I like how Robert Foster is an old-fashioned game hero with no inner demons to drown or who is operating in a trendy grey area where no one is neither good nor bad. In fact, Beyond a Steel Sky is in many ways respectful of genre traditions but with modern wisdom and presentation. The game can be enjoyed without prior knowledge of Beneath a Steel Sky but obviously, it has a lot of gentle nods to its predecessor. And unlike the original game that felt too short for me at the time, Beyond a Steel Sky has a good length to it with a well over dozen hours to see it through. During your stay in Union City, you will encounter some sensible and some crazy people, solve many tricky situations with a common sense and wit alike, bump into unexpected faces of the past, get your grumpy friend Joey back, visit the old cyberspace, uncover the truth beyond, erm, the steel sky, and leave some goodbyes along the way.
Unfortunately the game has a few logic issues of its own. A handful of bugs, including one that breaks the game and forces you to retreat to earlier saves, threatens the delicate relationship of trust that exists between player and designer, as each time you get stuck, you question whether the fault lies with your reasoning or simply a glitch. Patches will, no doubt, quickly fix the issues, at which point Beyond a Steel Sky will join its stablemates as a modern classic.
A fantastic adventure with some at-times brain bending puzzles that stays remarkably true to the original game. Some minor technical issues mar the experience slightly but it’s a great return for Foster and Joey.
Beyond a Steel Sky pays its particular tribute to the 1994 classic, while renewing and adapting its graphics and controls to the new times. Despite some minor flaws such as the conversational system, some somewhat crude facial animations or some occasional bug, the sequel does not disappoint. The return of Robert Foster is something that is appreciated and that suits the genre very well.
Beyond a Steel Sky is a a worthy follow-up to the original game. Its story, characters, atmosphere and puzzles are truly enjoyable and its comic book visuals are totally fitting. It's just too bad that it doesn't feel well polished and that some people will, more than surely, have some headaches because it's sometimes really tough to know what the next objective is.
SummaryA 3D adventure thriller, set in an AI-driven future. Subvert the world, hack the systems and solve the conspiracy to uncover the devastating truths.