Revolution is back with Beyond a Steel Sky announcement

Written by Jack Allin — March 25, 2019 at 16:26

It's been a long time coming, but at long last fans of Revolution's classic dystopian cyberpunk adventure Beneath a Steel Sky can look forward to a sequel, as the acclaimed UK studio today unveiled the first details of Beyond a Steel Sky, due out later this year. 

While few tangible plot details have been revealed so far, the new game once again features protagonist Robert Foster as he returns in a "thrilling story of loyalty and redemption set in an eery and terrifying world of AI-driven social controls." Described as a "hugely ambitious adventure in which intelligent, humorous emergent gameplay drives an edgy narrative," the experience will be set in a "dynamic, bounded-sandbox world. A unique world that will respond to – and be subverted by – the player’s actions." You aren't the only one seeking to assert yourself, however, as "the game characters, driven by advanced AI tech, are willful and motivated," so you must account for their responses in approaching the obstacles in your path.

As with its predecessor, Beyond a Steel Sky represents a collaboration between Revolution and comic book artist Dave Gibbons. While Beneath a Steel Sky featured stunning 2D pixel art back in 1994, however, the sequel has a much different look. The aesthetic still has Gibbons' distinctive graphic novel touch, but this time around the game will take place in high-def 3D (although players will still be treated to an "original comic book vignette" by the legendary artist). Also gone are the first game's point-and-click mechanics, replaced with "elegantly simple, intuitive controls" adapted to each platform. Created not just for series fans but for newcomers as well, Revolution co-founder Charles Cecil claims the sequel will be "wholly intuitive to play and assumes no prior knowledge of the original game or its universe. We aspire to write a modern day 1984 told through the medium of the adventure game”.

First unveiled at the sneak peek of the Apple Arcade, perhaps the best news of all is just how soon all this will come to fruition. No specific release date has been announced just yet, but Beyond a Steel Sky is on track for a 2019 release on PC, consoles, and Apple devices.