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If you are reading this, then Syberia 2 is now available in stores. So before we get started, I have one question for you. What are you doing, wasting time reading this review?! You could be playing Syberia 2!! My pal Vermin and I have been anxiously awaiting this game since we played Syberia together two years ago. Upon finishing that game, we promised each other we’d play the sequel together if and when there was one. As I zoomed up the 101 up to her place in Santa Barbara last Friday, I couldn’t help fearing, “Are we setting ourselves up for a huge letdown here? How could this second game not be a disappointment?” A couple of hours later, after which we’d gushed ourselves hoarse about the game’s virtues, I can safely say that no, we were not disappointed. Chapter 2 I’ve been accused recently of not discussing the faults of games I like, and of giving away too much plot and even endings. The endings part isn’t true (saying an ending SUCKS isn’t giving it away), but I’m such a nice guy I’ll try to make amends for both sins here. Second Sin first. I’m not going to tell you whether there are live mammoths or not. So there. I’m not even going to talk about the plot. At all. Beyond to say it’s simply a narrative continuation of the first game. So there. First Sin second. No, this isn’t a perfect game. The biggest thing missing from it is the sense of surprise created by the first game. If you’ve played that game, you’re already used to the idea of the wondrous mechanical creations of Hans, and you’ve had plenty of time to speculate about his outlandish dreams of a mammoth-infested northern paradise. So there’s little edge taken off of the sense of wonder.
The game is a bit shorter than the first and the puzzles are a bit easier. While this might disappoint some players, the upside is we found the puzzles to be much more organic and intuitive this time around. Okay, so much for the horrible stuff. And for the record, the game is, like its predecessor, a third-person point-and-click adventure with an interface that’s invisible until you pull it up. When you do, it’s elegant, stylish and efficient. Also, there are unlimited save slots, always a good thing. The Beauty Part Syberia 2 is the most beautiful game I have ever played. At a time when I would have wagered that real-time rendered graphics had finally won the graphics war, Syberia 2 is a magnificent triumph of old-school, pre-rendered graphics. Working from the ravishing artistic sensibility of writer/director/artist Benoît Sokal, from beginning to end, the game is simply a work of art. What struck Vermin and I over and over again were the many lush details that enriched the visual, auditory, and gameplay experience. Visuals: Things like the way the sun would catch the outside of a door when it opened. Or the squirrel running along the train trestle. Or the occasional clump of snow slipping off the roof of a building and landing with a realistic-sounding thump. Or the beautiful reflection of Kate whenever she’d walk over a puddle. We’d make her walk over puddles again and again just to watch the effect. None of these visual details were necessary to the game; they just made the game better. The real-time lighting effects were employed beautifully throughout. And, as Vermin pointed out, even the subtitles have character.
Gameplay: As mentioned, in general the puzzles are more organic this time around. Most of the tasks we got saddled with seemed to make some sort of sense. Because of this, there’s not as much frustrating to-ing and fro-ing as there was in the first game. There’s also not the annoyance of all of those locked doors that lead nowhere – remember that? There are a couple of pretty sticky puzzles, however. Two of them can be solved with enough trial and error, but one of them – involving a clock – feels a bit too much like a refugee from Reah or Schizm. This is probably the worst single moment in the game, as this opaque puzzle stops the game in its tracks until you solve it. For the most part, however, the puzzles are lots of fun. There’s a particularly interesting one in which you use cups of water, a fish skeleton and an owl-like predator bird to manipulate a lemming through a maze of ice. The game is full of beautiful cutscenes, all of which are available to replay after the first time you come across them. Particularly visually delightful are the scenes of Kate’s boss back in New York trying to figure out how to get her back. These scenes are produced with a bunch of gruff talking men in silhouette in front of a beautiful round deco window. It’s very reminiscent of the look from the early scenes of Citizen Kane. In fact, the game has such cinematic flair that you wish Microïds and Sokal would team up and actually make a feature film. I promised not to talk about the plot but I will say that you will get very swept up in it. And for those who found the automaton Oscar a bit irritating and unhelpful in the first game . . . Well, you might find him exactly as irritating and unhelpful this time around. But all I can say is just wait a bit, it's worth it. Death By Penguin
Two things impressed Vermin and I the most about Syberia 2. First, its production values feel so luxurious it’s hard to believe an adventure game would get such a budget these days. Second, from stem to stern the game feels like it was built by people who loved their work. The loving details that went into this game are so numerous and delightful, you’ll want to play this game very slowly and savor it all. This is the most TLC-drenched game I’ve played since Anachronox. I have to quote something off of the Microïds website. Under the heading “Our Philosophy,” it says, in part:
They have certainly achieved that goal with this game. While not perfect, the virtues of the game overwhelm its minor shortcomings like a tsunami over tinkertoys. I have to congratulate Microïds – in collaboration with Benoît Sokal they have created three of the most beautiful and compelling adventure games ever released. As a gamer, I earnestly thank them for Syberia 2. And I think you will, too. Final Grade: A+ (and that’s just because I can’t think of a higher grade) System Requirements:
This review is copyright Ray Ivey and Just Adventure and may not be republished elsewhere without the express written consent of the author. Republication of said review must also contain a link back to Just Adventure. |
(reviewed
on PC)
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