After including Syberia in our recent review of the best steampunk PC games, we thought that the game warranted a closer look. It is a relative unknown among most gamers, but there is plenty that this game does well.
Read on for our Syberia review.
Page Contents
What is Syberia?
Syberia is a graphic adventure game that was released in 2002 for Microsoft Windows, PS2, and the Xbox. The game was developed and published by Microids and has spawned 2 sequels – released in 2004 and 2017.
Syberia is set in a fictional French town called Valadiene – a town heavily influenced by steampunk design due to the presence of a spring automation toy factory. As the story unfolds, the game then travels to the island of Syberia (which is based on a real-world town in Siberia called Wrangel Island).
Syberia was a commercial and has sold over 3 million units worldwide. It was also a critical success and received predominantly positive reviews upon its release, largely owing to its visual style and graphic adventure gameplay.
At the time of its release, Syberia was sign as a unique game with plenty of style, but does it hold up well in present day? Read on to find out more in our Syberia review.
Syberia – Story
The plot of Syberia follows the path of Kate Walker, an American lawyer who travels to Valadilene, France, to facilitate the takeover of a family owned toy factory by a megacorporation.
When she arrives, she learns that there is a sole remaining family member, Hans, whom she must seek approval from before the takeover can take place. Kate learns that Hans is a mysterious character who injured himself whilst searching for a prehistoric doll of a man riding a mammoth. His accident left him mentally handicapped and with an obsession for the doll, and his father disowned him as a result, despite his prowess with spring-automatons.
Kate journeys east to find Hans, navigating some complex clockwork locomotives in the process, and encounters an animatronic man named Oscar. Players then learn about Hans’ interest in tribe called the Youkol, who live among domesticated mammoths and inhabit the titular island of Syberia.
A few more mysteries unravel, leading your path to an industrial mining complex, Komkolzgrad. Here, Kate eventually finds Hans, who makes a decision about signing the factory release papers, and presents questions to Kate about her own purpose in life.
Syberia – Gameplay
The gameplay in Syberia is pretty simple – players have to click around their environment in order to interact with different objects and items to advance the story. It is a point-and-click adventure game that is very similar to the Broken Sword series. There are various puzzles and sequences that players must complete in order to proceed to the next stage.
For a 2002 game, the graphics are very decent, and some of the surreal settings used throughout the game provide some great visuals. As for the sound, Syberia creates an impressive level of immersion with a fantastic soundtrack and realistic ambient sounds.
Purely as a graphic adventure, Syberia is a very enjoyable experience and tells the story in a stylish and masterful fashion. Yet, if you’re looking for a game with a more fluid and hands-on style of gameplay, you may grow bored and frustrated with the game.
The Good
- Story
The story in Syberia is like one that you would find in a movie or a novel. It seems that a lot of effort went into writing the plot line for this game, and it really shows. The game is engaging, thought provoking, and moving, all while incorporating the fantasy elements of animatronic robots and steampunk culture – what’s not to love? - Puzzles.
Solving the puzzles is a very enjoyable experience in Syberia. They are challenging and engaging, while never feeling too monotonous or contrived. In a game with not too much in terms of gameplay, it was imperative they got this aspect right, and they did.
The Bad
- Pacing
Many gamers have complained about the pacing of the game and how long you spend seemingly walking back and forth through the scenery, despite its beauty. - Length
Some people complain about the length of the game, suggesting that it is far too short, especially considering some of the repetitiveness of the gameplay. others have also suggested that the cliffhanger that’s the game ended on came far too soon and could have been fleshed out a little first.
Games Like Syberia
Apart from the obvious Syberia II and Syberia 3, there are many games you could try if y6ou are looking for something in a similar mould. Here are some games like Syberia that you might like:
- The Longest Journey
- Sinking Island
- Machinarium
- Amerzone
Get in Touch
If you enjoyed reading this Syberia review and are a fan of steampunk games, you might also want to read our review of Rise of Legends.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh_lg15C3hA
What did you think of Syberia? Let us know in the comments section, leave a review of the game and join our Blog of Games video game blog community. If you have any questions, please get in touch below or contact me at richard@blogofgames.com