Hacker Simulator
The game is fine. There are a lot of features I was expecting that are simply missing. Tab completion in the terminal is missing. A place to sell accounts a “darknet” if you will. Finding bank accounts to steal money from. Currently the only way to make money is to do contracts.
These don’t pay much and feel grindy. You will quickly get bored because there is not enough variation in mission types. Making money takes a while most missions (in the first 10 hours at least) pay out 10 “shellcoins” which are bitcoins in the universe. The more “advanced” missions require you to compile a custom exploit which costs money (you can’t sell this exploit to the darknet). You need to buy 3 different files which will cost you ~12 shellcoins and you’ll end up making maybe 15 coins from the mission.
– Real player with 30.2 hrs in game
Read More: Best Hacking Singleplayer Games.
First, I like this game. It fun. BUT devs listen… it’s slow and grindy. I hear there are cool things in the late game. I want to get there, but right now, I’m bored.
Next, just an observation about most simulator games, this one included, what do I do with all this money? I beg of you, give me something to do with this money! Can I buy a new apartment? Decorate this one? Leave my house, like… ever? Go shopping? If there is nothing to do with the money, except make more money, then the game will quickly die in our libraries. Having money is only fun if you can spend it. Otherwise, it’s just pretty paper.
– Real player with 11.3 hrs in game
SIMULACRA 2
Ease into your chair and prepare yourself for this continuation of the SIMULACRA universe. In this iteration, you will have new advanced tools and a mosaic of widely branching narratives spread across 2 characters that are continually altered by your choices. You will have the choice of playing as a junior detective or a reporter who is recruited by a special department at police headquarters. With only one piece of evidence, you must find the truth of how a young woman & interweb influencer ends up dead on a case that is already closed. Lives and livelihoods are on the line, there is no room for mistakes.
– Real player with 11.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best Hacking Horror Games.
Let me be clear, I really liked the first game. I think it did most things right and while I wasn’t a fan of the jumpscares and it definitely looked like an indie game production wise.
This game is a perfect example of how sometimes, less is more.
Let me start with my biggest pet peeve of this game, and that’s the extreme slowness of it all. The entire plot is not that long, I actually think it might be around the same length as the first game, but it is padded out by how extremely slow it all is. Be it conversations or the extreme amount of stuff you need to click through and scan gets annoying on the second playthrough, if not first.
– Real player with 10.5 hrs in game
Scrutinized
If you are a fan of horror, Papers, Please, Welcome to the Game and challenging games then this is right up your alley.
Like other games released from the Developer, this one too features heavy jump scares that work and a real sense of stress.
This game is all about learning. In order to get better at the game, you need to keep playing it and really get multitasking down. Don’t expect to play it once and just breeze through it. I always see a lot of negative reviews toward these types of games without even learning 1/10 of what’s needed to complete it. Just be persistent, patient, and things will get easier.
– Real player with 48.8 hrs in game
Read More: Best Hacking Horror Games.
Warning! Spoilers and huge paragraphs ahead!
Scrutinized is a game where you play as a criminal analyst named Luna Youngman who files reports in search for the person who killed her cousin. Doesn’t sound too complicated, does it? Wrong. You also have two people named Tanner and Dmitri trying to kidnap you. You have to file a certain amount of cases a day to win the night, if you file too many wrong, you lose. If you get kidnapped or killed by either of the men trying to break into your house, you lose. If you don’t lock your windows before you go to bed, you lose. If you don’t check the cameras every 10-15 seconds, you lose. If you don’t check your entire house every 30 seconds, you lose. IIIIt’s a lot. As interesting as this game’s concept is, I just can’t bring myself to like it. I’ve made a total 3 episodes on Scrutinized at this point, and I understand how the game functions more or less. You lock your windows, you check the cameras, file or shred a report, check the cameras again, check the house, check the cameras, file a report and so on. It’s a constant stress that envelops in this game that is only resolved by beating the night, but not even then, if you don’t check your house the kidnapper will kill you in your sleep. And on occasions on the hardest difficulty you have a chance of just dying instantly. The developer has released multiple patches to try and fix this bug, but nothing seems to work. I have seen many, many, many clips on people just dying at the start of nights. Now I haven’t even touched the hardest difficulty because I honestly have no interest to. The ending is the exact same as the normal ending, and dying randomly doesn’t sound very fun to me.
