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Great...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: September 22, 2002
Author: Amazon User

It had been a while since I'd played a quality adventure game, and finally I came across Syberia. This game is stunning in almost all areas; the graphics are phenomenal, the art direction is nothing short of beautiful. The story, while wonderful in concept, is hindered by several aspects. First of all, the melodrama which takes place in the U.S., outside of the game setting, gets utterly tedious to listen to. What makes this fact even more frusterating is that the drama is completely unnecessary. Kate Walker's fiancee and devious friend have nothing to do with the object of the game in and of itself. What they do have to do with is an annoying little side plot which does nothing to enhance the game experience. You can get past this, however. What I recommend for all players new to the game, is that whenever you get a call from Dan or Olivia, skip all the text immeadiatly. Believe me, it's nothing important, plus you get the luxury of withholding a large amount of sap that may or may not keep you up at night.

Gorgeous, but not very fun.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: January 20, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Syberia is a textbook case for beauty in games, but its gameplay really leaves a lot to be desired. Not only is the game over too soon, but it is FAR too easy and the puzzles are boring. The characters are fine, but the attempted development and maturation of the main character, Kate Walker, really was not particularly well-done.

The game's main problem is that the point-and-click interface just really doesn't work out in this case. The screens are too expansive and Kate too small and slow (running or not) to keep the gameplay interesting, and, again, the puzzles are just not particularly thought-provoking.

None of this changes the fact, though, that you will want to explore this beautiful world simply for the reward of seeing everything. It's just too bad the gameplay didn't reach the bar the graphical design raised.

Oooh pretty! . . . Is that it?

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 9 / 13
Date: March 27, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Everyone is in agreement that Syberia is pretty. The plot is interesting and somewhat original. The game is easy to play. The voice-acting is a step above most adventure games. And so on.

Note, however, that the only reviews which reference the quality of Syberia's puzzles are negative. I played the game about 3/4 through, eventually deciding that there were no impending "challenges." The puzzles can be summed up as follows (and I'm being totally literal):

If you find a lever, pull it
If you find a button, push it
Pick up an item and put it where it obviously belongs

If that isn't easy enough, the NPCs provide unsolicited walkthroughs, and this isn't an option. In other words, there is NO "solving" of puzzles to be had. Some games are aptly characterized as interactive movies, but even that implies some skill or decision-making on the part of the viewer/gamer.

The game may redeem itself in its last quarter, but if you're in it for the puzzles, you'll die of boredom before you get there.

Syberia raised the bar on adventure games.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: March 19, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The scenery and graphics in this game is really fabulous. Just the buildings' architecture, colors and room views alone bring you into a place that is both modern but a hundred years old.

The story line is good and although I did have to get hints from the website - UHS Hints, to help along at the most challenging times, that only added to the pleasure of the game (any game) because I could move on.

The movements of the protagonist, Kate Walker, are surprisingly realistic, (although Syberia 2 made them even more fluid).

One or two tasks are repeated in each "chapter" with a slightly different manner, such as winding the train for power before you can leave to the next city, and this familiarity is a confidence booster. If every single scene had all new logic, it would drive me nuts.

I actually finished this game and played it again, then bought Syberia 2 to repeat the fun. I hope they make a Syberia 3.

An Astounding Piece of Art

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: April 15, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I can't quite say what it was that drew me to buy Syberia. I simply saw it on the shelf and picked it up for some reason. Then I put it back. Then I picked it up again and read some more of the reviews. Then I put it back down and thought that it would probably be best if I were to save my money for something I actually knew more about.

As you can probably guess, I'm not the most decisive person. I have to admit that Syberia is one of the best computer games I have bought since Myst III. Actually, it probably is the best computer game I've bought since Myst III. As a writer I have always been drawn to games with a definate plot, such as The Journeyman Project and Myst. Syberia met and surpassed my expectations. The graphics are stunning, but the really astonishing thing about this game is the characters, who are brought to life with some of the best voice acting I have heard in this type of game. Each and every one has a solid personality and identity that invites you to learn more about them. The character of Hans, for example, is one that you learn about very slowly until you get an impression of him that, when you finally do meet him, seems both an exageration and an understatement. The plot and the subplots are interwoven to guide the shaping of the main character, allowing development like I have never seen in this particular genre. Some have complained that it is too short, and I must admit that I hardly wanted the game to end. I would say that the reason for how short it seems is not that the story itself is short, but rather the fact that once you have started you will find it almost impossible to stop until you have reached a conclusion, much like the main character in this story. The ending is somewhat open ended, but the execution makes a statement about the character that I personally find to be both inspiring and enchanting. In fact I felt a strong desire to follow. In short, if you're going to spend $...on a game, spend it on Syberia.

One of the special games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: July 20, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Every once in a while, I come across a game that sticks with me long after the end credits. Syberia is one of those games. I completed it almost a year ago, and yet I felt compelled to come back and write a review on it.

In terms of interface and gameplay mechanics, it's a fairly standard point and click 3rd person graphic adventure. Yet, from the moment the game begins, it's obvious that there's something special here.

The first thing that will grab you are the graphics-- they are quite simply amazing in every way. Watch the way the rain spatters on the ground during the opening cinematic, or the fluid movement of every character, or the way the in-game water moves and reflects. More importantly, you'll soon realize how much care went into making this game's world have a certain look-- forlorn, desolate, yet teeming with amazing mechanical inventions that provide just enough of a light-hearted touch to steer the game from being drab.

