General information, selecting strategy Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Guide
Last update: 30 August 2016
Hacking allows to open door, safes, and obtain access to computers without knowing the codes. You can always use the Multi-tool, but it is expensive. In order to hack, you must have a sufficiently high level of hacking capture - as high as the security level or even higher. Developing Hacking: Stealth is helpful as well - it makes it harder for antivirus to detect you, but it isn't required.
In order to start hacking, you must walk towards a selected terminal and select the hack button. Remember, if a bodyguard nearby notices you, he will immediately open fire. A minigame will start in which you begin at the blue point and must reach the register through the folders: the green point/points (if there is more than one, you must take over all of them) or only the red one (frequently it isn't possible). You can only take over folders/points that are neighboring the one you've already taken over and the line allows that. Lines have arrows (if not, then they can be used in both directions) that tell you in which direction the data can travel - the antivirus must obey these rules as well.
You can take over folders by selecting the option Capture. Each folder can be fortified after capturing for no cost (developing Hacking fortify allows even better fortifications). A fortified object has a highlighted "pillar" on which it is placed.
Each of these operations has a chance that you won't be detected (it frequently depends on the distance from the red point and the level of security. It also depends on the level of Hacking stealth). If the system detects your activity, then antivirus will start working from the red point. It moves through all neighboring points and, just as you, it is trying to reach your source. If it succeeds (the time it needs is shown in the upper part of the screen), the hacking is aborted, lost programs aren't returned, you don't receive neither a bonus from the hacked data nor experience and you must wait until you can try hacking again (there is no limit of attempts).
For hacking you receive the following reward: from 25 to 125 experience points for each minigame, +5xp for completing it at first try. Additional rewards like experience, credits and hacking tools can be found in data storages that can be found as structures in some minigames.
Selecting strategy
Remember - the hacking minigame is not only about thinking - it's about reflexes as well. You can take over and fortify more than one point simultaneously!
Planning the best route is the key when hacking. You can use movement keys to check the whole map. You can also zoom in and out it. Select paths that will lead you to the target most quickly or the ones with the smallest detection chance - this can allow you to move undetected by antivirus for a longer period of time. You should also try fortifying all the points. However, you shouldn't do it necessarily from the start. It's better to fortify once the antivirus is active. You should start with the points to which the red line will come in the first place. You can always abort hacking when you know you won't win. If you do that, you can't immediately hack again - you must wait for the system to unlock.
All the pieces of a single minigame are always the same. Because of that, you can test various strategies if one of them isn't successful. Location of bonus elements, firewalls and rewards from the data storages are always the same.