79: Beneath a Steel Sky

Number 79
(75.6 points)
Beneath a Steel Sky
1994: 42 (35.4)
1995: 72 (23.2)
1996: 84 (17.0)

The further we go up the list, the better the point-and-click adventures get, and this epic from the makers of Lure of the Temptress certainly is one of the best.

Set in the future, you are Robert Foster, on the run in Union City, with only a circuit board for your trusty robot companion Joey in your possession. The game is very similar to other point-and-click adventures, as your character tries to understand who wants to capture him, and why. The interface is very simple, with only the left and right buttons allowing you to interact with your surroundings and/or your inventory. Despite this, the graphics, drawn by Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons, create an excellent comic-book atmosphere, and the well-written interactions between characters make even routine conversations enjoyable.

I played this to the end on my PC, in its full-voice CD-ROM iteration, and I absolutely loved it. It went up against the Monkey Islands and Space Quests of the time and came out very favourably indeed. The dialogue writing is strong, the art is spectacular, and the light-hearted sci-fi plot draws you in. A great experience that you really have to try - just don't do it on the Amiga 500, as you lose the voices and the loading times are abhorrent. Instead, download the CD version and play it on ScummVM, as it's freeware, and you'll be able to play it on any device you like.

Recommended TOSEC disk(s):
Beneath a Steel Sky v1.0 (1993-03-10)(Virgin)(Disk 01 of 15)(Boot)
Beneath a Steel Sky v1.0 (1994-03-10)(Virgin)(Disk 02 of 15)(0)
Beneath a Steel Sky v1.0 (1994-03-10)(Virgin)(Disk 03 of 15)(1)
Beneath a Steel Sky v1.0 (1994-03-10)(Virgin)(Disk 04 of 15)(2)
Beneath a Steel Sky v1.0 (1994-03-10)(Virgin)(Disk 05 of 15)(3)
Beneath a Steel Sky v1.0 (1994-03-10)(Virgin)(Disk 06 of 15)(4)
Beneath a Steel Sky v1.0 (1994-03-10)(Virgin)(Disk 07 of 15)(5)
Beneath a Steel Sky v1.0 (1994-03-10)(Virgin)(Disk 08 of 15)(6)
Beneath a Steel Sky v1.0 (1994-03-10)(Virgin)(Disk 09 of 15)(7)
Beneath a Steel Sky v1.0 (1994-03-10)(Virgin)(Disk 10 of 15)(8)
Beneath a Steel Sky v1.0 (1994-03-10)(Virgin)(Disk 11 of 15)(9)
Beneath a Steel Sky v1.0 (1994-03-10)(Virgin)(Disk 12 of 15)(10)
Beneath a Steel Sky v1.0 (1994-03-10)(Virgin)(Disk 13 of 15)(12)
Beneath a Steel Sky v1.0 (1994-03-10)(Virgin)(Disk 14 of 15)(13)
Beneath a Steel Sky v1.0 (1994-03-10)(Virgin)(Disk 15 of 15)(14)