Beyond A Steel Sky Review – XBox Series X

Way back in 1994 – before Johnny Silverhand’s current incarnation and all-neon-everything – developer Revolution Software and legendary comic book artist Dave Gibbons (of ‘Watchmen’ fame) crafted a cyberpunk adventure game like no other.

Beneath a Steel Sky was a landmark title, bringing PC (and Amiga) owners on a complex journey through a dystopian future tinged with comedy, action and political commentary in equal measure.

27 years after the original, was a sequel to the seminal classic worth the wait? Find out in our Beyond a Steel Sky review.

 

 

Story

Close to thirty years later, the sequel Beyond a Steel Sky picks up the tale of everyman Robert Foster and promises a 21st Century take on the far-flung future.

Most importantly, the vast world-building remains intact, the imposing Union City remains a character in itself as you return to the spiraling skyscrapers and brutal architecture of this oasis in the sand.

Those not well-versed in the original game’s plot are given a brief synopsis and introduction to events via stylised comic book panels, evoking all of the cinematic grandeur of the classic title.

The underlying themes of class, surveillance states and shady conspiracies are all present and correct, returning to a protagonnist ten years after the events of the first title – agency created by the suprising abduction of a younng boy.

Weighty subject matter, but once again it is deftly handled by famed game writer and Revolution’s MD Charles Cecil, bringing acerbic wit and humour to the game in inventive and amusing ways.

 

 

Gameplay and Visuals

The game revels in 90’s 2D point-and-click trappings – combining random items, pixel-hunting for essential clues to solve obtuse brainteasers – but drapes them in decidedly modern sheen with polygonal graphics and lengthy cutscenes.

In doing so, moving your character is modernised also with direct control of the protagonist and button taps replacing the mouse clicks upon its arrival to consoles.

However, the gameplay remains familiar – talking to the denisens of the various places you inhabit, exploration and subsequent interaction with the lushly-detailed environments are all present and correct.

Puzzles remain head-scratchers, but rather than being limited to single-screen scenarios your solutions could be anywhere in these immersive vistas that you wander through, making for the occasional roadblock for those less inclined to lateral thinking.

A novel addition to this title is Robert’s hacking tool – a device which enables you to spot vulnerabilities in the current area, and basically have a little tinker!

Diving into everything from vending machines to product assembly lines, you’re able to swap around progamming commands through a surprisingly simple interface, making for often surprising results…

From hacking security doors and gaining access into restricted areas, to all manner of non-plot essential messing around, the tool lends a surprising level of depth and complexity, as well as provides healthy distraction throughout.

Visuals shift from Lucasarts-inspired pixels to a cel-shaded perspective for Beyond a Steel Sky, still evoking comic book stylings with dark, hard lines and distinct art direction.

A bit of an acquired taste and there are the occasional graphical hiccups, but certainly nothing to distract from the sprawling saga unfolding as it progresses from dusty desert to incredible cityscapes.

 

 

Verdict

Straddling a fine line between nostalgia and novelty, Beyond a Steel Sky’s mere existence in this time of safe sequels and triple-A blockbusters is a revelation, and great that it’s finally broken its Apple Arcade exclusivity shackles and comes to console.

Still a little rough around the edges in a near-endearing fashion, the passion and verve for Revolution and Dave Gibbons continuing to tell Robert’s story is clear, and the themes and topics are possibly even more prescient than they were in 1994.

Frustrating on occasion but throughly entertaining throughout, Beyond a Steel Sky is an incredibly effective modern take on the point-and-click adventure, as well as a riveting cyberunk experience.

 

Beyond a Steel Sky is available on Steam, Apple Arcade and GoG, as well as all modern consoles. Review code supplied by publisher.