When “Watchmen” co-creator Dave Gibbons talks about his latest project, he focuses on the art. The difference between “Beneath a Steel Sky,” which came out in 1994, and it’s follow-up that was released today is profound.

The disparity can be seen in their creation. Gibbons said the original game was made from pixels on the screen and that was supported by a comic book that came with the game. “It let us tell the backstory,” he said. The art on paper turned the muddy graphics into a clearer picture in the player’s mind.

With the second game, “Beyond a Steel Sky,” the transition between his vision and the medium is smoother thanks to the powerful Apple hardware and the Unreal Engine. “The comic book and game have the same level of artistry,” he said. “It’s an emotional comic book. It has sound and atmosphere. We have a comic book turning into a game.”

“Beyond a Steel Sky” follows the original protagonist Robert Foster as he returns to Union City. He comes back to the locale after he gave orders to Joey, his sentient robot friend, to turn the area into a utopia. Players explore this seemingly perfect world in an adventure that keeps some of the elements of the previous game but mostly adapts to today’s technology.

The No. 1 rule when Revolution Software began making “Beyond a Steel Sky” was that players don’t need to know anything about the original to jump in the game, co-creator Charles Cecil said. Although the follow-up comes more than 25 years after the original, Cecil doesn’t even consider it a sequel. The upgrades have made it something else altogether.

“What we’re looking forward to is bringing the core gameplay ideas in 1994 and seeing how they can be translated now,” he said.

Cecil said “Beyond a Steel Sky” is different from other adventure titles by Telltale Games and Dontnod because it retains some of its point-and-click heritage. He said those developers created more of a story-driven interactive experiences while “Beyond a Steel Sky” had separate gameplay and story documents. Players have to deal with puzzles and other obstacles while handling an inventory.

In the first instance, Foster has to distract scavenging Gang-gang birds from a dead body. Instead of using an ineffective crowbar, it was best to use a piece of pie to lure them away so he can examine the body. The world is more dynamic in that way and players have the agency to change it drastically.

“At its heart, we drive the story through the gameplay,” he said. Cecil did say he worked with cinematography from Telltale in how they framed scenarios and how they made decisions, but the rest of the game retains its retro feel.

As for the story itself, part of the reason for the gap between the two game is that Cecil and Gibbons wanted to release it at the right time. According to a news release, it’s a narrative they’ve both had in their minds but “one they felt needed the right real world moment to do it justice.”

Cecil explained it like this: “The original game was made in mid-90s. The Cold War had been won. We had peace. Margaret Thatcher liberalized markets.” He said despite the rosy outlook, he felt uneasy and “Beneath a Steel Sky” reflected that anxiety. The follow-up is set 10 years later in the story and it looks at a world where an artificial intelligence controls everything and it creates utopia because of certain rules.

He brought up surveillance states and China with its social credits. He said the concept improves public behavior, but in the West, that idea is controversial.

Gibbons said that the first game was a cyberpunk dystopia, but in the sequel, they wanted to break new ground. “We went the other way. We look at a utopia. It was a creative challenge” compared to the easy drama of the original. Players can venture into Union City and experience that adventure today.

“Beyond a Steel Sky” has been release this afternoon on Apple Arcade.