Beneath a Steel Sky

Developed and published by Revolution Software and released for the PC in 1994, Beneath a Steel Sky is an adventure classic that is often referred to as “the 1984 of video games.” The game is set in a dark, futuristic environment where humans live in a totalitarian society that requires them to be slaves to technological progress. While based in a fictional version of Australia completely wrecked by pollution, most people live in the massive Union City. Played from the third-person perspective, the game’s controls are based on simple point-and-click adventures, where the left-click examines various objects and the right-click interacts with these objects. The game is linear for the most part, although the puzzles it does contain are rather simple as long as you apply logical thinking skills.

The development team responsible for creating the game was able to progress the game’s dark story line, while interjecting the humor and witty dialogue that Revolution Software is best known for. In addition to the thought-provoking plot, the game’s soundtrack includes impressive voiceovers that add to environment’s overall intense feel. This game was also groundbreaking, as it was both highly innovative and technologically advanced for its time. The NPCs (non-playable characters) are not only constantly moving, but can also move out of the way should you run into them. This differs from other games of the era, as NPCs in those games are either static or set to walk on a repeated path. Overall, the game’s unique plot and environment, along with its innovations involving NPCs, makes this game a successful and enjoyable experience that can still be appreciated to this day.