Syberia

I had never played Syberia until I found it on GOG. And I am impressed: it's a game with an absorbing atmosphere, a low-key, quirky mystery plotline, gorgeous scenery and music... one of the few games where cutscenes feel like a reward, a genuine treat, rather than something you have to suffer through to get to more gameplay. The puzzles are minimalist, reasonably intuitive and mercifully do not send you hunting hither and yon to gather five dozen items to perform a simple task. I played the game right through in two days. Only a couple of small flaws keep me from giving it a perfect rating. One was how annoying and clueless everyone in Kate's life is -- and in general the voice-acting is serviceable but not super-impressive. The other was that while the game doesn't suffer from the kind of absurdly counter-intuitive and overcomplicated puzzles that originally sank the point-and-click, there was still a lot of pixel-hunting and even one point where I had to consult a walkthrough in order to avoid having to randomly punch three-number combinations into a keypad in order to advance. But those are minor gripes with an otherwise excellent game.

Probably one of the better, if not top 10, point and click/adventure games I have played, and I have played a lot. Syberia has a unique story with very creative quests, puzzles, and characters. The puzzles are doable! As crazy as they may seem sometimes, I only had to use a strategy guide once (making the mixed drink), most of the puzzles can be figured out rationally. Pros: characters, character development, puzzles, beautiful backgrounds, story, ability to run, and music. Cons: Outdated graphics, but hey you're on gog, what do you expect?

I gave up on adventure games pretty much completely more than 15 years ago, but found myself sort of curious to try this one ever since it was given away for free and did in 2019. And I was stubborn enough to never glance at a guide, figuring everything out on my own, the fact that I was able to do so quite clearly meaning that there wasn’t much Moon logic involved. There were also no inventory puzzles, and in fact there were few items in inventory at any one time, being able to pick up an item usually meaning that it’ll be used soon, and the pointer indicating invalid actions doing away with the need to actually try everything. For that matter, most of the time there was just one actual available action, the trick being to find it. That did lead to a few moments of searching the entire current area from one end to the other for something I missed, but those were fewer than expected, and once or twice the solution had been staring me in the face all along, and actually more interesting than I thought. Other than that, the story was interesting enough, and while Oscar was rather too much to ask in terms of suspension of disbelief, the rest of it did quite well in walking that line between being too mundane for such a game and too ludicrous for one nevertheless placed in this “reality”. Also, quite liked the locations, the backgrounds, the whole setting and atmosphere. Liked them enough that I wasn’t bothered by the screens that had no relevance from a gameplay perspective, though I would have been if I wouldn’t have quickly discovered that double clicking made Kate run. The 3D characters didn’t fit so well, and they moved particularly oddly, but I guess that has to do with the technological limitations of the time. Stairs were always annoying though.

Let me say it straight, this isn't a game for everyone. This game is slow, you will have to walk around and resolve riddles and puzzles. Don't play for the graphism either. Put that aside and you have a game with atmosphere (sound design and voice acting are really good), and a good story. You will meet several characters who will help you in your quest. Those are well written and add credibility to the world, who is, i must say, quite empty. But let's not forget that it came out in 2002. And then you will learn about Kate, through phones calls with relatives. Even if sometimes i was frustated by her reaction, this is a great idea that remind me of firewatch. In the end a good little game with a unique world and story, enjoyable, even if dated on a technical point of view. Looking forward for Syberia II.

Granted, there's Syberia 2 but I have not played that one so it would be dishonest for me to say otherwise. There are few games that can capture the essence of loneliness. Syberia is perhaps one of the greatest. Although it manages to guide the reader through a compelling story of a world with many decaying landscapes and an independent woman diligently trying to find her client, the story ends rather abruptly. Yet, in all honesty, it does end rather well. If only those who complain about work could find a reason to leave their lives behind like Kate does. It certainly would give certain people hope in this day and age: to find a great adventure and abandon the daily grind forever. The fetch quests are certainly a negative point for the game. I remember so many times when I had to make Kate run back and forth across a region (beautifully done regions, mind) just to complete some silly objective, and then have her run all the way across the region back to her train, but thankfully those moments get broken up by cute and interesting scenes. Ever see a violin concerto played by robots? Or how about an old maritime Slavic couple? Or have you had a lengthy conversation with some Proctors at a prestigious University? Those are scenes in video games that almost never get introduced to players. Syberia is a game that really shouldn't be missed. But do keep in mind that it's short and that there are some frustrating bits. Still, the old saying holds true: No Pain No Gain. There's certainly much to gain from a playthrough of Syberia!