Hacktag
- February 14, 2018
- Plug In Digital
- 31h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Hacktag is a 2-player co-op stealth game with asymmetric gameplay, where players can choose to be a stealth Agent infiltrating in corporate buildings or a Hacker, virtually infiltrating the same level through a different view. Set in a parallel world of anthropomorphic animals in 2029, the game requires teamwork and communication to fulfill industrial espionage missions and take down corporations. The game boasts beautiful visuals but may have some bugs."
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and engaging co-op experience, especially when played with a friend.
- The art style is appealing, and the quirky humor adds personality to the gameplay.
- The core gameplay loop is enjoyable, with a unique asymmetrical design that requires teamwork to succeed.
- The game suffers from frequent connectivity issues and bugs, making online play frustrating and often unplayable.
- Content is limited and repetitive, leading to a lack of long-term engagement after a few hours of play.
- Single-player mode is poorly designed, forcing players to control both characters simultaneously, which can be overwhelming and difficult.
- story48 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 88 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in Hacktag is often described as lacking depth and coherence, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in the procedurally-generated missions. While the game offers unique character stories and a variety of missions, the overall narrative experience is overshadowed by gameplay frustrations and a lack of meaningful content. Players appreciate the cooperative gameplay but express a desire for more engaging story elements and varied challenges.
“Hacktag offers adventures through story modes.”
“Each character you create has a story of their own, and it’s always generated the moment you create one, so even if you create the exact same character again, the story can be different.”
“The different corporations, skills, and mission types allow for a lot of replayability, and the dev team still adds content for events and such (easter eggs, etc.).”
“The few missions we’ve done were tedious and uninspired.”
“A nice game, but a bit repetitive and lacking a meaningful storyline and some world info.”
“Unfortunately, there are a lot of rough edges, including odd English translations, the bizarre inclusion of loot boxes, an incomprehensible story that is told mostly in strange IM chats, and achievements that don't unlock.”
- gameplay39 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for being fun, accessible, and well-suited for cooperative play, particularly in its asymmetrical design that encourages communication between players. However, many reviewers noted a lack of variety in mechanics and level design, leading to a repetitive experience as players master the game. While the core gameplay loop is engaging, some felt that the focus on cosmetics and loot boxes detracted from the overall experience, suggesting that more attention could have been given to enhancing gameplay mechanics.
“The gameplay is fun and challenging, while being easily accessible to anyone who does not play many video games: a good way to introduce a friend or partner to video games!”
“If there's one thing that Hacktag nails, it's the gameplay.”
“The co-op style is great, the asymmetric gameplay ensures that you need to communicate with your partner to succeed.”
“The gameplay didn’t have much to offer.”
“I played a couple more missions and there were the same guards, the same mechanics, similar level layouts.”
“Regardless of that, it once again did not bring any real content to the game in terms of the gameplay and mechanics.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charming art style, colorful visuals, and appealing design reminiscent of titles like "The Wolf Among Us." However, technical issues such as performance problems, lack of graphic options, and bugs detract from the overall experience, particularly in multiplayer modes. While the game is visually enjoyable and does not require high-end hardware, optimization concerns hinder its playability.
“The visuals are nice, the soft cartoon colors and the two-color theme for the two players is smart and helps the gameplay too.”
“The artwork and graphics remind me a little of The Wolf Among Us, which is a good thing.”
“This game has great graphics and fun co-op gameplay.”
“Sadly, Hacktag has some technical issues, from performance problems and lack of graphic options to lag/desynchronization in multiplayer.”
“Due to lack of graphic optimization and no second player AI, the game is basically unplayable.”
“It seems to use a lot of system resources for a not that graphics-intensive game.”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is significantly hampered by numerous bugs and glitches, particularly affecting controls and multiplayer functionality, leading to frustrating experiences such as disconnections and desynchronization. While some improvements have been made since its beta phase, many players still find it close to unplayable due to these ongoing issues. Overall, the game's fun elements are overshadowed by its instability.
“The problem is that the controls are just buggy enough to make you think that you're going to make it and then it will mess up and now you're back to square one.”
“Also, party invites seem buggy as hell, since sometimes your buddy is invited then disconnects/crashes and then comes back but is not at your party and you can't remove it - means both of you have to close and re-open the game.”
“Because the fundamental aspects of this game make it rather fun, however due to the massive multiplayer desync and glitches make this game close to unplayable as of the time of writing.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by its quirky and silly elements, including animal puns and a standout skill called "stubborn," which adds a comedic twist to gameplay. While the humor may not always resonate with everyone, it contributes significantly to the game's personality and provides a fun, cooperative experience, especially when played with friends. Overall, players find themselves laughing while engaged in the action, making it a unique and entertaining arcade-style game.
“The game has plenty of animal puns and silly humor for those who enjoy it.”
“The most hilarious skill was one entitled 'stubborn,' that made the agent resist arrest when captured by a guard.”
“I've not played a co-op game like this that has had me on the edge of my seat while simultaneously laughing so hard that it hurts.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of Hacktag is severely lacking, with users reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering during split-screen play and multiplayer lag. Many reviewers advise against purchasing the game due to its broken state and inadequate graphic options, rendering it nearly unplayable.
“Sadly, Hacktag has some technical issues, from performance problems and lack of graphic options to lag/desynchronization in multiplayer.”
“Before I say anything else, the main point is: do not buy this because the game is broken and not optimized at all!”
“The problem at this point is the game's optimization, or lack of it.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for effectively setting the heist mood, with many users highlighting the fantastic work of the composer. The soundtrack is described as beautiful and pleasing, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
“Special mention to the music composer who did a fantastic job.”
“Music is great to set the heist mood.”
“The soundtrack is pleasing to listen to.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively time-consuming, often requiring dozens of hours to obtain specific skins. Many missions are described as tedious and uninspired, particularly those that involve aimless searching for symbols, contributing to a frustrating experience.
“If you want a specific skin, that is dozens and dozens of hours of grinding.”
“One of the mission types had us wandering around the level until we found the correct symbol on the computers, which was super tedious.”
“The few missions we’ve done were tedious and uninspired.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's replayability due to its variety of corporations, skills, and mission types, along with ongoing content updates from the developers. While the game has improved significantly since its beta phase, some users feel that the overall replayability remains moderate, contingent on future level additions.
“The different corporations, skills, and mission types allow for a lot of replayability, and the dev team still adds content for events and easter eggs.”
“The replayability is moderate, but I hope more levels will be added.”
“The different corporations, skills, and mission types allow for a lot of replayability, and the dev team still adds content for events and such (easter eggs, etc.).”
“Hopefully, more levels will be added; the replayability is moderate.”
