Beneath a Steel Sky

Beneath a Steel Sky is a traditional Point and Click adventure, released by the company responsible for the Broken Sword series and Lure of the Temptress; all quite popular in their own right. The game takes place in a futuristic, highly mechanized post-apocalyptic future in which everyone lives in sprawling, metal cities with buildings that stretch miles into the sky.

Those people on ground level in the cities can only see steel above them, hence the title "Beneath a Steel Sky." The cities are where the majority of the current humanity lives, as outside the cities is a blasted wasteland known as "The Gap" that is home to primitive tribes of people.

You play as Robert Foster. As a child you lived in the City, until a helicopter crash and killed your mother and left you stranded in the Gap with no way home. You were taken in by one of the tribes and raised by the wise man until you forgot all about the life in the City. Then one day, your foster father sees a premonition of great evil waiting in the steel city. Before long, another helicopter approaches, filled with soldiers from the City. They're going to take Robert home- whether he wants to or not.

Game play: Traditional point and click with a stripped down interface. It uses the simple "Look," "Use," and "Pick up" commands, a scroll down inventory, and movement is handled entirely by the mouse. The puzzles you encounter are a bit easier than most P&C games, sometimes as simple as crow barring open a box or door. A left click on the ground moves Robert to that point. LC on a hotspot to 'look' at it, and RC on a hotspot to use or pick it up. Move the cursor to the top of the screen to see your inventory where the same rules apply- LC to look at an object, RC to select it, RC on a hotspot with something selected to use it. It's a bit unconventional, but you'll get used to it.

Sound: This is one of the first adventure games with recorded dialogue. It's slightly stat icy and jumpy, but the acting is pretty decent. The stitching between lines of dialogue sometimes is off, meaning two lines will be in different tones, even though they're by the same person, in the same conversation. The background music is well done for its age and adds a pleasant atmosphere.

Graphics: The cut scenes are comic-book style which is aesthetically pleasing. However, the game itself is sprite and pixel based and could be perceived as ugly today. In their day, they were cutting edge and very well done. If you can't stand older graphics, avoid this one, but if you can remember this game's age and want some nostalgia, it's pleasing to the eye.

There is some light humour involved in this game, lightening the oppressive atmosphere that is supplied by your broken robot buddy JOEY, keeping the game from becoming too bleak. Personally, I recommend this game to all P&C fans.