>//:System.Hack

The gameplay is not very intuitive so not doing what I did - ran headfirst into it - and read the tutorials is very much recommended. :) This game has me in the same place Fallout put me the first time I played it, it sort of gets me angry and a tad frustrated but I refuse to quit because I want to see what's next. (the same goes for Giants: Citizen Kabuto as well, both of these I went into not knowing what to expect, got something I didn't know how to play and came out on the other side loving...) The game is a bit grindy considering the cost for upgrades and your earnings at the start of it all but the better you get at the game the faster you'll earn money as well so.... One big warning is that pressing the delete button means you'll leave the mission you're on - which I noted due to being a bit too fast with adding the password and wondered if you could delete the number... (adding a "are you sure you want to leave?" confirmation screen would be a good idea I think) Graphics and sound, very nice on both, the spinning things you have to be close to to do the contract do get a tad annoying, I personally focus as much as I can on the ground but I do suspect it may cause nausea with some people. (having it go stationary when you're close or allowing the text menues to follow you around would fix that) All in all I like it a lot and will continue my way towards the end through means of ultimate suckage... P.S. the reason I deleted my old review rather than edited it is that I apparently had clicked the "recieved for free" and I didn't, I bought the game and I couldn't change that. D.S.

Dev has been awol for about 9 months yet again after releasing an absolutely busted beta branch that shows actual promise. This is just gonna become another KINGDOMS.

I've got an extensive library of hacking simulation games and enjoy them, this specific one is nice because it allows you to "work" on building up the rig, exp of your character, and operate a loader. I warn you it is a bit repetitive to get the exp up and the story needs work, but I've enjoyed the challenge to build the rig, maneuver through the system in a 1st person mode (kinda new), and enjoy the perspective of being inside a system and moving through as if I were a data packet.

Liking what I see so far. There's an active, responsive dev and a wonderful game as is. This creator has captured an elusive experience I've searched for since Shadowrun first came out, and before. Definitely a recommendation to all.

(Note: I recieved this as an early birthday gift from a friend, and thus didn't pay for it) System.Hack entered early access what feels like an eternity ago, and when it was in it's rough but impressive earliest states, I got it for a birthday gift and fell in love with it. Then I forgot about it after some UI bugs made it unplayable for a while. Those were fixed, and when I reinstalled it out of curiousity I found it a vastly different and superior experience to the barebones but good-at-core state it was in. The interview that used to act as character creation was gone, replaced with either choosing a role or custom creating your character using 5 priorities (Like shadowrun 5E!) followed by allocating things based on those priorities that required further specification (Skills and Qualities mostly). The "spellmaking" program creation system and mastermind-style puzzle mechanics for discovering passwords were still intact (Adding extra types of password, like shape rearranging akin to the scene in Johnny Mnemonic where he hacks the Beijing Hotel, would be cool, but not essential), but the combat system was replaced with something I consider far superior too: Tags applying themselves to attributes, effectively making the attribute the hit points and adding effects as the tags stacked (Something I loved about Traveller, a tabletop RPG). If tags=attribute, or the attribute is reduced to nil, you're forced out of the system and take a LOT of neural stress (The balancing mechanic that makes it so you have to manage time resting versus working). As before, looking down while in cyberspace shows your body. In Meatspace, this also is true now (Something I was so happy to find out!) There is still no "toggle cursor/mouselook" function, which is slightly confusing for those of us who grew up on other first person titles that used standard mouselook, or even MMORPGs like DDO that used shooter like targeting and a "toggle cursor" key to enter standard interaction mode. Southwind (The dev behind this particular game studio) single-handedly created the earliest versions of Shadowrun Returns "Shadowrun Unlimited" mod, and it shows. The framework is like it's decker playstyle cut down to its core, with an overarching plot and a freeform job system, and even some ability (albiet limited) to explore your surroundings. And believe me, even in meatspace there's a lot of things to see, even in that underground russian-seeming place you start in. Previously I complained about the lack of music in the game in cyberspace. This has since been fixed. There's not a lot of variety, but the atmosphere feels a hell of a lot better with the music there, even if it is kind of repetitive. Thankfully the combat music that kicks in when IC spawns not only breaks up this repetition, it actually drives home the point of the job, the hack, etc... being at risk, and you being at risk of being forced out of the system and left with a huge headache. Updates still happen frequently, and Southwind listens to his customers, which is a huge bonus for anyone who is thinking of buying this. The combat system is based on the enemies getting one action per second, and your program uses queing up, taking an amount of time based on program complexity and processing power to cycle through. I haven't dug into the system itself enough to know if you are eventually able to complete a program execution more than once per second, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was possible by upgrading processing power AND modem speed. All in all, this game is a huge reccomendation for anyone who wants to play though gameplay reminiscent of the hacking scenes from Johnny Mnemonic (Albiet with limitations) or the matrix combat in the Genesis version of Shadowrun's console adaptations, though people who want an action game will be dissapointed by it's ATB combat system, puzzles, and the lack of enemies patrolling each network (Failing to bypass security DOES spawn enemies though). If you want to feel like a codeslinger in a frenzied local internet, then you want Black ICE instead (That's basically an Action RPG with Diablo-Esque loot and a first person shooter style combat system set in cyberspace). If you want to actually feel like a decker, netrunner, or other cyberpunk hacker, then System.Hack is what you want, and you'll be glad you got it.

System.Hack is a super original and entertaining game. You begin as a humble hacker, going on missions, and the features only expand after that. Although it's still in early access there's plenty of content. If you even have a passing interest in hacking or cyberpunk I'd recommend you give the game a chance! Also, the developer is very active in regards to both updating responding to the community. I can't wait to see the game on release!

an amazing and in depth hacking game,with easy mechanics, but enough depth to be complex. good story, and great managment when you get to that point. i like the create a character thing too.

Could have been great, but it's likely abandonware at this stage, and barring some modding virtuoso, this unfinished thing is the best it'll get.

I can't find myself recommending this game right now. However, there is a /deep/ potential here. I absolutely love Shadowrun, and this oozes that cool Pre-Crash 2.0 Matrix action we've seen in earlier edition. This game is an excellent framework that I am excited to follow and see developed, however I can't really recommend it in its Early Access state.

This is a really fun game. I love the hack game genre, and this is different to most others in that it's more RPG-based than puzzle-based. But that doesn't mean it doesn't have it's puzzling aspects too. The oracle provides some of the most open-ended gameplay in which you can create loads of programs from attacking to password breaking. Having only played some of the early contracts (I restart A LOT), it can get a bit grindy, with there basically being 3 types of contracts, but the devs are constantly trying to improve the game, with almost daily patches, and continuously interacting with the community. Also, the tutoral's in menu-form, rather than an interactive tutorial. It might change, but you'll really want to read the help menu before you start doing anything.