Perhaps adventure games were meant to be the children of graphic novelists. The legacies of other games in the genre (such as Myst) are the sometimes mystifyingly complex puzzles that drive the gameplay. Syberia, however, is a story driven game, where the player's primary motivation is not to solve the puzzles but to see what happens to the characters after said puzzles are solved. This game wraps you up in a gripping and emotional story while showcasing some of the most beautiful scenery in any game of any genre. The player finds themselves caught between the desire to see Kate Walker successfully continue her quest and the yearning to never leave the lovely and enchanting places where Kate finds herself. At times, the dialogue can be tilted, silly or trite, and finding oneself running back and forth between two places can become a bit dull, but it never quite diminishes the magic of the game. It does not quite make my list of all-time favorites, but it barely misses the cut.
