A classic point-and-click adventure, set in a rich fantasy world. The story is enjoyable, with a few interesting bits that kept me invested until the end. The game looks up to par with other titles from the same era, but I have to give credit to the animators, they did a great job. The animations are very smooth and detailed. The environments, on the other hand, are somewhat blurry, which makes looking for small items quite challenging. Puzzles are okay-ish, with some relying on non-logical solutions that make progress feel like trial and error, rather than clever problem-solving. It’s worth checking out, but expect a fair bit of tedium.
Part platformer, part run-and-gun, and 100% shareware nostalgia. Episode 1 is a blast: great pacing, fun exploration, and a great mix of action and humor. Unfortunately, by episode 2, the game starts to lose balance and by episode 3, the game turns downright brutal. The difficulty spikes and becomes uneven, one-shot traps feel unfair, and plenty of enemies can shoot you off screen. It still has charm and personality, but the later levels test patience more than skill.
Overall, a solid modernisation of the classic adventure game. We return back to Union City, a decade after the events of the Beneath a Steel Sky. The 3D presentation and comic book style fit the setting quite well, and the game offers plenty of references to its predecessor. The story is engaging and quite enjoyable, though it never reaches the feeling and atmosphere of the previous game. The puzzles, while serviceable, tend to be easy and often repetitive. The final chapter also feels a bit underwhelming, leaving the ending less satisfying than I hoped. Still, Beyond a Steel Sky is a well-made adventure game with charm, humor, and a genuine connection to the world of the first game.
A game that still holds up decades later. The story is a great mixture of dystopian sci-fi, dark humor, and mystery. The writing is engaging, Union City feels alive and oppressive in all the right ways, and the main character, Robert Foster, is likeable, witty, resourceful, and easy to root for. I think the music also deserves a special mention. It is atmospheric, moody, and perfectly matched to the game’s tone. For me, it has everything that makes a great adventure game.
A beautiful little piece of RPG history, more of a relic than adventure, bridging the gap between tabletop imagination and computer worlds. It's crude, unbalanced, and barely a game by modern standards, but historically invaluable. The fact that it was made by a high schooler makes it all the more impressive.
