Hackwork is sort of what you’d get if you would combine Oil Rush, Atom Zombie Smasher and Uplink. It is a simply designed, but very addictive 3D real time strategy where you are in the role of a hacker who wants to take full control of a given network.
You begin your operations with a Linux desktop that produces Linux attacking packages, or viruses if you like to call them that way. Same as in Oil Rush, you can choose what percentage of your force you want to send to a nearby neutral, or enemy machine that can be a Smartphone, a Laptop, a Desktop, or a Server.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNON423vyIw&feature=plcp[/youtube]
Every machine has its own special attributes like different viruses depending on the operating system they use, different production number and speed depending on the machine CPU speed and of course different attacking/defending ability. There are three operating systems (Linux, Mac, Windows) with different virus attacking power and defense ability. The Linux is the most powerful with Windows being the weaker.
The graphics are adequate while the music is somewhat boring, both of which doesn’t matter at all, as the addictiveness of this game stems from the pure tower defense elements that will keep the tension and gaming interest at the highest level.
Similar to Oil Rush, in Hackwork you will find some “bonus” special weapons like attack boosters, or the radar shown in the above screenshot. You will get these after conquering new machines. The game ends for you, or your enemies when you will loose your initial machine that is your Linux desktop no matter how many machines are under your control.
I suggest you download the demo that allows you to learn how to play through the fist campaign mission, and play skirmish with the “easy” level of AI as a limitation. Even the “easy” AI is quite challenging and you will easily loose if you don’t operate under a specific logical plan. I found playing Hackwork very amusing and very addicting and the price of 3.99$ at the Desura store won’t keep me from buying the full version!
