Mostsci-fi gamesthat includestealthoften include a hacking mechanic where you can access terminals and machines in place ofgood old-fashioned lockpicking.
Whether you need to go through a locked door, access crucial information, or make a hostile machine do your bidding,hacking is a useful tool to either supplement or completely avoiddirect combat.
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These video games have fun and engaging hacking mini-games where you canbust through your enemies' defenses before they can even see you comingthrough the arts of espionage and sabotage.
10Watch Dogs 2
Hack Everything
Watch Dogs 2
The only reasonWatch Dogs 2isn’t at the top of the list,despite its entire premise being centered around hacking,is that hacking is more than just a mini-game in this world.
Still, it’s too good of an example not to include, because you can’t deny the power fantasy ofbeing a hackerworking with anunderground hacktivism grouplike DedSec.
While the first game evolves the typical simple hacking mini-game into a reliable tool for you to navigate the world,Watch Dogs 2transforms that into a complete playstyle that allows you to hack into any piece of technology.
Of course, you’re able to play the game like anythird-person shooterand go guns blazing, but where’s the fun in that whenyou can beat the game without shooting a single gun.
9Sleeping Dogs
The Numbers, What Do They Mean?
Sleeping Dogs
Hacking is a minor mini-game inSleeping Dogs. It’sa collectible mechanic used exclusively for Drug Busts,allowing Wei Shen to access Security Cameras to identify and bring drug dealers to justice in thisHong Kongcrime dramasimulator.
Unlocked after dating a hacker named Not Ping, Wei Shen can tap into local control panels scattered across the city tounlock the “Hong Kong Super Hacker” achievement.
These hacking mini-games require you to guess a string of four numbers that you’re able to narrow down via the hints the mini-game gives you.
It’s not the most comprehensive hacking mini-game, but it’s simple, easy, and rewarding once you understand the logic.
Infiltrate And Hack
In a game that places a lot of emphasis on nanotech, the hacking mini-game inCrysis 3isa minor simple tool mostly used to disable traps and unlock more subtle approaches to missions.
Available only throughthe main campaign,the player can use the nanosuit’s Tactical Visor to lock onto a piece of tech and access a hacking UI.The goal is to lock on bouncing nodes to match lines to crack the code’s wavelength.
Not only can the player hack into security panels, but they can also disable mines, gain control over turrets, and wreak havoc on the enemy before they even know you were ever there.
Grand Theft Auto 5
Grand Theft Auto 5may be infamous for hackers and modders running amok in the online community, but it also features in-game hacking to give players an advantage in scoring thosehigh-stakes heists.
While hacking in the main story campaign and certain heists mostly consist of recruiting a hacker to the crew,GTA Onlinefeaturesinteractive hacking mini-games that allow the player to access devices through their character’s cellphone by hacking into certain terminals.
Each hacking mini-game has its unique challenges and purposes.HackConnect.exe is mostly used for unlocking garage doors and establishing a connection.
BruteForce.exe is used to crack passcodes, and some heists even have their own unique hacking mini-games that fit their themes.
They Won’t Know What Hit ‘Em
While you’re dashing through the heavily guarded enemy bases inWarframeas aterrifyingly powerful cyber ninja, you might encounterone of two types of terminals that can be hacked into,each with a unique challenge to overcome.
When you hack into Grineer tech during Grineer missions, you’ll be met with a circle with a few pins while a small dot spins around the circle, which you’ll need to time your inputs so that the dot locks those pins into place.
Corpus terminals, on the other hand, require you to rotate hexagons with lines inside to align them into a specific pattern.
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Plugging into these terminals will leave your Warframe vulnerable to attacks, so these mini-games are designed to be completed quickly and efficiently.
To make hacking easier, the game also provides you with mods and ciphers to either give you more time or completely do away with the need for hacking. Of course, these requiresome grindingto find.
5Fallout 4
Clickity Clackity On The Terminal
On your adventures across the post-nuclear-apocalyptic wasteland inFallout 4, not only will you shoot, loot, talk, and lockpick your waythrough the Commonwealth, but you’ll alsoencounter secrets and goodies locked behind terminals that require deft hacking skills.
