Beneath a Steel Sky

Here at Citizen Game, we’re mighty fond of a bargain. But how do you know if a cheap or even free game is worth your valuable time? After all, you could be out walrus wrestling, or reading poetry to molluscs, or whatever it is important people do these days now that we no longer have an economy.

Luckily, our time is worth almost nothing at all, so we’ve plumbed the depths of the Intertubes to bring you our latest feature — Freebie Friday!

This week, we’re looking at Beneath a Steel Sky

In late September 2010, retro online gaming retailer GOG.com (Good Old Games) suddenly shut their virtual doors. They posted a message on their site explaining that due to this, that and some other things the site was no more and that they would put up a solution for existing customer to keep downloading their games. Twitter was buzzing with shocked messages and tweets that brimmed over with sadness. GOG was not the most popular project in terms of sales but it held a spot in a lot of people’s hearts. Ultimately it was all a hoax, a joke, the pulling of our collective legs.

Well anyway, marketing hoaxes aside, GOG.com offers you critically acclaimed games from major publishers in every genre and over a range of prices. Best of all they have a selection of games that are FREE!

Point-and-click adventure games by Revolution Software are second in quality to only LucasArts. Revolution Software developers of the Broken Sword franchise, In cold blood and Lure of the Temptress. But personally I believe the pinnacle of Revolution Software’s library is undoubtedly Beneath a steel sky.

I personally have a sad story that is more than a little melodramatic.  Many, Many, Many Christmases ago I received Beneath a Steel Sky for my Amiga 600. Sadly sometime during Christmas or Boxing day I was deep into the 15 floppy disc game only to come to a screeching halt, as I encountered 2 discs of the same number.  Terrible memories of a phenomenal Christmas gift.

But back to the game.

Beneath a Steel sky is a point-and-click science-fiction thriller set against a bleak post-apocalyptic, dystopian vision of the future. The game revolves around “Union City”, where selfishness, rivalry, and corruption by its citizens seems to be all too common and those who can afford it live underground away from the pollution and social problems which are plaguing the city. Playing as the sole survivor of  a plane crash, raised in the Australian outback and forcibly reintegrated into the city.

The game is a mix of  gritty cyberpunk aesthetics with absurdly comic conversations and mild H. P. Lovecraft references.  And if all that doesn’t tickle your fancy the game has had the loving touch of Dave Gibbons who’s best know for his work with Alan Moore illustrating the Graphic Novel Watchmen.

Article contains excerpts from Daniel Lipscombe’s article Good Old Blame