Beneath a Steel Sky (1994)

A solid entry from the past. The game has some nice cyberpunky anti-utopian atmosphere to it. The story is not great not terrible - it gets a bit predictable closer to the end, but it's not bad and you have nice main characters. The puzzles are solvable and logical. For the most part, there were occasions were I had to look up a walkthrough for an answer. The fact that the game world feels huge (which on its own is a good thing) and as you open new locations the old ones are still accessible doesn't make it any easier. Still better than many games of that era (looking at you Monkey Island). And yes, be prepared for some backtracking. The voice acting is good, but the music is a bit repetitive. Then again, the game is old, not sure it's fair to expect more. Same goes for controls and interface. Overall playing it feels like watching Akira. You can see it's old, but at the same time it becomes clear how much of an influence it is for other games that came after. Definitely worth the effort.

While there are smarter adventure games and surly better looking ones, few can rival BASS' originality and unique setting. Introducing the player to a world that is both familiar and alien. One of those games that you never forget, even after a decade.

Since Beneath a Steel Sky is free, there's no reason not to give this game a try, especially if you're a point 'n' click adventure game fan. Yes, the game hasn't aged very well in the graphics and audio departments, backtracking is a pain and so is waiting for your wisecracking robot sidekick, Joey. The game does have a lot going for it though including its weird, dystopian version of Australia and the fact it's fun and accessible to the players of today.

Beautifully designed levels, very nice narrative and brilliant characters will make me never forget this game. Always will remember Joey as one of the better designed in-game characters and companions together with titles such as the more recent Primordia game or even from the motion picture industry the robots from Artificial Intelligence directed by Stephen Spillberg. A must play. Don't let the free price fool you. This is not a game to pass.

some great puzzles that will get you thinking and an awesome storyline will keep you hooked until you get to the end of the adventure