- Platform: PC
- Publisher: Iceberg Interactive
- ESRB Rating: NR
- Release Date: October 13, 2021 Metadata by Giant Bomb
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Some jobs are definitely more exciting when they’re presented in the media. Much of your time in the military is spent waiting around and cleaning stuff, if my friends in the forces are telling the truth, for instance. That’s a bit less exciting than the non-stop gunfest you tend to see in movies. Likewise, hacking probably doesn’t involve quite as much techno-action as you usually see. Thankfully, we’ve got games like Midnight Protocol to give us the gussied-up hacking experience we’re all here for.
You used to be one of the big shots in the hacking scene, but, well, things can’t go so well forever. After spending some time in the clink, you’re released and immediately head back on the scene. Step one: go after the guy who sold you out. Revenge is always a pretty good way to get back to civilian life, after all, and as a professional hacker you’ve got plenty of ways to get it done.
Unlike “realistic” hacking games like Uplink – well, more realistic than this, I suppose – Midnight Protocol leans heavily into a more gamified take on hacking. Intruding on servers and dealing with security plays out like a turn-based strategy game.
You’ll shift from node to node, running programs and defending yourself against ICE and server admins that want you out of the system. You’ll need to carefully manage your limited time and processing capacity to effectively attack, defend yourself and scoop up as much loot as possible. Servers tend to be set up as puzzles that are meant to be solved using the tools you have available; there’s definitely a sense of satisfaction when you finally work something out.
Between hacking runs, you’ll read and reply to email, purchase upgrades for your deck and dig around for new missions. You’re offered the odd moral decision here and there, allowing you to push toward acting as a white-hat or black-hat hacker. Goody two-shoes hackers will gain access to more powerful defensive programs, while bad guys get better weapons, so that might push you one way or the other. The plot is the usual goofy edgelord stuff we’ve come to expect from modern hacking games and it’s nice that Midnight Protocol leans into it.
From a presentation standpoint, the most notable point about Midnight Protocol is that it’s entirely controlled using the keyboard. Because, y’know, a real hacker has no use for other peripherals. A mouse? Only for noobs. This actually works pretty well, all things considered, and once you’ve got the hang of things you can definitely zip around the menus and through servers pretty quickly. As for graphics and sound, they’re exactly what you’d expect. Please look forward to Tron-style digital worlds and plenty of spooky glitches.
It’s not the same kind of intense hacking experience of something like Hacknet or Uplink, but Midnight Protocol still has plenty to offer. The puzzling nature of the gameplay makes for a great feeling when everything clicks together and the diegetic interface delivers its promise of immersion. If you’ve ever longed to triumphantly slam the Enter key as you finally pwn the Gibson, well, Midnight Protocol is here for you.
