Think you’re an expert at the art of being stealthy? Have the skills to maneuver quickly and quietly to avoid detection from various enemies? Then why not enter the world of stealth action in Hacktag? Play with others to hack into various systems and other databases. Prove your skills and become the expert hacker or stealth agent in Hacktag!

Hacktag is an overhead stealth/action game where players take the role of two job classes to complete various stealth based missions. Hackers use their wits on the virtual space to disable various systems and keep the agents on the field safe from harm. Stealth Agents are on the ground avoiding guards and using their expert spy-like skills to get the mission done. Together, these agents can get any mission done with a bit of skill and finesse. However, their enemies won’t take their infiltration quietly and won’t show any mercy if they capture either agent! Be prepared to move quickly, quietly and skillfully if you want to prove your skills in Hacktag!

In Hacktag, players assume the role of a stealth agent or hacker. Each role is critical to accomplish various missions set before you. Hackers must infiltrate the various security systems to turn off cameras, neutralize security on doors and hack various systems to help their teammate. Meanwhile, stealth agents are on in the field physically. These agents must move quickly but quietly to obtain data from PCs and various systems all while avoiding security in whatever way possible. Teamwork is a must in Hacktag and only the best hacker partnership will make a mission go smoothly.

For many gamers, if we were to ask what is your favorite stealth/action title, they would say Metal Gear Solid probably. Since the NES days, the Metal Gear Solid franchise has been the supreme commander of the stealth/action genre leaving many others to follow behind it. While we here at Honey’s Anime love Metal Gear Solid, we have played numerous stealth games like Volume, Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine and Invisible, Inc. and always crave new ones to enjoy like these titles. Then as if our prayers were answered, we got our hands-on Piece of Cake studios most recent game called Hacktag. Several hours in, we think we know what works about Hacktag and what unfortunately doesn’t. Let us talk about this co-op-based stealth/action title in our review of Hacktag for the PC.

Now Hacktag isn’t trying to create a huge story or set up a world filled with lore for the player. Instead, Hacktag is simple with players creating an animal-like human to go on various missions to hack different places for various reasons. Some missions will take players through shady corporations and others will take them through getting a private password for access to a bosses’ personal PC. Regardless of the mission, Hacktag is all about one thing and one thing only. Playing stealthy and using teamwork. Let us explain what we mean.

In Hacktag, players will assume the role of two class types. You have the stealth agent and the hacker class. The stealth agent is where players use their creator character to infiltrate various areas in an over the top third person perspective. You’ll have to avoid tough guards, security cameras and equally need to move quickly—but quietly—to score the best possible end score. However, in Hacktag, players will also need to rely on the hacker while the stealth agent is on the field. Hackers will be playing in a grid like perspective where they move their portrait over various nodes. Hackers will need to unlock doors, stop camera systems and even avoid anti-virus systems to avoid being capture. If either agent is caught then the player free must save the other before a timer hits zero or it’s mission failed.

Hacktag seems simple, right? Just avoid detection and work together to win a map. That’s where you would be wrong about Hacktag. You see folks, Hacktag is a co-op focused title and for players to succeed teamwork and communication is key. Unlocking doors, hacking certain systems and even evading capture often requires both classes to work in unison quickly and effectively. This is where Hacktag shines, we loved playing with a friend or stranger trying to figure the best means of progressing and never felt like Hacktag wasn’t fun if we had to use a specific class. Both hackers and stealth agents have their pros and cons which ultimately makes using both enjoyable.

When players beat missions, they will gain levels, new special perks and can even try their luck on a loot box system for new clothing and accessories to pimp out their agents. It makes for nice incentive to keep re-doing a specific location on harder challenges and to work for faster times for higher rewards. Though as we mentioned before, Hacktag is great like this when you’re not going at it alone. When Hacktag is in solo mode, the game suffers a bit unfortunately.

Single player mode—which we commend Piece of Cake studios for somehow accomplishing—isn’t as enjoyable in Hacktag. Here players will gain both hacker and stealth agent classes as they take on various missions. The biggest problem with this design is that it requires a lot of patience and skill to move both classes individually. You need to be weary of where an agent is and where the hacker is as well otherwise while you’re not looking—you can dual screen but it’s sometimes hard to see what’s going on—they will be captured before you know it. Plus, going solo in Hacktag just loses that fun co-op element and thus becomes stale after a few hours.

Though two things that don’t become stale are the impressive visuals and music. We loved the cartoon-like art for Hacktag. If you’re a fan of older spy games and or TV series, then Hacktag will probably give you some nostalgia with its presentation. Equally, the music sounds retro at times and equally pretty modern. When you’re trying to run from a guard the music ramps up and makes your heartbeat faster, while the quiet moments have a simple jazz ambiance like a spy movie. Needless to say, Hacktag isn’t going to tire your eyes or ears out after several hours of playtime.

Hacktag really shows that the stealth/action genre isn’t fully out of ideas yet. While Hacktag is very simple and doesn’t have numerous modes to play, it does have excellent co-op play whether online with friends or using the same screen. The solo mode of Hacktag suffers from a bit too much micromanaging as you must now utilize two-character jobs with one mind but with some practice and patience, missions are still fully possible and thus, solo mode works as a whole. Hacktag is a truly awesome title and while it’s hurt by a weak number of active players—at the moment—if you have a friend willing to play with you then Hacktag is a blast. If you need some stealth action gameplay done right, then we fully recommend downloading Hacktag.

While Hacktag isn’t perfect, it does more right than wrong. We love the dual job system and equally love how simple Hacktag is but with room to master it as missions become harder and require even more smarts/teamwork. Solo mode is where Hacktag suffers and due to the low amount of current players, this is where you’ll find yourself playing the most unless you grab a in real life friend to game with you via the same screen. We here at Honey’s Anime sincerely hope more players download Hacktag as we think Piece of Cake studios has done an incredible job with this stealth/action title. What are your thoughts on Hacktag? Tell us what you’re thinking in the comments below and remember, for more game reviews and news, be sure to keep stuck to our hive here at Honey’s Anime.