Beneath a Steel Sky (1994)

About

"Beneath a Steel Sky" is a cyberpunk point-and-click adventure game where you play as Robert Foster, who was raised in a society of outcasts after being orphaned in a helicopter crash. When authorities kidnap Robert and take him back to the city, he embarks on a mission to uncover the truth behind his past and escape the confines of the city. Along the way, you'll solve puzzles, interact with characters, and explore a dystopian future.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 305 reviews

story81 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

Beneath a Steel Sky features a captivating story set in a richly imagined cyberpunk world, with well-written characters and sharp dialogue that balances humor with darker themes.
The game offers engaging puzzles that require logical thinking, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly frustrating, and it encourages creative problem-solving.
As a classic point-and-click adventure, it has nostalgic charm and is available for free, making it accessible for both new players and those revisiting it from the 90s.

The game's mechanics and controls feel dated, with some players experiencing issues like pixel hunting and unintuitive puzzle solutions that can lead to frustration.
The music and sound effects can be repetitive and annoying, with volume settings that reset frequently, detracting from the overall experience.
Some players found the story's pacing uneven, with certain sections feeling disjointed or lacking depth, which can diminish the impact of the narrative.

story
152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
44%
3%
The story of "Beneath a Steel Sky" is a compelling blend of cyberpunk themes, identity, and rebellion, set in a richly detailed dystopian world. While many players praise its engaging narrative and well-developed characters, some criticize the storytelling for being disjointed or lacking depth, with a mix of comedic and serious tones that can feel inconsistent. Overall, the game is celebrated for its memorable plot and humor, making it a classic in the point-and-click genre despite some execution flaws.
- “Beneath a Steel Sky is one of those classic point-and-click games that grabs you not just with its puzzles but with its world and storytelling.”
- “The characters are well-developed, and their interactions add depth to the story, making it one of the best examples of storytelling in point-and-click adventures.”
- “The story is engaging, the writing is extremely good: all dialogues are rather short, but witty and have a lot of puns.”
- “The worst part of the game is storytelling.”
- “Actually, there are only two story-related scenes in the game - the beginning and the very late ending.”
- “The story is incomprehensible and only slowly reveals itself to be boring; the characters and world-building have no depth, and the occasional sexual innuendo tends to be misplaced and unfunny.”
music
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
61%
7%
The music in the game is a polarizing aspect, with some players praising its immersive and atmospheric qualities that enhance the cyberpunk setting, while others find it repetitive, loud, and poorly balanced, often resetting to maximum volume when changing screens. While the retro soundtrack evokes nostalgia for some, it can become tiresome and disjointed, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the music is seen as a highlight by some, but a significant annoyance for others, impacting their enjoyment of the game.
- “The game's music and sound effects add to the immersion, giving everything a gritty, futuristic vibe.”
- “Music and atmosphere are the best parts of this game, minor points for character interactions.”
- “Gorgeous, detailed pixelated visuals, imaginative puzzles, great story, unique characters, awesome music and a fantastic, cyberpunk atmosphere.”
- “The music was very irritating to me, and out of place considering the locations and the perceived tension of the plot.”
- “I'm unable to continue playing the game because the music is too loud and annoying.”
- “Just remember to save regularly and don't bother changing the music volume - that slider is instantly reset whenever you enter a scene with different music from the previous scene.”
graphics
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
58%
8%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, reflecting its 1994 origins, with pixelated visuals that some players find charming and nostalgic. While the visuals may lack the detail and richness of modern games, they are often described as readable and fitting for the retro aesthetic, contributing to the overall atmosphere and enjoyment of the gameplay. Despite their limitations, many reviewers appreciate the game's artistic style and the engaging story, suggesting that the graphics do not detract significantly from the overall experience.
- “The art style is beautiful and visually it has aged well, and the interface is very modern in its simplicity.”
- “Gorgeous, detailed pixelated visuals, imaginative puzzles, great story, unique characters, awesome music and a fantastic, cyberpunk atmosphere.”
- “While clearly graphically impressive for its time, the visuals and sound are obviously dated, but that actually adds a lot of charm to the game for me.”
- “If you can get past the outdated visuals and controls, then you're in for an absolute treat.”
- “The pixel-art visuals (and the retro soundtrack) are at the level you’d expect from a 90’s adventure game, but not as detailed and rich as others from the same generation.”
- “And the visuals aren’t problematic because they’re pixelated; they’re problematic because the game expects you to detect which nondescript pixels are actually vital interactive objects.”
