Beneath a Steel Sky (1994)

I just finished Beneath a Steel Sky again. For the first time in - wait for it - 12 YEARS! The game came bundled with the first Sound Blaster 16 cards in the nineties so basically every kid with a 286 was playing it. At the time it was the one of the few quality adventure games that weren't Lucasarts or Sierra and my first introduction to cyberpunk. Set in a Blade Runneresque dystopia you - Robert Foster, and your metal sidekick Joey have to find a way to escape this metropolis prison and certain doom. This is a must play from the golden era of adventure games and it will keep you entertained for hours with a solid story and the all purpose crowbar to go with it.

I finished this adventure for the first time in my life. And I have very mixed feelings about it. +: The story is mostly fine. It does not keep you in suspense, but it's believable and I can empathize with Robert. Game is very humorous with dark notes. Every NPC here is unbelievably good written. -: Game logic is very immersion breaking. There was not a single time I forgot that I'm playing classic "point and click". Here is a motorcycle magazine. Why do I need it? To exchange for a city tour ticket. Why do I need that one? It turns out I can give it to the pipe factory owner. Why? etc... The whole game is like that. Robert is constantly saying that all he wants is to get out of this city. And it seems that he does absolutely nothing to accomplish that. Death mechanics seems to be completely out of place here. Death feals absolutely unearned each time, and only makes a player to constantly save the game when action looks dangerous. This is done much better in Full Throttle, where the game restarts after death at a moment when it's still possible to change something. Death in the metro tunnel is completely ridiculous. Robert either dies - or makes an action that does not make any sense from his point of view. Complete this picture with occasional pixel-hunting. You certainly can have fun playing this game. It's free, it's funny. But find some game guide and keep it open.

I would not have expected this game to be as good as it was. When I first installed it I did expect much. Once I started playing, I couldn't stop. The game was somewhat short, but a great way to pass the time. The story was very well played out, the graphics were good for its time, and the voice was great. Beneath a Steel Sky exceeded my expectations. I recommend everyone to at least give this title a try.

Add Blade Runner and all dark-future-stories together and you get Beneath A Steel Sky. It has all: Action, suspense and a brilliant storyline. If you are a fan of good old adventure games: play it! Now!!!

20 years on it still ranks as a very decent, old-school point & click adventure game with an interesting thematic mix to its story and a kick-ass title/name. And it’s now free on GOG. While not perfect, it's still worth downloading and playing through at least once.