The act of hacking has been glorified quite a bit in most entertainment mediums, and video games are no exception to this golden rule. Several titles incorporate some form of hacking or other in their games, with certain titles incorporating it into the core narrative while others allow players to use this method to bypass security and get through locked doors with ease.
Hacking can be quite a blast if done right, with many games using interactive minigames to ensure that players enjoy hacking to the fullest. However, not all video games nail it on the head when it comes to these hacking minigames, with the worst of the bunch being mentioned below.
8 Mass Effect
The first Mass Effect title introduced players to Commander Shepard and had a ton of heart, despite having its rough edges. One such part is definitely the hacking minigames that players were forced to bear in the game.
The idea of playing what is essentially a glorified version of Frogger isn't exactly the most engaging thing around. However, it's the endless repetition of this one minigame that makes it so grating after a point in Mass Effect.
7 BioShock
BioShock is one of the greatest video games ever made, with its story and atmosphere being absolutely stellar. As a result, some people can forgive some of the poorer parts of the game, such as its hacking.
The idea of connecting pipes to hack things in the game is so ridiculous that it's become a running joke of sorts. It doesn't help that these hacking sequences end up breaking the rhythm of the game in a pretty unwelcome manner too.
6 Fallout 3
Fallout 3 was the first step for this series into the action-adventure open-world genre for the series and it pulled this switch off in brilliant fashion. Regardless of the issues players had with its RPG elements, the overall quality of Fallout 3 was sublime.
The game also featured its fair share of hacking, with players having to figure out the correct password from a set of predetermined words that are listed on a terminal. This minigame can get pretty frustrating after a point, with players getting bored of doing the same thing over and over again.
5 The Batman: Arkham Series
The Batman: Arkham games are some of the best superhero titles around, serving as a template for several other action titles to be inspired by the amazing combat of these games. Of course, the Caped Crusader also performs several other actions to spice up the gameplay.
One such act involves Batman "hacking" certain terminals and the like by matching two frequencies together. Suffice it to say, this isn't really the best part of the experience, but it's something fans are willing to tolerate as long as they're focusing on the big picture.
4 System Shock 2
System Shock 2 is a classic in the world of immersive sims, BioShock serving as its spiritual successor is proof enough of how genre-defining this title really is. However, even this title has its missteps, as minor as they may be.
System Shock 2's hacking is pretty basic, with players having to highlight three nodes through a fair bit of trial and error. It's not really that deep a system and players will definitely get bored of it by the end of what is otherwise a stellar experience.
3 Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is a great video game that turned its reputation around after fixing its glaring issues. The game's story and combat are a ton of fun to go through, although there are parts where the experience does end up being slightly grating.
The hacking minigame is a great example of this, feeling pretty undercooked compared to the rest of the experience. Matching numbers across different rows and columns may require some thought but ends up feeling pretty underwhelming the more players interact with this mechanic.
2 Prey
The reboot of Prey is a pretty underappreciated game that more fans should check out. The immersive sim aspects of this title were amazing and made the act of exploring the Talos I a highly engaging and unnerving affair.
Given the sci-fi nature of this title, it's only a given that Prey has a hacking minigame that is pretty odd, to say the least. The player needs to move a cursor through a field of obstacles to reach the designated area in a certain time limit, with the total number of required successes depending on the level of a hack's difficulty. Suffice it to say, it's far from Prey's best part and ends up bogging down the experience quite a bit just because of how mundane this act really is.
1 Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
Pretty much any Assassin's Creed fan will agree to the fact that the best parts of the game stem from its exploration of the past instead of any modern world shenanigans, and no game encompasses this more than Black Flag. Roaming around this vast world as Edward Kenway is a blast, and players hate having this taken away from them during the title's modern segments.
The worst part about these moments are the hacking minigames, where players have to move a node through moving hazards to reach the breach point. It's another use of Frogger as a hacking mechanic and feels even worse since it comes at the game's low points.