– Real player with 29.1 hrs in game
Greyhat - A Digital Detective Adventure
This game ties if not usurps The Return of the Obra Dinn as my favorite game of all time. I’ve played hundreds of games on Steam and PS4, nearly all of them critical darlings, of all genres and scopes. Alphabetically in my library, it sits between Gorogoa and Guacamelee, and after this, Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 is next in my queue.
While not trying to spoil anything, I recommend this game to pretty much anybody without reservation, worth every penny of its asking price - but most especially those that actively seek out games of this genre like Obra Dinn and to a lesser extent like Unheard that tickle the brain a little they way a detective or point-and-click adventure game might. Hell even if you like the Ace Attorney series of games, there’s something in here for you too. Far from perfect and I have my critiques, but to be honest my library is full of these faux hacker puzzle/detective games but none are as creative, polished, or fleshed-out or quite frankly as affecting as Greyhat. The “a-ha” moments here are the most rewarding and feel most earned here and for example chatting and “tunneling” elements are two examples of how the devs going out of their way to nail the feeling of being a clandestine keyboard warrior furiously typing messages or lines of code. Were I to say more I’d worry about revealing spoilers.
– Real player with 25.5 hrs in game
My playtime: 19.2h (based on steam, 100% achievement)
Grindy Achievement(s): No.
Optional Achievement(s): Yes (5 achievements).
Difficult Achievement(s): No.
Intro
Greyhat - A Digital Detective Adventure is a game where you have to find clues and solve minigames. The game has ~19 levels in total.
Pros:
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~19 levels
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Minigames
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Hints
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Some levels have different solutions when you replay it
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Collectibles
Cons:
- You need to manually type some clues to your notes
– Real player with 19.2 hrs in game
Keyword: A Spider’s Thread
Best detective/difficult puzzle solving game of 2021, hands down.
Average playtime for Normal Ending is 3-7 hours depending on how fast you will catch up with the main mechanics of solving puzzles in this game.
Game features a big plot reveal near the end which gamers generally call getting “mind-blown” similarly like in Zero Escape, Danganronpa, AI: Somnium Files, Phoenix Wright games. During playthrough, expect to get some chills down your spine as it won’t be a happy story that’s for sure.
Needless to say, I am also impressed by high quality textures around the main gameplay area (that’s basically going to be your entire playground) and when you zoom in around literally in most corners of your vision in the city. You can peep anywhere and visuals aren’t compromised.
– Real player with 11.7 hrs in game
Good story with mystery, suspense, exploration and light hacking; it has some fresh features but don’t expect anything groundbreaking. You are in your house for the majority of the game (about 3 hours, don’t mind my play time it was because of a bug) and most of that time is spent on your computer, so reconsider if you don’t enjoy games that take place in a single setting. My review is more neutral than a positive, mainly due to the bugs that affected the gameplay it oftentimes felt like I was playing an unpolished game in early access. I’d recommend this game on the terms of waiting for the bugs to get fixed and a good sale.
– Real player with 7.6 hrs in game
Operation: Tango - Friend Pass
Look, was it fun? Yes. My friend and I played the entire story on both roles. So, my hours reflect two completed campaign runs, 100%ing the game besides for achievements. Nevertheless, my friend, who was the one who bought the game, was very disappointed by how few missions there were. He felt that he didn’t get his money’s worth out of the game. If you and your friend are willing to have a short lived experience, then go ahead and get the game. However, if you are expecting a little more meat and potatoes than a campaign that can be completed in 2 to 3 hours, look for another game.
– Real player with 5.7 hrs in game
“We were here” mixed with “Keep talking and nobody explodes' ‘. I thoroughly hope that this game will show the world that asymmetric coop games are one of the best multiplayer experiences you can have.Both sides have their own view of the world, and have different tasks, but can only complete them when working together and communicating with each other.
It only takes about 3 hours to complete, but it contains some story time, and a lot of condensed gameplay.
The world is neatly built and the way forward is clear as long as you communicate with your teammate.
– Real player with 5.5 hrs in game
Hacknet
shell
! 74.125.23.121
shell
! 216.239.32.181
shell
! 210.81.156.7
shell
! 206.44.131.159
connect
! 226.187.99.3
Scanning for
! 226.187.99.3 ……………………………..
