Uplink: Hacker Elite

"A game that will let you do all the illegal stuff you want without the threat of getting caught."

UpLink is game from a very small British developer/publisher named Introversion. The whole game revolves around the world of hacking. This game is great for people who want to do devious things online with zero risk of being caught. It is also great for any gamer who is just looking for a challenge. One of things I like most about this game is that it doesn't require a high end PC to run on. You don't need a super fast processor and truckload of ram to play the game. Another big plus for this title is its low price. It is only $25 as opposed to other new titles where you pay twice and much and get half of the enjoyment you will out of this game.

The game pits you, a rookie to the hacker scene, as a brand new agent for the freelance hacker corporation aptly named UpLink in the year 2010. You start off with a low end PC (by game world standards) and a $3000 debt. From there you can upgrade your gateway, hardware, and hacker software if you have the money. The way to get money is to search the UpLink BBS for work. At first you can only view and accept a few jobs for little money, but as you complete more jobs the higher your rank becomes and higher class jobs you can take with more money. About a month into the game is when the storyline starts up, and you can either be an active participant or a bystander. The choice is yours.

The graphics seem to fit the whole atmosphere of the game. Black background with blue buttons. The icons are complex enough to keep your attention, but not over the top. There is one problem with user interface. The mouse arrow tends to flicker even when you have the ''use software mouse'' option on.

The game has a few bugs, but those few bugs are big ones. The game tends to crash randomly for no reason. Sometimes the story won’t advance even if you have completed all required fields causing you to start over from scratch. These bugs should be fixed in a future patch, but it will take time since Introversion is made up only 4 people.

The music and sound effects are great. Dialing up sounds real enough to make you think it really is connecting to the Internet. The few voices in game are crystal clear. The music is a little strange for my taste, but as with the graphics it fits the atmosphere of the game.

All in all UpLink is a very enjoyable game. I highly recommend it anyone who likes playing on the PC. Everyone should at least try out the demo. And if you do try out the demo and like it, then $25 is definitely worth it to buy the full game. But if you do want the full game, you can only get it through their web site.

If Introversion gets a new patch out soon then add a point to my score.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/13/02, Updated 02/13/02