the Linux command line interface brings old school hacking to the comfort of your home, without the adverse affects. Once you figure out how to do most ofThis hollywood style hacking game is a must play for those that have a curiosity for computer espionage. Yes, it is quite an old game that has been around long before its release on Steam and the graphics are just plain non-existant, but the Linux command line interface brings old school hacking to the comfort of your home, without the adverse affects. Once you figure out how to do most of the missions, the fun factor wears down pretty quickly, but figuring out everything on your own is not as easy as you might think. It's highly addicting for the first several hours.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

74
#74 Best PC Game of 2001
10
#10 Most Discussed PC Game of 2001
58
#58 Most Shared PC Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. GameZone
    70
    While a very nice and original concept, Uplink will only appeal to a select few.
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  2. Armchair Empire
    77
    A fairly satisfying gaming experience... that goes for deeper strategy – actual gameplay! – rather than a flashy package.
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  3. Gamers' Temple
    70
    A unique game that is definitely worth a look by anyone looking for a gaming change of pace. Its long term appeal is questionable, though.
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