Connection Established ::
Connected to
! EnTech_Offline_Cycle_Backup
! (Actually the credits server lol)
! 226.187.99.3@ probe
Probing
! 226.187.99.3 ………………………………
– Real player with 38.0 hrs in game
While this game is being sold as a “hacking simulator”, a debate will likely rage about what exactly it simulates. In either case, it comes suspiciously close to being a realistic simulation of hacking. So close, in fact, I’m left wondering why the dev didn’t go the extra yards to make it inarguably so (maybe something he can shoot for in the future). Realism nit-picking aside, this game is full of very realistic nods to hacker and IRC culture, and in broad strokes, represents some of what goes on in actual exploits. While the experience of compromising systems is streamlined for the sake of keeping it an actual game (again, is it a puzzle game or a simulator?), in that “push a button, get bacon” sort of way you see in “hacker” movies, there was still much in the game that reminded me of taking the OSCP (for those who know my pain, you will find much in each mission to make you smile in that corpse-like rictus you had while laughing at emails and files during enumeration pratice in the Offsec lab).
– Real player with 28.4 hrs in game
Escape Planet 17
In Escape Planet 17, you are under the skin of Natan, a detective from the Narcotics Department. While investigating a new drug circulating on the streets, Nathan sees his partner being killed and both are framed for involvement in trafficking among others crimes. Nathan is unjustly accused, convicted, sent to a prison planet and removed from his family. During his stay on planet 17, Nathan devises a plan to escape, but a series of macabre crimes initiates a security protocol and prevents his plans. Get involved in an obscure plot involving violent gangs, synthetic drugs and a symbiotic experiment company. Giving up is not an option, escaping the planet is your mission, even if you have to get your hands dirty with blood.
Well-established platform game mechanics, with adjusted controls.
Skills such as double jump, dash, wall jumping among others.
Unique system of interaction with characters: Choose between bribing, influencing or threatening characters.
Use shields, vests, and bandaids to protect yourself and recover your life.
Unique system to equip weapons and multidirectional aiming.
An Interactive Inventory system with the ability to save, load, drop and other options to manage several items.
A game with fluid narrative and a great and unique History.
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Draw and Handle Weapons:
The game has a unique weapon draw weapon system, inspired by the classic megadrive game Flashback - The Quest for Identity.
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Hacking:
You have the ability to hack some terminals to activate doors, elevators, manage your Notoriety and more.
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Fighting Skills:
Use your close combat skills to fight enemies, very usefull when your weapon is out of ammo.
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And much more;
Observer: System Redux
Observer Systemn Redux (2020) is a refurbished version of Observer (2017) both developed by a polish development company named Bloober https://www.blooberteam.com/about-us . This walking horror simulator is based during a cyberpunk era, 2084, when a deadly disease known as ‘Nanophage’ has already become rampant in the past and manifested itself among the slum C district of Krakow Poland. Due to a nuclear holocaust from both east and west, a mega corporation known as Chiron was able to usurp control by segregating the nation from the rest of the world (the great wall) and forming the 5th Polish Republic, further divided into three classes. A-district upper class, B-District working class and C District – slums.
– Real player with 29.9 hrs in game
More reviews on our Curator Page
Anyone that has been into gaming for the past few years clearly knows Observer. As a fantastic dystopian thrilling adventure, the game left us all impressed by its story and aesthetics. There was however, a lot which was left behind, and in that regard Observer: System Redux fulfills every aspect, including in the technical department.
But let’s not get ourselves in the optimization just yet, because first I want to assure everyone that no story-related detail was altered or manipulated. System Redux remasters what was already present. This is obviously good, as the story itself was already top-tier, revealing a world where augmented electronics embed in the human body created an easier but also tougher verdict for citizens.
– Real player with 23.9 hrs in game
Operation: Tango
Operation: Tango is an asymmetrical co-op game (similar to a game like We Were Here) where one player plays as an agent and the other as a hacker, and you must communicate with each other to progress through the game. I generally found the missions to be interesting and challenging, with parts of one or two missions being a bit unclear what you were supposed to do (even after having completed it as both the agent and hacker!). There are 6 missions and 10 challenges, with the missions taking about 6-7 hours to complete, and the challenges taking 3-4 hours to complete at the highest level. The game’s overall aesthetic and UI is nice, and I enjoyed the music.
– Real player with 10.1 hrs in game
Goods about the game:
Hella fun if you like cooperative play
Big teamwork, make sure you get a good gaming buddy
Bads about the game:
Not really a lot to play
– Real player with 8.6 hrs in game