Uplink

A lovingly recreated iPad edition of a 2001 PC title that imagined 2010 as a cyberpunk corporate dystopia, Uplink is that strangest of things - a glimpse at a future that's already been and gone.

With a UI that references the raft of hacking films that were released at the turn of the millennium, the game is all about breaking into computer mainframes, rewriting truth, and hacking the mother-fudging planet.

Acid burn

Uplink sets itself up like a modified computer desktop, and casts you as a wannabe hacker. From your terminal you'll receive missions, install new software, and try to sneak undetected into the digital infrastructures of some made up mega-corps.

If you want to get in and out undetected you'll need to bounce your connection around the world, crack passwords with decryption programs, and delete any trace you've left of your time stealing business secrets and changing personal information.

The game hides its mechanics behind a veil of realism. There's no pause button, and plenty of typing, emails to read, and bank accounts to create and manage.

In fact, if you turn off the techno soundtrack it's easy to pretend you really are a movie hacker, diving through firewalls as you try and pull off the perfect digital heist from the comfort of your tablet.

Zero cool

The game punishes mistakes with swift retribution, and the fictional company that you're working for is quick to disavow your actions and kick you back to the bottom of the pile if you're caught poking your nose somewhere it doesn't belong.

Watching a trace creep ever closer to your location can turn even the simplest of hacks into a frantic race against time. The problem is that those moments of real tension are few and far between, and more often than not you'll complete a job without batting an eyelid.

Things get repetitive, too, and while you'll unlock new hacking methods as you progress the back doors you use to sneak into systems are always basically the same.

Uplink is clearly a labour of love, and if you enjoyed the original you'll feel the same about this version, but newcomers will likely find the slow pace and esoteric style a little off-putting.