Syberia

This is a really good example of a classic point-and-click adventure. The backgrounds are gorgeous, and the plot is excellent. But to enjoy it, you need to relax and play it slowly, and not be too quick to reach for a walkthrough, otherwise it becomes an exercise in frustration. A couple of days off sick on the sofa is best as it only needs a mouse to use, and is far more fun than watching daytime TV. However, it also has the worst problems of pixel hunting and hard-to-spot objects I've seen for a long time. I had to resort to two walkthroughs to find a book on a table that I was meant to be able to see. Perhaps playing it on a bigger screen would help, but it could also be solved by clickable things being a bit more highlighted. If you only play one game from this era, play The Longest Journey instead. But this is also worth your time.

The long journey of the the beige jacket woman with the same capacity of Eta Beta's shorts. But 20 years after its release, is this work from the mourned Sokal still valid? Yes, as its strengths (plot, characters, ost, immersiveness, very original setting, dubbing, interlude sequences, sound effects) still resist, as unfortunately its weaknesses (some objects are really difficult to see, so it is often necessary to brush each area of the screen with the pointer, non-skipable animations to move from one area to another). Luckily the objects that we have to take to solve the puzzle "errands" are usually found in the same area. In any case, if stuck, don't be afraid to look at a guide, because that's how it was possible to complete graphical adventures in difficult moments. Syberia alternates moments in which it everything runs smoothly and others with headaches due to not very visible explorable points (from this point of view there would be good to have a mod to increase the resolution of 2D textures backdrops) and a very important clue which must be paid attention about halfway through the adventure and remember it several moments later near the end (fortunately the soundtrack comes to the rescue a few times, indicating that we have done the right thing). There are backdrop points where it is intuitive to understand this is an interactive area, as well as others that are well hidden. Fortunately, the tools needed to complete the task are always found in the area where we station. To work on modern systems it needs dgVoodoo2, which however allows it to be played easily in 16:9. If 20 years ago this adventure was highly recommended for newbies, it is not longer now (unless a well-done Full Throttle-style remaster). However, it remains a small pearl of graphic adventures swan song era recommended more to fans of the genre with its unique setting.

I know you may be let down by graphics but, rest assured its story and musical soundtrack are worth playing this game!

Linear? Yes. Lot of "adventure game logic" (read "kind of stupid") puzzles? Check. Annoying ammount of objects you'd like to interact with and places you'd love to explore except you can't? Indeed. Has any of it ruined my playthrough (second one, after finishing the game about 15 years ago and forgetting most of the details and puzzle solutions in the meantime)? Not really. Syberia may not be the best adventure game and it certainly isn't the most challenging one. But it has never bothered me much. Why? Because once you enter its world (and if you're willing to accept its somewhat arbitrary limitations as to what our protagonist can do and where she can go) you will soon find yourself immersed in a captivating story (with some truly touching moments) inside one of the most unique and beautiful sceneries ever seen in a video game. In this sense, its linearity and lack of options to fiddle with stuff outside the main storyline actually helps the pacing, as you'll rarely get stuck for too long even on your first playthrough. Think of it as an interactive novel and you won't be disappointed!

Syberia is a point-and-click adventure- We will control Kate Walker, a Lawyer from New York, having to handle the sale of an automaton factory. The owner of the factory died before Kate could reach Valadilène, the small french town where the factory resides, and she now has to track down an heir, who disappeared a long time ago. This will turn into an unexpected adventure that will change her outlook on life greatly. The story is decent. The plot is not incredible, but the odd characters populating this world and their quirks are interesting, and rarely boring (some characters, especially the ones you can contact by phone, are quite annoying, though). The main draw is the atmosphere, with the automatons (the equivalent of robots, but functioning only on gearworks, which appear more magical than scientific) ever present in most of the game, giving a rather unique tone to it. The same can be said for the architecture in general, the music, and the world building that puts everything together to create a universe that is both melancholic and whimsical. Sadly, the gameplay is sub-standard. Interactive spots are sparse, you cannot examine anything (the game uses one mouse button to resolve all interactions), stairs are painfully slow to traverse, plenty of empty large rooms, you can't double click exits to "fast travel", the pathing is bad, animations are slow, inventory interactions are limited, and there is a good amount of backtracking (if you get stuck on a puzzle, it can be painful). Some puzzles have opaque hints, but they are rare. The pre-rendered backgrounds are gorgeous, even nowadays. The 3D characters are dated, but they don't look awful, for the most part. The soundtrack is sparse but very appropriate. Overall, the presentation is quite nice, despite the age. I think it's a good game for fans of the genre, if they can stand the slow animations, and aren't bothered by the "quasi-fantastical" elements stretching the believability of the setting.