Syberia

One of the, if not the, best games of all time. And the sequel was just as good.

The story is very straightforward. Posh Lawyer, Kate Walker needs to get a signature from the owner of the Voralberg automaton factory. So that her boss, can complete the sale of the factory to Big Toys inc. The entire game is about solving every problem that gets in Kate’s way of find the owner. But during this journey Kate Walker also discover new sides of herself. The npcs in Syberia play minor roles. Only helping or hindering Kate for a short while, before the story moves on. There is not much difference between them. And the characters representing Kate’s past are all, obviously designed, to be unlikable. Many of the scenes in Syberia are beautiful enough to hang on your wall. But, for a game, they are very static. The music, which is pleasant, only plays when you discover something new, or solve a puzzle. Which makes progress very rewarding. During most of the game, you hear some kind of background static, like wind or the air conditioning. The beautiful but static background, in their subdued colors, together with the minimalistic audio design, creates a very somber atmosphere. Enhanced by the slow pace of the game. The animations are nicely done and the game makes sure you watch them. every character turning around, or every set of stairs that Kate walks, you have to watch. And everybody in Syberia takes their time when they talk. At least you can skip through the dialogues if you choose. Most of the puzzles are easy and logical. While some are solved because there are only a few items to rub together in every scenario. All in all a beautiful and worthwhile experience.

Point and clicks are what I originally played computer games for, and this has got to go down as a classic. From the beautifully rendered scenery, through the amazing personalities and storytelling to the great soundtrack! It's great to enjoy a truly ingenious title that has difficult and challenging, yet not frustrating and illogical puzzles. Benoit Sokal is a genius for writing it and it's sequel and I think that it was the saviour of the genre when it was released. An intuitive and simple control system and a beautifully constructed plot that really captures the imagination!

This game has really stuck with me. It's been forever since I played through it, but I remember being really impressed by it: it was one of the first adventure games I ever played, and it really got me into the genre. I remember thinking about how Kate's character evolved over the course of the story, and it's truly impressive how fully realized her character is. The setting is fantastic - probably the strongest part of the game. The puzzles are standard, probably a little easy for most experienced adventure gamers, but they were at an excellent level for me. I never got too frustrated, and they were over quickly so I could continue with the plot. There was a real sense of satisfaction with discovering new locations, and I absolutely loved exploring this highly detailed, beautiful world.

It's a great adventure. I don't know why it has mixed reviews. PROs: Beatiful graphics. Original and interestings story. The puzzles makes sense. No pixel hunting at all! CONs: Traveling from screen to screen could be a little slow and boring when you get stuck with a puzzle.