I study them Revolution Software and Microids unveil a new developer diary for Beyond a Steel Sky dedicated to the themes explored by the game. Directed by Charles Cecil (creator of the series of the Knights of Baphomet), and sublimated by the artistic vision of Dave Gibbons (legendary draftsman of Watchmen), Beyond a Steel Sky is the spiritual successor to the great classic Beneath a Steel Sky.
Charles Cecil details the social themes of the game. The story of Beyond a Steel Sky takes place in the heart of Union City, where an artificial intelligence is responsible for making the inhabitants happy. “I thought it would be interesting to think regarding how a society would evolve if an AI did everything possible to create a sense of happiness and well-being among citizens” says Charles. “I was very much inspired by the idea of the American psychologist Maslow who, in the 1940s, developed the concept of the ‘hierarchy of needs’ pyramid. At the very bottom of this pyramid, we find the basic needs, then the psychological needs and finally personal fulfillment. The higher a person rises by satisfying each type of need, the happier he becomes. In the game, Maslow’s pyramid concept is represented by the ‘Council’, divided into five ministries: the Ministry of Abundance, the Ministry of Comfort, the Ministry of Security, the Ministry of Ambition, and the Ministry well-being. But what happens when all the needs of Maslow’s pyramid are satisfied? This is one of the themes explored in Beyond a Steel Sky. “I remembered a quote from Will Durant, who said that every society is ‘Stoic at the beginning and Epicurean at the end’. He meant by this that societies die because they end up becoming decadent”.
Ambition is another major theme of the game. “Ambition can be both positive and negative. From a personal perspective, it can push you to accomplish things you thought were impossible, but it can also push you to be ultra-competitive. The more ambitious you are, the more you may be inclined to belittle and neglect those around you. Thus, ambition is translated into play by Qdos, a currency paid to citizens as a reward for actions deemed beneficial to society by artificial intelligence. “The problem, of course, is that the AI alone decides what’s right and what’s wrong, which isn’t necessarily ideal.”
Beyond a Steel Sky also cleverly uses hacking as a theme but also as a game mechanic. This allows players to understand the logic of hacked devices to then control their environment. Changing the logic of the world means that unexpected things will happen both for the player, but especially for the inhabitants of this world who are convinced that the AI is never wrong, which leads to interesting situations and resolutions original puzzles. “Of course, this is all just a video game. We leave it up to players to decide for themselves whether or not these themes resonate with our modern society.” Charles concludes.
