Hackpoint – An introduction

Greetings Everybody,

Today we are officially announcing our next title, Hackpoint. First, the game’s title has changed a bit over time. You might have heard us talking about “Data Broker” or “Codename CyberGyver”, but we have finally settled on the name Hackpoint. Regardless of our title change, our game’s direction is the same as before. An immersive simulation game set in 2099, decades of climate change, warfare, and famine had left Earth in a hopeless state. Megacorporations hire corporate espionage agents to steal, sabotage and kill the competition.

The immersive simulation genre is kind of been thrown around as of recent. It means a lot of different things to a lot of people. So, let’s define what immersive simulation means to us; we see it as a genre that gives the player the belief that they are directly in our universe. There is no computer. We strive to have hard science fiction within Hackpoint, and this goes together with immersive simulation. The Away Team universe was built on hard science fiction, and we plan to keep it that way. Therefore, we strive for realistic boundaries and not artificial ones.

Hackpoint Questions:

So, what is Hackpoint? At its core, it’s an immersive simulation using the early looking glass games as inspiration and mixing in hard science fiction of The Away Team universe.

What does the player do in Hackpoint? You, Konner Williams, is sent to an environment to explore, exploit and infiltrate. Stealth is based on lighting and enemy alertness. Hacking is wireless or wired. Wired hacking gives you a more direct line and more access to hacked resources. Of course, this requires you to find a hackpoint. Potentially putting you in a more dangerous position. Social engineering is still one of the easiest ways to get into places undetected. Just pretend you belong, and people won’t know better. Using someone’s ID card will provide access to areas without raising suspicion. Lastly, you will see the power of the megacorporations change the world. Do contracts for one and watch their competition lose ground.

Where do you pull inspiration from the most? We pull inspiration from early Looking Glass studio games. The original Deus Ex and the original thief. As well as, a game called Strife from Rogue Entertainment. Allowing you to complete tasks the way you see fit. We also pull mechanical quality of life upgrades from the recent Hitman series and Fallout 4.

What does Hackpoint look like? The following is some very early environment screenshots.

How can I learn more about Hackpoint and be available for testing and feedback? Visit our Discord server. We will be pulling testers and giving people the chance to give feedback throughout development through our discord server. Underflow Studios is a very open game studio. We love to incorporate our fans into the development process.

The Future:

Lastly, hackpoint.io is coming out shortly that will divulge more information on Hackpoint and our future. This site will include a development map and a progress tracking system. This will allow us to show our progress much easier. As well, we will be updating twitter more and more with great screenshots and systems to show off.

Thank you for your interest,
Michael Brune