Beyond a Steel Sky comes to consoles after its launch on PC last year. This graphic adventure, a direct sequel to the 1994 classic Beneath a Steel Sky, is the work of Revolution Software, a benchmark in the genre, but does this port manage to be at the required level? We tell you about it in our analysis.
Those of you who were already in luck after reading in our analysis of your PC version to know that, after 25 years, Beneath a Steel Sky received a sequel, you are now again. Beyond a Steel Sky comes to the consoles of the past and current generation with an adaptation that thus broadens the target audience of the latest from Broken Sword’s parents. In this way the sensations of the old graphic adventures are recovered in the purest ‘point and click’ style with a more current air that, in no case detracts from the essence of the genre.
Just like the original title did in the nineties, Beyond a Steel Sky dares to explore some tricky questions that make the player wonder about certain Ethical dilemmas related to the use of social networks, careerism and autocratic or paternalistic forms of government. As I mentioned in the analysis of your PC version, it is not necessary to have played its prequel to be able to enter the world of Union City. However, the experience gains integers if you are able to remember some references that the title makes to characters and moments from its past.
Charles Cecil and Dave Gibbons, Responsible Artist with Alan Moore from the comic Watchmen, they have closed story, There are no multiple endings here based on our choices, I remind you, despite its appearance reminiscent of Telltale works such as Tales from the Borderlands, Beyond a Steel Sky is not a narrative adventure. The problems that I already mentioned in your PC analysis are still there, some gaps in the script or that the conversational system has been simplified in the purest Fallout 4 style, are elements that have continued to bother me in this second pass to the game.
Beyond a Steel Sky is now accessible to everyone
Thanks to the hint system it is difficult for you to get too stuck in the gameWith a well-honed sense of humor and a dozen elaborate scenarios, Beyond a Steel Sky manages to create an ideal atmosphere for lovers of the genre. The implementation of remote controls how well they worked on their PC version has now been strengthened thanks to the use of haptic vibration at times. The DualSense adapts perfectly to the needs of the game, being very easy and intuitive to handle with it in its version of PS5, which is the one we have analyzed.
The diagram sets accessed thanks to the hack tool worn by Foster from an early stage in history. And, of course, those who are a little more lost in the graphic adventures have the game’s hint system that was so well known in its PC version. I remind you that thanks to this hint system it is difficult for you to get too stuck in the game. In fact, they are so well run that you will continue to have the feeling of having solved the puzzle yourself.
This console version has polished off some of the glitches and small non-fatal bugs that we found upon its release on PC. However, some details such as the behavior of the AI is still somewhat lacking, frequently getting some NPCs in between actions or conversations, thus breaking the magic on some occasions. However, we are facing a fairly competent port, which takes advantage of the solid hard drive of the Sony machine to present some very short loading times.
Beyond a Steel Sky, allows us to activate the comments of the development team while we playWith an outstanding artistic section that takes advantage of the graphical use of the Unreal Engine 4 engine, the PS5 version presents two configuration modes called ‘high’ and ‘low’, the first operating with a higher level of detail in shadows and textures, but at a very just 30 images per second that is difficult to maintain the type in some moments. On low, the game runs at 60 fps, although with a somewhat lower level of detail. Choosing one game mode or another is a matter of the taste of each user, but given the type of experience that Beyond a Steel Sky proposes, I have chosen for the first time in the current generation to sacrifice the speed of frames for something more quality.
Beyond a Steel Sky’s comic book style gives it a unique look.
In the sound section, his orchestrated compositions and his main theme continue to stand out. With voices in English the game arrives translated into Spanish. However, and inexplicably we continue to find some small translation errors, although many others have been corrected. As a curiosity, Beyond a Steel Sky, allows us to activate the comments of the development team while we play, something that I did not explore in my first game and that, in this second round, has greatly enriched the experience.