Enemies in action games would be so much easier to deal with if you could just program them out of existence.
That idea is at the core of Hack 'n' Slash, the new Early Access puzzle-adventure game from puzzle-adventure powerhouse studio Double Fine. Is there an obstacle standing between you and that treasure chest? Try hacking it out of the way. Are aggressive enemies hassling you? Go ahead and hack that mean streak right out of their behavior. Is your HP meter running dangerously low? Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about that — ha! Just kidding. Go ahead and hack yourself back to health.
In today's Overview, Mike McWhertor and I slap on our oversized, reflective ski goggles (the universal apparel of hackers, naturally) and give Hack n' Slash a spin. You could come along, but do you know anything about hackers? Can you jam with the console cowboys in cyberspace? Ever read Neuromancer? Ever experienced the New Wave? Next Wave? Dream Wave? Or Cyberpunk? I didn't think so. We'll handle the hacker Overviews.