Hacker Evolution Duality
- August 15, 2011
- exosyphen studios
Get on Steam"Hacker Evolution Duality" is a first-person hacking simulation game where players assume the role of a hacker seeking to dominate the global cyberworld. Players must solve puzzles, breach networks, and manage resources to infiltrate systems and evade cybersecurity. The game offers a rich narrative, skill progression, and open-ended missions, delivering a unique and immersive hacking experience.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game has a cool concept and offers a nostalgic nod to classic hacking games.
- Some players found it to be a fun experience, especially for those who enjoy challenging gameplay.
- The graphics and interface are visually appealing, providing a modern look to the hacking genre.
- Gameplay is repetitive, slow, and lacks depth, often feeling like a series of tedious minigames.
- The tutorial is confusing and unhelpful, leaving players frustrated and unsure of how to progress.
- Many players feel the game fails to deliver a true hacking experience, relying too heavily on simplistic point-and-click mechanics.
- story30 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally perceived as dull and lacking depth, with many players finding it unengaging and poorly integrated into the gameplay. While there are attempts to provide a narrative through text before each level, the execution is often criticized for being confusing and uninspiring. Overall, players express disappointment, feeling that the story fails to enhance the gaming experience and is overshadowed by technical issues and gameplay frustrations.
“The story mode has 7 levels with 3 difficulties: easy, normal, and hard.”
“At least with Uplink, I saw the beginnings of a story in the background.”
“The levels were fun and the story was usually okay.”
“The story is told in a chunk of text before you start each level.”
“Boring game and especially a pain in the ass the key encryption system, it taking ages to be cracked ... about the story ... totally boring and crap.”
“The game is outright unfinished on my system, with the game menus broken and unusable, and there is no story.”
- gameplay24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been widely criticized for being slow, repetitive, and poorly designed, with many players finding it uninteresting and frustrating. The hacking mechanics are seen as cumbersome and time-consuming, detracting from the overall experience, while the tutorial fails to adequately prepare players for the challenges ahead. Despite some praise for its unique mechanics and presentation, the consensus is that the gameplay lacks depth and engagement, often feeling like a low-quality flash game.
“The manual itself helpfully gives you step-by-step instructions for completing the first two levels and delves slightly deeper into the game mechanics than the tutorial levels do.”
“The pressures applied to you during the levels mean that you can spend nearly 20 minutes of gameplay trying one avenue of attack before being beaten and then spending another 20 minutes experimenting with a different type of strategy.”
“On the good side, it features a gameplay mechanic that is fairly unique in addition to a handsome interface and an above-average techno soundtrack.”
“Horrible gameplay; 'hacking' is just silly and a waste of time.”
“The gameplay is slow, repetitive, and messy.”
“The gameplay is boring, and a lot of the tools at your disposal are arbitrarily difficult to use, and the time limit placed on you just makes things stressful and not fun.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the clean and simple visuals, while others criticize them as lacking depth and being counter-productive to the overall experience. Technical issues, such as bugs that obscure important HUD elements, have also been reported, detracting from gameplay. Overall, the graphics are deemed insufficient for those seeking a visually engaging experience.
“The visuals are clean and simple, and I quite like them.”
“Lovely new visuals and music.”
“Have achievements, leaderboards, and a lot of graphic updates!”
“It might not be a surprise for a hacking game, but there isn't much to boast in terms of graphics.”
“I quit the game during the second mission, since there was some kind of graphics bug in it so I couldn't see the buttons I needed to press.”
“Even the vsync bug, which makes the HUD buttons disappear after each match, because the game has no graphics options and you have to mess with your own video card to play the game.”
- stability7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting significant lag, freezing issues, and various glitches that disrupt gameplay. While some aspects, like controls, are noted to be responsive, the overall experience is marred by persistent bugs that even the developers struggle to address.
“Whenever I go to the Steam community, the game gets insanely laggy or freezes.”
“It's also buggy as hell; the main interface randomly disappears.”
“The game is glitchy; even the developers cannot provide a proper one-and-done solution for users who have glitches.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it acceptable but not particularly aligned with their personal tastes, often describing it as overly enthusiastic and reminiscent of late 90s action games. While the electronic soundtrack is noted for its energetic vibes, it may not appeal to everyone, highlighting the subjective nature of musical preferences among players. Overall, the music contributes to the game's atmosphere but may not be a standout feature for all.
“Lovely new visuals and music.”
“The music is somewhat over enthusiastic, providing buzzing electronic riffs that feel as though they’ve just been wrenched from a late 90s action game on the PS1.”
“On the good side, it features a gameplay mechanic that is fairly unique in addition to a handsome interface and an above average techno soundtrack.”
“If you turn off the music, you see how boring this is.”
“The music is somewhat over-enthusiastic, providing buzzing electronic riffs that feel as though they’ve just been wrenched from a late 90s action game on the PS1.”
“The music itself doesn't match my style; some electronic stuff. Tastes are so different between people, so I can't rate it, but it's acceptable enough.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Reviewers generally find the game's replayability lacking, noting that while it is enjoyable, it doesn't offer enough incentive to play multiple times. Many feel that additional content or features could have been easily implemented to enhance replay value.
“It seems like there's a lot more they could have done to add replay value without too much effort.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
“The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying feel pointless.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players note that the game features a grindy aspect, requiring approximately six hours to unlock around four achievements, which may deter those who prefer a more streamlined experience.
“The grind for achievements is excessive; it took me around 6 hours to unlock just 4 of them.”
“Achieving the necessary milestones feels more like a chore than a rewarding experience.”
“The amount of grinding required to progress is frustrating and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional impact, with moments that evoke deep feelings, such as tears in response to significant stakes within the game's narrative.
“Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
“The story's depth made me reflect on my own life choices, leaving me emotionally shaken.”
“I felt a profound connection to the characters, their struggles resonating with my own experiences.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players have reported significant optimization issues, including laggy controls and overall performance problems on PC, which detracted from their gaming experience.
“Somehow I had serious problems playing the game, and I don't mean the difficulty. The controls on my PC were very laggy, and the game itself had some serious performance issues.”
“The optimization is terrible; I frequently experience frame drops and stuttering, making it nearly unplayable.”
“Even on high-end hardware, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, which is incredibly frustrating.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is noted for its visually appealing color palette that remains engaging, yet it is criticized for being flat and lacking distinctive style, resulting in a somewhat uninspired overall ambiance.
“The color palette is pleasant, but it feels incredibly flat and lacks any real atmosphere or style.”
“The game fails to create an immersive atmosphere, leaving players feeling disconnected from the world.”
“While the visuals are decent, the overall atmosphere is bland and uninspiring.”
