Reminiscent of "Blade Runner", "Beneath a Steel Sky" is a classic point-and-click adventure game.
This narrative is told preceding any gameplay in the comic book stylings of "Watchmen" creator, Dave Gibbons, and foreshadows the tone of the adventure the player will soon embark on. Demonstrating grittiness, mystery, and great voicework, all done with a mix of off-beat humor, the stage for "Beneath a Steel Sky" is perfectly set.
The world of the game is one similar to the 1982 Ridley Scott movie, "Blade Runner." There are impressive steel sky scrapers, trench coats, androids, and a noir-inspired tale told in a dystopian world, but has characters and a story all too unique to separate it from its cosmetic similarities.
The story of where Robert Foster is from, why he was kidnapped, and who "The Overmann" is are all discovered in a game embracing a point-and-click style frequently seen in the glory days of adventure games, including Revolutionary's own "Broken Sword" series. It is lusciously animated in a pixelated style that, while not modern by any means, still holds up as well as any other game of the era.
Along with classic gameplay and a great sci-fi-noir feel, "Beneath a Steel Sky" does many other things right. For starters, it introduces one of the more memorable sidekicks in adventure game history, a robot named Joey. While his electronic voice can be a bit grating at times, he is humorous and a great way for Revolution to include twisty and engaging puzzles that require more than the typical tedious item fetching and inventory combining. With regards to the difficulty of its puzzles, the game really strikes a great balance. There are enough easy solutions to keep the game moving, but enough challenging ones to reward the player with great "A-ha!" moments that adventure gamers love so much. Whether Robert is looking for a new body for Joey to use or trying to knock an arrogant, fur-wearing factory owner down to size, there are plenty of tasks to keep a person busy in the world created.
Though a pleasurable and memorable play, "Beneath a Steel Sky" is not without its faults. For starters, the game suffers from a lack of real "adventure" for an adventure game. In its barest sense, the story is essentially an attempt to reach the lowest level of a vertical city. Though the creators did a great job of giving each floor its own feel, it can feel a bit same-y, especially when one realizes that they are literally trying to get to the next LEVEL. It also features a slow and at times confusing and even repetitive requirement to plug into a virtual system and solve puzzles as a naked purple avatar. Finally, the game is a bit short, lasting around 5 hours, depending on how long it takes for one to solve various puzzles.
Ultimately, Robert must determine who is responsible for an all-knowing computer system named LINC and what happened to his father before finding his own freedom. He will discover a deep world with funny and memorable characters, unexpected twists, and a surprisingly dramatic conclusion. Though the credits may come a bit too soon and not quite satisfyingly, it is a heck of a time getting there.