From the very start, this game harkens
back to the home computer of the 1980s. It’s even reminiscent of classic 80’s
movie Jumping Jack Flash. Visually it’s as simple as it gets, green and black
in full 80’s operating system garb with a retro arcade feel. It might not look
like much, but as someone who had a home computer as a kid in that decade, it’s
excellent.
The premise is a good one, too. The
Hacker thrusts the player into the thick of a suspicious plot and as a former
employee of GliderCorp who was fired after developing a new operating system
for the company, you begin to hack their systems along with other anonymous
former employees to find out just what is going on.
The scene is then set for a series of
mini games as you solve puzzle after puzzle as you begin to uncover a trail
across eight global severs. These puzzles are varied ranging from the
straightforward to the very challenging. Some are familiar memory style games,
while others are far more detailed. Upon completion you are awarded experience
points to unlock games, buy wallpapers and skip through any puzzles hampering
your progress.
This in-game currency can also be used
to buy arcade games from the G.A.M.E. portal on your “desktop”. Each is
familiar and recognizable as something you’ve played before or at least a take
on a specific genre adding to the wealth of content The Hacker already
provides. Even if you complete all eight servers, players can purchase three
new areas, each with five additional servers in app. These serve as sort of
deleted scenes, each revealing additional secrets and uncovering more to the
story.
As with any mini-game app, it can get
repetitive, but what it lacks in variation it makes up for in charm. The
presentation is fantastic and the story is a unique way of tackling the
mini-game genre. The difficulty levels can fluctuate, annoyingly so at times,
but it really depends on how your brain approaches each puzzle. The Hacker
provides a good amount of longevity and value for your money and the story
gives you a sense of reason rather than just solving puzzles for the sake of
it.
4.5 stars
575 Ratings
Compatible with iPhone,
iPod touch, arid iPad.
Requires iOS 3.1 or later
Price: $0.99
Category: Games
Updated: Mar 05, 2012
Version: 1.2.0
Size: 8.0 MB
Languages: English
Seller: Gaspar Mereu
