I thought it was one of the better adventure games I played recently, if a bit too short. The puzzles were logical and not too difficult, while the pixel hunting wasn't that terrible as some reviewers described. I got stuck once because I didn't know inventory items could be combined. I must have been pressing the wrong mouse button, and anyway there's only one or two instances of intra-inventory item combinations, so it's easy to overlook. There is, however, quite a bit of backtracking through recycled screens, which I found to be a drag. But the final part underground was exciting enough to keep me ploughing onwards, and the voice actors were mostly fine.

Quite possibly the most annoying thing for me was that everyone (aside from Eduardo and the tribal chief from the intro sequence) had an English accent of some form or another when Union City was quite clearly supposed to be a futuristic dystopian version of Sydney, Australia. Though even I'll admit that's a rather minor complaint.

But yeah, it really does get weaker and weaker as the game goes on. The voice acting is rather shitty (though that was kind of typical for video games in the 90's) and I doubt they could make a more rushed and cheesy ending if they tried. Especially "who was the real monster, though? LINC or you?" or whatever it was. If anyone has ever heard a more eye-roll inducing moment, I'd love to hear it.

Also agree with the OP. After getting inside the subway, I feel the game doesn't live up to the enjoyment of the beginning and middle parts. Although I really loved the atmosphere in the subway and underground laboratory (the futuristic/organic duality is one of my favorites horror themes (Ex: Doom & Dead Space)), the puzzles become rather plain and the ending too rushed up. I was expecting more from the climax.

It really looks like the game had to be released in a hurry, hence the rushed final part. However, I don't think it hurts the game too much. It's still a nice story and I always thought it just needed a sequel. Lo and behold! The development of BASS2 is scheduled for 2013 :-)

At least it's one of the few video games to acknowledge that yes, British accents are a little more in-depth than the one evil/high class generic accent everyone in Hollywood and their mother use in everything.

I too enjoyed the game, and now that I've almost finished my 2nd playthrough I can see why it's a classic of the genre. But I agree that there were definitely some plot holes, or at least things that weren't sufficiently explained. For example:
[Warning: spoilers!]







- What was the deal with all the androids? What was their connection to LINC? Who was Gallagher and what were his intentions? Who actually killed Anita and why? None of that seemed sufficiently explained, but I may have missed something.

- Why was LINC growing all that organic tissue anyway (because I assume that's all meant to be LINC)? I guess that's somehow connected to the fact that its controller was an organic being, but it's the human error rather than the actual organic flesh that's the real issue behind LINC's takeover, yes?

- Given that you use the same personality chip for vacuum Joey, welder Joey, medical droid Joey, and Ken, how come the last two are completely different from either of the previous two incarnations? OK, fine, the med droid has a "limited syntactic processor" or whatever, but Ken seemed really completely different from any previous incarnation of Joey. I actually kind of enjoyed his bumbling, lovably dorky manner, though--he seemed more positive in his outlook than any of the Joeys.

- And what in the name of Sam Hill was the whole point of the courthouse scene? It seemed completely superfluous, almost like a comic-relief dream sequence of sorts.

- I do agree that just dropping a virused morsel of flesh in to the gaping maw was kind of an anticlimactic way to access the final room. But I thought Mrs. Piermont was rather fun. She gives our hero very important insight into his background, after all.

- As to the dorky music, I personally found it much more bearable in the "remastered" smartphone version of the game, where everything didn't sound all "midified."

I can address at least some of these.

-The androids were created by LINC to replace the humans - this is explained in a long and detailed conversation with one in the underground base. Gallagher was one ('family reunion'), and Joey killed him. Anita was, I assume, forced into the Reactor room without a suit on because she was in contact with Hobart and created a virus that could threaten LINC.

- I assume that Joey is affected by body changes in much the same way as The Doctor of Doctor Who - because each body is designed to work with a welder personality, a medical personality etc, Joey trying to be himself leads to...inconsistencies.

- I rather liked the courtroom - it showed just how high the corruption in Union City ran, as well as some comic relief. Not to mention how warped the personalities of its citizens had become, and to keep the engineer's name in your mind so he doesn't come out of nowhere in the end.

Well, sure, but the problem is, that particular conversation inevitably leads to the player's death, so if you're playing the game "right," you don't actually find out. Also, I guess I had kind of been hoping that Overmann, as the controller of LINC, would explain more about the androids once you found him. Of course Gallagher was one of them, but there too, there's no explanation from Overmann (or anyone else) that clarifies his specific position and motivations.

Oh well, I'm just being nitpicky--it was still fun! :)

Steel Sky isn't well-known for being easy, so it's likely that most players do have that conversation.

Those damn tongs were what originally got me stuck on this game for AGES when I played it back on the Amiga way-back-when!

There's a sequel?! Where!? When!?

Supposedly the work of the sequel will begin after the release of the new Broken Sword game

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beneath_a_Steel_Sky#Sequel

I'm scared and excited at the same time. They have a fair bit to live up to. Hopefully they won't wussy out and try to please the "mainstream". I doubt they will, but one never knows...

The only stupid thing I've noticed is that some of Foster's questings shout out: "Here! I'm a spy!"

Considering their work on Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse, I think it's a safe bet that it's going to be great.

I know I'm a bit late to the party on this one, but...


The question though is "why?" The only thing I can think of is LINC's desire to reproduce. Normally I'd think LINC would do it for efficiency, but LINC seems to have inherited too much bureaucracy from the council members to know what efficiency is.

Maybe Joey suddenly finding himself in a truly "fragile" body that has more senses (such as touch)?