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Uplink (computer game)

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For the Half-Life demo, see .
Uplink is a computer game released in 2001 by the British software company Introversion Software.
Contents

Plot

[Spoiler warningSpoiler warning]: Plot and/or ending details follow.
In the game, the player assumes the role of a hacker in the year 2010, working for the mysterious "Uplink Corporation". The player gains money, software, hardware, and skill in the course of performing jobs for various clients, hacking global corporations. Then one day, a deceased Uplink agent working for the Andromeda Research Corporation (ARC) sends the player an (in game) e-mail. This begins the main storyline. ARC is constructing a computer virus known as the "Revelation Virus", which will try to destroy the Internet. Arunmor, a rival company, is trying to stop them. The player can work for either ARC or Arunmor, with non-linear, freeform gameplay and multiple plot endings. In fact, the storyline is itself optional and the player can choose to ignore it and concentrate on freeform hacking.

Spoilers end here.

Style

Uplink focuses on emulating highly stylised, Hollywood-esque hacking, as seen in movies such as Hackers, Sneakers, WarGames and Swordfish. References to these movies can be found throughout the game, including joke servers for companies such as Steve Jackson Games (which appears to have been raided by the Secret Service) and a nuclear missile control system from WarGames. Despite depicting it in an explicitly unrealistic and exaggerated way, the game's hacking theme has generated a certain amount of controversy.

The game has a certain number of unusual features, including an in-game IRC function to talk to other players and a "multimonitor" function which allows the player to play the game over two screens, using a LAN connection to another computer running the game. This feature is often mistaken for multiplayer by some, due to the fact that in the original versions it was mislabeled 'Network'.

Soundtrack

The Uplink Corporation has a ranking system for its agents. Here, the player has managed to achieve the highest position.
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The Uplink Corporation has a ranking system for its agents. Here, the player has managed to achieve the highest position.

The game uses several songs originally made in s3m, mod and xm format. The original song files are included on the Bonus CD-ROM of the game, a disk that was originally given as a free edition to those who referred the game to others. The disk also includes several ones which were rejected. This is the chosen soundtrack, with artist and downloads where available; the songs are all apparently free.

Although the files are all in .s3m, .mod or .xm format where available, these formats play in several audio players (e.g. Winamp) and tools do exist to convert them to .mp3 and other formats if someone wishes to play them in portable audio players, such as CDMaster32 [link].

Release

The game was released for Microsoft Windows and Linux directly by Introversion, and ported to and released for Mac by Contraband and Ambrosia Software respectively. Chris Delay stated in an interview with PC Gamer UK that they did not pay for advertising of the game at all - it became known purely by word of mouth. A version released in the US was published and distributed by Strategy First under the title Uplink: Hacker Elite. It is now distributed under the same name by Stardock as part of TotalGaming.net, since Strategy First has filed for bankruptcy and no longer pays Introversion royalties.
A typical mission in Uplink, where the player is falsifying academic records.
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A typical mission in Uplink, where the player is falsifying academic records.

Fanbase

Uplink has a strong modding community, with themes, gateways, new sound and image packs, and other additions being made. In mid-2003 Introversion began selling the source code for the game, along with other tools on the Uplink Developer CD. This has led to a large number of gameplay modifications including new skins and graphics, new sounds and music, mission types, new entities to hack such as the FBI Mod, which adds an FBI server to the game[link][link], along with new security systems and missions, and total conversions such as [Uplink: The Mod] and [Onlink]. Introversion are currently in the process of making a new patch with a number of beta-patches, which beta-testers can play without having to buy the game, currently a 1.31c patch is available [link].

Hacker Elite Controversy

A version released in the US was published and distributed by Strategy First under the title Uplink: Hacker Elite. Strategy First ran into financial difficulties, and ceased paying royalties to Introversion shortly before filing for bankrupty protection, but continued to sell the game in competition to Introversion. It is now distributed under the same name by Stardock as part of TotalGaming.net.

Some versions of Uplink: Hacker Elite have been modified, meaning that many game mods and patches will not run with the Hacker Elite version.

On 20th January 2006 Introversion announced they were taking legal action against all retailers of Uplink:Hacker Elite [link], but not Stardock [link].

See also

External links

 

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