Developed by Piece of Cake Studios, Hacktag is a frenetically paced stealth game that combines a great concept with excellent visuals. Meant to be played as a two-player co-op, Hacktag distinguishes itself by providing a unique, asymmetric twist on the usual stealth game formula. Hacktag is further enhanced by the opportunities it gives players to customize characters and unlock different abilities that will prove salutary during the missions that comprise the game’s actual gameplay. Hacktag is fast, furious, and fun, and is definitely a game worth picking up.
Contextualizing the missions that players engage in while playing Hacktag is a plot in a parallel world in which certain corporations have accumulated much power. Players serve as mercenaries that collect information on these corporations that can be used in the struggle to initiate their downfall. While the plot does not get much more in depth, it gives a sense that each mission is important and not discrete.
In terms of the actual gameplay, players can serve as either hackers or stealth agents. Stealth agents work their ways through corporate buildings while hackers virtually infiltrate the same levels. Stealth agents and hackers deal with different obstacles, but need to work together to work toward their mutual objective.
Stealth agents need to evade roving security guards and cameras stationed throughout the levels. They try to hack and collect information from the numerous computer terminals guarded by these obstacles, ultimately needing to work with their hacker teammate to remain undetected. Gamers playing as stealth agents work in a lush world filled with detail, of which they receive an isometric 3D view.
Hackers work in a world of holographs. Completely invisible to guards, hackers have limited mobility in that they can only move through networks. They can use their skills to, for example, open doors in the physical world. However, despite being only present virtually, hackers have their own barriers to overcome. The corporations being infiltrated leave protections in their networks that can detect and catch hackers.
Hacktag works best when stealth agents and hackers maintain clear communications and help each other progress past obstacles that would otherwise seem insurmountable. For instance, stealth agents can disable for a brief period of time the protections that track hackers in the virtual world. Conversely, hackers can influence the physical world the stealth agent inhabits by distracting guards. They can case phones to ring and utilize several other mechanisms that enable the stealth agents to sneak past their hurdles.
In order to accomplish their aims, stealth agents and hackers need to complete a variety of minigames. Players will test their reflexes by, if playing on PC, needing to hit certain computer keys in a limited amount of time. Some minigames require the stealth agent and the hacker to be at the same location in their disparate worlds to cut a rope or find the same password. These minigames contribute refreshing elements to the core stealth mechanics of Hacktag.
Players can play Hacktag online, over local LAN, or single player. The fast-paced gameplay remains unaltered no matter which mode players engage in. However, while playing single player mode, players need to control both the stealth agent and the hacker. This wrinkle ramps up the difficulty level this mode inherently possesses.
The character customization and skills available to players as they invest more time in Hacktag also add to the overall experience. Players play as anthropomorphized male or female animals such as deer, cats, and rabbits. They can further customize their characters by unlocking clothing options. The skills and perks that can be unlocked include setting bombs for guards.
Hacktag manages to get a lot right. It implements a great concept that requires two players to work in tandem to achieve their goals. Despite controls that can prove clunky at times, Hacktag deserves a rating of 8/10.
Rating: 8/10
Take a Look at the Hacktag Steam Launch Trailer:
Hacktag is available for PC and Mac via Steam for $19.99.
I'm a recent graduate of Columbia University. Gaming has been a passion of mine my entire life; I enjoy everything from RPGs and FPSs to stealth and narrative-driven games. I love the deeply immersive quality that good video games inherently possess, and am looking forward to highlighting games worthy of acclaim. When I'm not studying or reading, you can catch me playing games like Uncharted, Dishonored, The Witcher 3, and Far Cry.
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