In these terminals, you’ll find lines of gibberish code with random words strewn about, giving you four tries before the terminal locks you out for a short duration.
To successfully hack into a terminal inFallout 4,your goal is to find the correct word that you may narrow down by finding common letters and eliminating duds in the code.
You can only hack into computers if you have the Hacker skill,which can only be unlocked if your character is smart enough. Otherwise, brute force might be the way to go.
4Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Capture Those Nodes
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
TheDeus Exseries has always been a fan favorite by the gaming community. With strong FPS mechanics and anincredibly fleshed-out world, this series is near and dear to many gamers, despite itsrather weak ending.
Deus Ex: Mankind Dividedfeatures a hacking mini-game that is essentiallya tower defense mechanic where you capture zones and avoid detection from the device’s firewall.
To successfully hack into a device, you need to complete puzzles in a grid of multiple nodes.
Starting at a random node,your goal is to capture nodes with a random chance of getting detected by the security systems,which would compete against you in taking nodes before hacking you in return.
It’s a fun game with a simple UI and intuitive system, and some of these puzzles can be quite difficult to solve.
Hacking inDeus Exis a game of high risk/reward; do you make a beeline to capture the goal, or will you risk detection and grab a few more treasures on your way there?
3Cyberpunk 2077
Break Through The ICE, Choom
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077featuresa myriad of skills for different playstylesthat supplement just about any kind of power fantasy.
In theCyberpunkworld,Netrunners are essentially sci-fi wizardswho are capable of remotely controlling everything around them without lifting a finger.
One of the many augments V has access to is theQuick Hack ability, which allows you toupload virusesonto devices and people.
But before you can use Quick Hack on more secured targets,you’ll need to use Breach Protocol to break through the security systems and connect to the local network,hacking into the many devices that populateNight City.
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The Breach Protocol mini-game has youfinding the correct sequence of codes within a matrix to upload the desired virus.If you have keen eyes, then you’ll be able to find multiple strings and upload more than one virus into the system.
After completing the hacking mini-game,Breach Protocol rewards you with the power to control everything around you via Quick Hacks, allowing you to distract, kill, and take control without having to confront your enemies head-on.
There’s a very good reason why Netrunners are feared in Night City.
2Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time
Bentley’s Specialty
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
While most other hacking mini-games on this list are presented as computer screens that the player character might see, the final two games present their hacking astop-down bullet hells.
A thieving gang isn’t complete without its tech nerd, andBentley from theSly Cooperseries is their resident hacker.He can also be a playable character in the hacking mini-games.
The most common form of hacking in the series is the System Cracker mini-game,where you control an avatar through cyberspace in search of a docking area while surviving an onslaught of enemies.
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Timealso added two more mini-games: Alter Ego, where Bentley dons his Rambo outfit in a side-scrolling twin-stick shooter mini-game, and Spark Runner, which makes use of the motion control function of the PS Vita and PS3.
1NieR Automata
9S Is An Unsung Hero
NieR: Automata
As the deuteragonist ofNier: Automata, 9S serves as a scout and hacker of the YorHa.
Unlike 2B and other YorHaandroid types,9S has the innate ability to infiltrate the operating system of devices and Machine Lifeforms,allowing him to damage or control enemies whilehacking and slashing at enemies.
Hacking is only availableduring chapters and sections where you play as 9S,where it replaces 2B’s usual heavy attack button, making it the only way for him to deal severe damage outside his Pod or light attacks.
Presented as a bullet hell shooter,the goal of hacking is to destroy black balls that represent the enemy’s defenses, all the while avoiding massive amounts of slow-moving projectiles.
To give hacking more of a challenge beyond just shooting endlessly,you’re only allowed to take three instances of damage and a time limit.Otherwise, 9S takes damage and can be briefly stunned, opening him up to an enemy’s attack.
But successfully hacking can open up the enemy to commands that can be game-changers. Most of the time, they’re best used to deal massive damage by detonating them, butyou can also use the Subjugate and Remote Control gimmicks to turn weaker enemies to your side.
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