Uplink Review (e doctor)
An immersive-sim where the player is given a computer, internet phonebook and legal ambiguity for any actions that may occur. Uplink is a sandbox game in terms of the amount of freedom given and generates unique and genuine experiences. The player's computer, targets and methods are all up to them. The difficulty curve and gameplay loop are not dictated by the game, but the player's own playstyle.
Missions are nothing but to get from point A to point B, and EVERYTHING else is up to the player. They are a framework to create stories. Do you want to steal company secrets without a trace, or scorch the earth and wipe them from the net? As long as you have the file for your client anything goes. Maybe you'll fuck up or fail to plan for the unexpected and be forced to improvise.
Immersion is the game's greatest strength. The game pretends to be a program that connects you to your gateway. Nothing is gated off to new players at the start. When a player solves a problem it becomes uniquely their solution. The game does not define success and then hand it out to the player. Each success and failure is 100% based on the player's actions.
Game elements won't scale properly in widescreen on modern resolutions. The buttons become incredibly small. Thankfully the art is simple and utilitarian enough that it still looks good at 800x600. Runs fine and closes instantly. Alt-tabbing is a bit of an issue since there is no borderless fullscreen. The music helps elevate the gameplay and soothe the player during high-stress time-sensitive situations.
Two mods recommended. Both keep the old-school UI. Uplink OS reworks the UI to a more modern style which I find a bit tacky. But it's out there for people who prefer it.
Uplink: Deep Blue is a general expansion of content. More companies to hack, more music, more gateways to use. Some of the tracks are a bit too loud and ravey compared to the original game's more subdued soundtrack but overall a great expansion to the game. Installation is straightforward, just drag-and-drop files into the game's main directory, and replace any files prompted. You also get all the music in .mp3 and .ogg format so that's a big plus.
Onlink is a standalone project for Windows and Linux that adds way more features. Cleans up the UI and adds some features that seem like a no-brainer in hindsight. You can type out and connect to IP's manually, save your bounce path with a handy list, in-game notepad, mission tracker, and bindable shortcuts. I would recommend it as the definitive version of the game for modern sensibilities.