Syberia II

One of the best adventures I have ever played!

The first Syberia is a classic in adventure gaming. It captured loneliness and desolation like no other game. I expected something similar from its sequel, but it didn't make nearly as grand an impression. The landscapes are mostly bland white, with little variety. The people you encounter are cardboard-cutout characters. Syberia had them too, but they embodied archetypes in a much better way. You might want to buy this game only to find out how the story ends, though if I were you, I'd wait for a price drop or special offer.

Having tried to play Syberia and finding it fairly boring, the only reason I played Syberia 2 was because I got it for free. So maybe I'm biased from the get go, but from experiencing the two games, they always seemed like the budget titles that somehow stuck with people, against all odds. Largely due to the weird story behind it, I imagine. A story that Syberia 2 doesn't really advance very much. Rather a companion of yours gets sick, so you need to abandon the journey temporarily so that you can treat him. It doesn't make for a very interesting game, and although interesting locations present themselves - ones you might find in an adventure novel, they get so underutilized, they don't really leave any lasting impression. The first great location you come across is a small town at the edge of livable conditions, which somehow has an old train track reaching it, and in fact, surpassing it. There's nothing ahead but snow, yet the tracks keep going. You'd think it would make for a very interesting town with quaint characters, but you only ever get to interact with a handful of the residents, and they all seem as normal as can be. It's the same in every location you come across - you get to interact with only a handful of people, none of them very memorable. There are the puzzles you need to solve, but most of the time they are fairly straight forward, involving going from screen to screen looking for items on the ground. There are plenty of screens, but most of them empty, and only serve to lengthen the game, since puzzles require you to move back and forth a lot. The main character could have been a draw, but she is devoid of a personality, possibly in order to allow the players to put themselves in her shoes more easily. There are other more unique characters, but a lot of them are fairly stereotypical - the quirky shaman of a tribe, the hunched over bad guy with a dumb sidekick, the religious guy who's secretly evil, etc.

I bought the first Syberia on xbox, fell in love right away. Then I found the second. Wow right away you can see the improvements. If you like Myst styled games this is for you.

Its hard to not recommend a return to the imaginitive world of Syberia. I very much relished the opportunity. This sequel does have a very restricted scope, and it might be considered relatively more straight forward in comparison to the original. Regardless, I think it is a story worth experiencing. It has wonder, intruige, and bittersweet moments. Exploring this universe is never boring. If you loved the first, don't sleep on it.