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Well, the game still doesn't have much to do with the conventional interpretation of hacking but it is similar in style to the previous game. Once again you're trying to help out the US Government with a problem and you have some sophisticated equipment at your disposal to do it with.

As with the original Hacker, there's a 'front end' that you have to get through before entering the game proper, but this one is simple enough and can be avoided in future games. What isn't simple is the instruction booklet - more like a technical manual that you might get with some advanced piece of electronic equipment. That's what you're supposed to be using in the game, but things could have been a lot more user-friendly.

The game takes place inside a complex where you have to recover the Doomsday Papers. To do this you've got to avoid or deceive the security devices while controlling a mobile remote unit (MRU). You've got three of these, but if they're spotted by the security network they're in big trouble.

The action is all displayed on four view screens. They can be quite awkward to use but are very clever once you get the hang of them. There's a lot of planning required if you're going to succeed, so many games will be required for exploring and familiarizing with the facilities available. A testing challenge that could have been ever better if the instructions didn't leave you with so much annoying trial-and-error to go through.

This one really look some getting into. Even once I'd worked everything out it didn't impress much. Personally I'd rather spend my time hacking for real.

No problems seeing.

P. Requires planning and strategy.
P. Plenty of depth and challenge.
P. Nice atmosphere created.

N. Very unfriendly instructions.
N. Still very little to do with hacking.