Beyond a Steel Sky Reviews
It's not a landmark title, but it does a few things well.
A long-awaited sequel to a 1994 classic that can't hold up against its predecessor.
For better or worse, Beyond A Steel Sky sticks to the conventions of its predecessor and classic adventure games. Fans of Beneath A Steel Sky are sure to be satisfied with Robert Foster’s newest escapade into Union City, but some of its charms may be lost on a more modern audience.
In conclusion, Beyond a Steel Sky will hold great appeal for fans of the original game. The artwork is impressive and the story is interesting but there are many drawn-out sections that can affect the pace of the game. There is a lot of questioning required that can become tiresome but the sections within the LINC/MINOS system are very enjoyable. Puzzle-solving can be rather challenging at times but the developer has added a hint system to prevent players from rage quitting. No knowledge of the original game is required but for me personally, this feels like a slightly missed opportunity.
Think of this game like a great Sc-Fi novel, only someones spilt coffee on it and now some of the pages are hard to read due to being stained or stuck together.
Beyond a Steel Sky still comes off as rushed and sometimes disjointed, with more than a few rough edges. Right up until the final ten minutes I could swear I was only halfway through the game. It’s still worth the trip if you’re a fan of the original, but Beyond a Steel Sky’s flawed journey doesn’t go far enough to truly recommend.
Despite its reasonably bright personality, an unpolished world and mediocre story makes this point-and-click feel more Beneath than Beyond.
The 3D environments just don't have the same magic, either. Beyond a Steel Sky's visuals are basic, and its locations are all a bit sterile. And that's a shame, because at its core, this is a heartfelt and often charming video game. If you're an adventure fan, Foster's second foray into Union City is fun enough while it lasts — but it struggles to be anywhere near as memorable as the classic titles that it draws from.
Beyond A Steel Sky has an enjoyable tale to tell that compliments the original game, building a newer, more modern dystopia atop the foundations of the Union City of old. It's just a shame that it's so rough around the edges.
A colourful and good-humoured 3D retread of 1990s point 'n' click adventures that despite the odd innovation suffers from the same frustrations and limitations as its ancient forebears.
Having never played the original, but certainly having played my fair share of old-school adventure titles, Beyond a Steel Sky definitely has an authentic feel consistent with the classic era but with some more modern trappings...
At first glance, Beyond a Steel Sky had good potential. I was curious about its premise of solving puzzles in a story within a cyberpunk futuristic world. Though most of my expectations were met, multiple problems, including some pertaining to the performance and the plot, ended up limiting an experience that could have been a must-have experience in anyone's [game] library. The plot is good but far from spectacular, especially because of how it depends on past events. Characters are unique and charming, especially when it comes to their voices, but they have simplistic animations that aren't natural sometimes. The puzzles are interesting, even if sometimes they demand an epiphany to be solved. In the end, it's a good recommendation for those who loved Beneath a Steel Sky or the fans of the puzzle adventure genre.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Beyond a Steel Sky plays well as a contemporary point-and-click adventure game but doesn't come off as a particularly striking or memorable one.
On the whole, Beyond a Steel Sky is a wonderful example of how that old-school puzzle adventure game can translate into the modern gaming landscape. It’s thought-provoking, good-looking, and fleshed out, all whilst retaining the spirit of the puzzler. Sure, it isn’t the most polished experience but it’s a well-crafted game with bags to offer for anyone who wants a story to engage with and some puzzles to stroke their chin at.
Beyond A Steel Sky is easy to recommend to anyone who would like a low stress mystery puzzle narrative adventure game. Although a sequel, the game does an excellent job of catching you up on previous events and you won’t feel out of the loop of the storylines. I hope this is a series that continues on. Although sometimes a bit slow in places with minor bugs, it’s an engaging world and story to be a part of, with creative puzzles and fun throughout.
It hurts to rate Beyond a Steel Sky like this; I don’t want the bugs to hold back what is truly an incredible and unique game. The world-building is genuinely amazing and the hacker tool is such a clever mechanic I’m itching to try out more. But the storyline is paced a little too slowly considering the urgency of the situation, and a bug preventing progression unless the player had the foresight to save early on is hard to look past.
Beyond a Steel Sky isn’t a perfect game, but it’s made with a lot of love and attention from the developer and is a must play for adventure game fans.
It is probably more often than not that long-time coming revivals don't stick the landing. Rather, they often feel cynical, desperate or misguided. Take Steps, for example. This absolutely is not the case with Beyond a Steel Sky. The writing and the way it weaves everything together honestly puts some of the biggest budget AAA movie titles to shame. Yes, there are some rough edges afforded by modern ascribe and default, but the fundamentals of a good story and adventure game are all present. More important is that it has a personality unique unto itself. It's clear why Revolution Software has such a loyal fanbase after all of these years.
To have fun in Beyond a Steel Sky you do not need to know the first installment - just like this type of production. However, it is worth remembering that this is not a production without errors and on the occasion of the debut on new consoles, they are still not avoided.
Review in Polish | Read full review
There's a solid adventure game in Beyond A Steel Sky. The puzzles make sense and ease newcomers to the genre, the story is mostly on point, and the writing is robust. Whether you're a longtime fan of the original or just coming to its world now, there's plenty to enjoy in Beyond. The multitude of technical gameplay and presentation issues make it difficult to eke out all of the joy you can from the title. If you can deal with all of that, then you'll find a fine adventure game to sink your teeth into. Otherwise, you might want to wait for a few patches to see if the issues get ironed out.