Revolution Software unveils Beneath a Steel Sky sequel and it's out this year

Beloved 90s sci-fi point-and-clicker Beneath a Steel Sky is getting a very-long-awaited sequel, developer Revolution Software has announced, and it's called Beyond a Steel Sky.

A Beneath a Steel Sky follow-up has been teased many times over the years since the original game's critically acclaimed release back in 1994, but it seemed closest to becoming a reality in 2012, when Revolution Software said it would begin work on a sequel following completion of Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse.

While that project never reached fruition, Beyond a Steel Sky is both very real and very far into development. It's being designed by Charles Cecil with art by Dave Gibbons - the duo responsible for the first game - but those aren't the only familiar faces. Beyond a Steel Sky also sees the return of original protagonist Robert Foster, as he navigates a dystopian city ruled by a watchful AI, with the game focussing its Orwellian themes on "social control and privacy".

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There are some big changes, however - most notably in Beyond a Steel Sky's art style, which foregoes the original's 2D aesthetic in favour of full 3D, including giving players complete control of the camera as they explore and interact with the world. It looks glorious, with wonderfully bold comic book stylings - as you can see snatches of in the video above.

One area yet to be revealed is how the experience will actually play, given that Beyond a Steel Sky doesn't appear to feature the obvious trappings of a traditional point-and-click game. Speaking to Variety, Cecil explained that Revolution's goal with the project is to "embody the spirit of" classic adventures, while drawing on modern approaches seen in "walk-'em-ups" such as The Chinese Room's Everybody's Gone to the Rapture.

Beyond a Steel Sky is scheduled to launch this year on "PC, consoles, and Apple devices". It will also be included as part of Apple's newly announced gaming subscription service.