Beyond a Steel Sky Reviews
Handsome visuals can't quite make up for bugs and a lack of urgency.
Filled with what made the original game great, this second trip to Union City has been worth the 26-year hiatus.
A long-awaited sequel to a 1994 classic that can't hold up against its predecessor.
Nonetheless, Beyond a Steel Sky magically brings its 1994 ancestor back to life. The style, the humour, the chirpy dystopia are all revived. However, a lot has happened since that first golden age of adventures, and if you want a creative addition to the indie-fuelled inventiveness of the modern genre then you should look elsewhere. This is a game that remembers exactly how great things were in 1994, but isn’t much interested in how great they were last week.
After 26 years, Beyond A Steel Sky is a strange yet welcome sequel. Not quite fresh enough to stand alone nor nostalgic enough to stir the memory, it nevertheless manages to thoroughly entertain if not thrill.
Beyond a Steel Sky brings us back to Union city with more modern gameplay, but with the spirit of an old-fashioned graphic adventure.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
A good adventure game that faithfully recaptures the spirit of its predecessor while also welcoming new players with a few accessibility options and a storyline that can be appreciated even by those unfamiliar with Beneath a Steel Sky.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
Although there are some bugs and missed opportunities, the issues that plagued the game's release on PC and Apple Arcade have been largely solved, making the console experience far smoother. The result is a game that suits both newcomers and those who experienced Beneath a Steel Sky. Newcomers will find a great story that can be enjoyed as an independent game. Those familiar with the franchise will find a sequel that was well worth the wait, although it's unlikely to reach the critical acclaim of its predecessor.
Revolution's classic 1994 point-and-click adventure Beneath A Steel Sky saw you trawling the underbelly of a dystopian sci-fi city to uncover its grand conspiracy.
Glitches aside, this sequel to Beneath a Steel Sky is another absorbing journey into Union City
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.
A thoroughly absorbing and compelling sci-fi adventure story which perfectly balances dry humour and gripping narrative. It's worth overlooking the slightly dated cel shaded visuals and the linear structure in order to enjoy a refreshingly original game from the justly lauded developers.
Coming 27 years after its predecessor, Beyond a Steel Sky inevitably lacks the originality that made Beneath a Steel Sky such an instant classic, and a strong source of inspiration for many games that came later. Union City is now a 3D world, but it's still filled of clever puzzles and interesting characters, shaped around Cecil and Gibbons' view of society. It might not be as groundbreaking as the original, but Beyond a Steel Sky is still a good adventure that tries to offer a perspective on our society and how we should try to improve it without leaving anyone behind.
Review in Italian | Read full review
It's not a landmark title, but it does a few things well.
Beyond a Steel Sky is the perfect sequel to its predecessor, a journey that catches you from beginning to end thanks to an interesting story that manages to connect with us because of its similarity to real life. A story that processes us through a filmic and polished artistic design, putting the icing on the cake its wonderful soundtrack. However, like everything in this life it has its great shadows, mainly technical errors that can be solved in future patches, although others such as its artificial intelligence are much more complicated.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Revolution Software is back in the spotlight in better shape than ever. In the footsteps of that never really forgotten Beneath a Steel Sky takes shape a sequel worthy of its playful heritage, which finds in this new chapter a three-dimensional space and an unprecedented fluidity. Adventure with serious but not serious tones, Beyond a Steel Sky succeeds in the daring enterprise of combining the charm of the classic with that of the modern, giving life to a truly charismatic and playfully valid product.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Beyond a Steel Sky is a a worthy follow-up to the orginal game. Its story, characters, atmosphere and puzzles are truly enjoyable and its comic book visuals are totally fitting. It's just too bad that it doesn't feel well polished and that some people wiil, more than surely, have some headaches because it's sometimes really hard to know what's the next objective.
Review in French | Read full review
Beyond A Steel Sky might be one of the best examples of a point-and-click adventure game in the last few years.