The second thing that will grab you is the music. While it may get repetitive after several hours of nonstop gaming, and may swell in the wrong places at times, it's still beautifully written, and does a spectacular job of adding to the mood of the game.

But what will grab you the most is the story and the characters. Designer Benoit Sokal takes a relatively dull-sounding plot, and makes it fascinating. You are Kate Walker, a New York lawyer sent to a small French village to handle the sale of an automaton factory. Upon arriving in this village, you find out that the owner has just died, and the sale cannot go through as planned. But you also learn that the owner had an eccentric brother, who is now heir to the factory, but who has been missing for several years. Your task, naturally, is to find the brother. It doesn't sound like a thrilling plot, but the magic is in the telling and through the locations you visit while searching for the owner's brother. Kate Walker is not your standard video game character, either. She's very real. She changes throughout the course of the game. Her priorities change, she grows as a person, and she comes to realize who she really is deep down. The character development we see in her comparable to what we see in some of the better novels out there, yet somehow the designers managed to work it all into a very playable game.

I will say there were a few things that bothered me about the game early on. Unlike other games of this genre, you can't interact with the background scenery as much as you may want. You can't click on every interesting thing on the screen and get a description. This was particularly disappointing because the backgrounds are so wonderfully drawn, making you really want to learn more about everything you see. On the positive side, this limitation allows you to keep moving through the story, since unimportant items will usually not be interactive.

The puzzles in Syberia are very well crafted into the context of the game. You rarely feel that the puzzle is interupting the plot because it just fits into the flow of things. You also rarely get hopelessly stuck. Most puzzles can be figured out through some sense of logic and deduction.

The characters you meet during your quest are as fascinating as the game world itself. They all have distinct personalities, and by the end of the game, you're bound to remember a few quite fondly. Again, it's like reading a great novel in that sense.

As much as I enjoyed Syberia, I should warn you that it probably won't appeal to you if you play computer games strickly for an adrenaline rush. This is a game about story and character development. It's an intelligent, thoughtful game that doesn't race along. There's only explosion in the entire game, so take that as fair warning. There are also no real "bad guys" to speak of. This didn't bother me at all. In fact, I found it a refreshing change of pace.

One last warning, and I'll try to say this without giving anything away. The ending feels premature. It ends without a full conclusion, and this is slightly disappointing. On a positive note, this was done because the full conclusion will be revealed in Syberia 2, which is due for release in October 2003.

If you enjoy good a good story, thoughtful gameplay, interacting with a cast of well-developed characters, and sumptuous graphics, you would be really shortchanging yourself by not giving Syberia a chance.

Wonderful story, gone too quickly

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: November 17, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Syberia is a wonderful game. The plot is fantastic, the graphics are beautiful, and the music is great. Unfortunately, it is also short. It seems that just as you are settling into the familiarity of your journey it comes to an end, and you are sad to see it go.

If you've played The Longest Journey and are looking for something similar, I strongly recomend Syberia. Like The Longest Journey, the game is filled with memorable charcters, interesting locations, all tied together by an engrossing story.

One last note: The puzzles in this game are very much secondary, story was quite obviously what the developers were interested in. Few will have any real difficulty completing it, but the game is enjoyable none the less.

I adored it!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: February 03, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Syberia was the most fun I'd had since The Longest Journey. I was tired of playing so-so games and was quite pleased with Syberia. It's graphics are beautiful, the story is believable, and the locations are incredible. I had very few gripes with it, and unlike some other reviewers, I didn't think that the phone calls were completely unnessecary. They set the stage for the ending, giving Kate a reason to do what she did. I loved this game, and it's definately worth getting. It does seem a tad short, but was very fun none the less. The only thing that really bothered me was the back-and-forth thing in one location. You were required to bounce back and forth, talking to the same people over and over. That was a bit of a snore. Luckily, that was only one part, and that was the only thing that really bothered me.

Not Challenging, but Very Enjoyable

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: February 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I found Syberia to be less of a game and more of an interactive story. The puzzles are, for the most part, quite obvious. So, if you're looking for a challenge, you won't find it here.

On the other hand, the story is wonderful and quite captivating. I enjoyed working my way through the story so much that I wasn't really disappointed by the lack of problem solving required. The graphics are absolutely beautiful -- probably the best I've seen in any game. The music is quite good, as well. Some people complained about the abrupt ending, but I found it to be quite appropriate to the story.

Even though the game was not much of a challenge, Syberia reminded me quite a bit of the Monkey Island, Longest Journey, and Morpheus adventure games. If you like the style and atmosphere of those games, you'll probably enjoy Syberia.

Great Graphics, Good Story Line, Adventuring as it should be

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: April 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Syberia is one of the most enjoyable adventure games I have ever played. Its graphics are superb and the interface is easy to manipulate. The program is a memory hog though so make sure you have enough system resources to let it run properly.
My main gripe is the speed at which the main character moves...even when she is supposed to be running, it is often painstakingly slow. There is also a bit too much of solving a portion of a puzzle in one location, moving on, only to have to return 2-3 times more to completely solve it. There are also some characters in the story that are way too long winded in cut scenes designed to give clues. I would recommend having a "walk-through" on hand in case you get stuck. There were some puzzles in the games that were not very obvious (despite what another reviewer says) and many things one would never even think of doing that are required to move to the next level.
Highly Recommended despite these few short comings.

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