Nameless : The Hackers – First Impressions

For the longest time, I had assumed that mobile gaming was a lost cause. Any game with potential was plagued with in app purchases, or loaded with waves of video ads. My opinion has changed now, and I have Nameless to thank.

Nameless : The Hackers is a turn-based Cyberpunk RPG for iOS. At the time of writing this post, it’s available for $4.99. Once you have purchased the game, you will not need to spend another dime. There are no energy points or platinum coins to spend real money on. Everything is self-contained and fully playable without you needing to have your credit card at the ready.

It’s Cyberpunk, it’s a mobile game without in app purchases, and you don’t even have to invite Facebook friends to play in order to make progress. But does all of that justify the $5 cost of admission? Let’s go ahead and take a look.

GRAPHICS

I wasn’t expecting anything spectacular with the graphics. The screenshots I had seen in the app store showed some pretty well-done character models, but nothing that I thought was going to stand out. I was definitely wrong. Seeing the game in action made me really appreciate the effort that went into its appearance. The user interface is simple, and looks really good.

The game really shines graphically once you begin ‘hacking’. The top half of the screen displays the physical servers that your hacking, along with anybody who’s working near it. The pixel art is very well done, and gives me all sorts of warm and fuzzy memories of Game Dev Story. As you attack, animations fly back and forth between your avatars and the server screen. As damage is dealt, the little pixelated servers catch fire, and the people nearby begin to panic. A nice little detail that makes every successful attack feel very rewarding.

However, I feel that the fantastic pixel art overshadows the actual character avatars. They feel just a little bit basic and out of place in an otherwise very polished game. This is me REALLY nitpicking, though. After seeing the character icons long enough, they blend in just  fine with the rest of the game.

MUSIC

Oh, yes. Ohhh, very yes. The music in this game is absolutely fantastic. From the first catchy upbeat track that plays over the title screen, I was hooked. Pulsating synths, drum machines, and ambient synth pads make the perfect soundtrack for a game about hackers. As for the sound, it’s a little bit less attention-grabbing. The sound effects feel like they were ripped from every Nintendo DS JRPG. However, given that this game feels very much like it belongs in the realm of titles like Phoenix Wright and Trauma Center, it’s easy to understand the choices in sound design.

STORY

I spent about three hours with the game, and my opinion of the story has drastically changed since I started writing this post. During the first hour of gameplay, I honestly wasn’t expecting much at all. The story is actually very interesting and has me wanting to find out as much as I can. It involves a number of hackers who have lost their lives while trying to take down a company called R.E.A.C.H. Other juicy bits of info are discovered via newspaper articles and side missions, all eventually leading up to conspiracies and megacorporation secrets that are a staple of Cyberpunk. When a game has me constantly guessing about what’s going to happen next even as I’m grinding levels, I’m very satisfied.

The story is told through cutscenes that are also very reminiscent of Nintendo DS JRPGs. What really amused me is that dialog outside of cutscenes seems to be handled in IRC chat rooms. You can even see the  bash.org “hunter2” password conversation log in the top banner of each chat room.

Even if the story wasn’t as interesting as it actually is, I feel like the gameplay, graphics, and sound design are enough to push me to finish this game. And little details like the IRC conversation banner make me feel like the game developers really cared about what they were making. If I can tell that the devs are having a great time making the game, then I’m going to have a great time playing it. It’s that type of charm that can really make the difference between a mediocre game and a great one.

GAMEPLAY

None of what I mentioned above would matter at all if the game itself wasn’t worth playing, right? Luckily, gameplay is very solid. The touch screen controls are very natural and easy to pick up, with no on-screen D-pads or buttons like you would see in something like Game Dev Story.

Gameplay itself is a standard turn-based RPG. You explore the map by clicking different city icons to gather info, get hacking contracts, and collect equipment. The hacking itself plays out just like you would expect. You spend a turn attacking the server, and then the server’s security system spends a turn attacking you. It’s an unusual way to do hacking in a video game, but I thought that it was very creative and well done. The game is incredibly generous with auto-saving as well. It really is a game that you could pick up and play in five minute bursts. Being a mobile game, I consider this type of thing to be absolutely essential.

CONCLUSION

So, overall, how do I feel about Nameless : The Hackers? Good. Really, really good. The game shows immense potential that I think it can easily reach. The graphics are well done, the music is absolutely beautiful, and it’s just a lot of fun to play. If you’re digging around hopelessly for a good iOS mobile game, I personally think that it’s worth it to drop the $5 on Nameless. It’s less expensive than a fast food lunch deal, and can be enjoyed for much, much longer.