humor
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in the game is a blend of dark and bleak comedy, effectively balancing the serious themes of surveillance and corporate greed with witty dialogue and charming characters. Players appreciate the clever writing and voice acting, which often elicits genuine laughter, although some find the humor inconsistent or misplaced at times. Overall, the game is celebrated for its engaging and humorous narrative, making it a standout in the point-and-click adventure genre.
- “The humor balances the grim setting, keeping things from feeling too heavy.”
- “The game's grimy charm is balanced with the dry and witty humor of Joey, your robot companion, making for an engaging and entertaining journey.”
- “I couldn’t help but burst out laughing during an unexpected court sequence, hosted by a judge more hilariously incompetent than any Phoenix Wright character.”
- “The story is incomprehensible and only slowly reveals itself to be boring; the end-game dialogue was the only one bearing any weight. The characters and world-building have no depth, and the occasional sexual innuendo tends to be misplaced and unfunny.”
gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
70%
10%
The gameplay is characterized as a traditional point-and-click adventure, involving exploration, item collection, and puzzle-solving, though it often suffers from dated mechanics and illogical puzzles that may require a guide. While some players appreciate the engaging story and characters, others find the gameplay frustrating due to its reliance on trial-and-error and pixel hunting. Overall, the game balances nostalgia with creative elements, offering a mix of linear and non-linear gameplay that can be both rewarding and challenging.
- “The gameplay is traditional point-and-click, where you explore environments, gather items, and solve puzzles.”
- “Despite its dated graphics, the game's creative plot, compelling characters, and engaging gameplay make it a gem among point-and-click adventures.”
- “This is an old classic; the graphics are seriously dated these days, but the gameplay, the fun, and the humor are still just as good as ever.”
- “Gameplay isn't always logical and frequently resorts to trying every inventory item on every object and every person to progress.”
- “Most exploration and gameplay felt pointless.”
- “There's a few amusing moments to be had, but it's rife with walking around, never knowing what to do, since the writer never felt like foreshadowing any conceivable aspect to gameplay or plot for the player to ascertain what to do next or why.”
atmosphere
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
37%
16%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive cyberpunk setting, enhanced by striking artwork, evocative music, and detailed stage design. Players appreciate the contrast between the game's dark, gritty themes and the humor present in character interactions, which adds a unique charm. Overall, the combination of these elements creates a captivating and memorable experience that keeps players engaged.
- “The game’s futuristic world is beautifully grim, with an atmosphere that keeps you glued to your screen, eager to uncover its secrets.”
- “Gorgeous, detailed pixelated visuals, imaginative puzzles, great story, unique characters, awesome music and a fantastic, cyberpunk atmosphere.”
- “They capture the atmosphere of the different levels of the city, from bleak and sterile industrial level to the carefree life of the rich class.”
- “While the graphics are dated by today's standards, they possess a certain charm that adds to the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- “The jokes completely contrast against the game’s dystopian and dark atmosphere, but that makes them all the more amusing with how unfitting they feel.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users criticizing the lack of proper credits for voice actors and noting that the game feels unoptimized, especially when run on emulators. However, others praised the voice acting as cool and convincing, indicating a disparity in user experiences regarding performance and immersion.
- “One odd thing I noticed is that the voice actors weren't credited, which is a shame because I really enjoyed the performance.”
- “Cool, convincing voice acting performances.”
- “Porting it into an unoptimized emulator and calling it release-worthy is a joke.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight a conflicting emotional tone, where attempts at humor detract from impactful moments in the story, leading to a lack of emotional depth. While some characters experience meaningful emotional growth, these arcs are often overshadowed by less significant subplots.
- “He’s gone through interesting emotional arcs mirroring his physical transformations.”
- “The emotional and practical climax of the narrative is given less screentime than a comic relief subplot about a rich lady’s dog falling into a pool.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game has been criticized for being plagued with glitches, particularly with character AI issues, such as the companion not following the player, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences. Overall, users find the game to be quite buggy.
- “I appreciated the VT technique, even though I experienced several glitches where Joey would not follow me, and I would just lose him who knows where.”
- “Bad and incredibly buggy.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the need to travel between distant areas, which can lead to a repetitive and monotonous experience.
- “It's rather tedious going between different areas, especially ones that are far apart.”
- “Grinding can get tedious.”