Review – Syberia: The World Before
In a world where computing power is limited and humanity struggles to survive, the only things that can help are computers. Usually this involves building giant robots called Syberians who work as servants for human beings in order to do all of their tasks for them. It’s up to one man named Kate Walker, though she is an engineer at heart with no aptitude or interest in science fiction stories like these, but now it’s her task to save mankind from extinction by designing and building three new Syberian models before time runs out!
Syberia: The World Before is a game that was released in December of 2017. It is the third installment of the Syberia series, and it has been met with mixed reviews.
The Syberia series is a well-known and well-loved classic that has been around for a long time. The original Syberia game, created by Belgian comic book artist and video game creator Benoît Sokal, was launched in 2002 to critical and financial acclaim. Two years later, Syberia II was released, and it was likewise a hit. Then, in 2017, Syberia 3 was released, and both fans and reviewers blasted it. People were startled to learn that Syberia: The World Before, a sequel to the Syberia series, was in the works a few years later. Most were wary, particularly following the death of Benoît Sokal during the film’s creation. Would it continue to deteriorate, or would it be the ideal conclusion to the series?
A heartfelt reference to the previous games.
A word of caution to anybody who hasn’t played the previous Syberia games: if you haven’t played the other games before, you will have no understanding what’s going on. Syberia: The World Before begins off precisely where Syberia 3 left off, with just a brief and hazy review of the previous events. If you haven’t played any of the previous games before playing Syberia: The World Before, I strongly advise you to either read up on them or watch a YouTube video that covers the important narrative aspects from each game. On the other hand, if you’ve been a long-time fan, prepare ready for a thought-provoking experience.
Despite spending over a year imprisoned in a salt mine, Kate Walker is looking rather trendy.
Syberia: The World Before takes off just where Syberia 3 left off, as previously indicated. Kate Walker is imprisoned in a salt mine in Taiga, a fictitious country. Fortunately, she is ultimately able to flee, but it comes at a high price. She embarked on a new journey to learn more about herself as a result of the unexpected circumstances.
However, Kate Walker isn’t the only character in Syberia: The World Before. Dana Roze, a young girl living in Vaghen in 1937 who is striving to establish a reputation for herself as a pianist, will also be presented. With the arrival of the Brown Shadow in Europe at the start of WWII, her world is thrown into disarray.
Dana is equally as important as Kate in the tale, and she is the emotional center of it.
This is one of the most significant departures from the conventional Syberia formula in Syberia: The World Before. Dana Roze’s narrative is told alongside Kate Walker’s. You’ll be switching back and forth between timelines (and/or characters) throughout each chapter, and sometimes even inside the same chapter. It’s a clever twist that results in a few of humorous riddles that can only be solved by interacting with certain things in each period. While none of the problems in this game are very challenging, several of them are inventive enough to be amusing.
However, among fans of the franchise, the gameplay is likely to be the most polarizing. The inventive and challenging riddles in the Syberia games have long been acclaimed. In this regard, Syberia: The World Before is a significant divergence from the previous games. This is mostly a relaxing tour through the lives of our major characters, with little in the way of actual gameplay. Syberia: The World Before is more of an interactive film with a few riddles thrown in for good measure. By no means will any of the riddles stump you. Some staunch fans may despise this new approach, while others (like myself) will love the puzzles’ more organic feel and integration into the main story.
The puzzles aren’t very challenging, but they’re inventive and seem well at home in the story.
However, Syberia: The World Before is not without issues. The usage of fixed camera angles is an annoyance that carries over from previous games. It isn’t usually a problem, owing to the game’s linear design, but there have been occasions when I have missed a vital object or focus point because the camera wasn’t aimed in the appropriate direction to reveal it. Although entering and departing from a new location usually solved the issue, it was still a pain on many instances. There’s no way to skip any of the speech or cutscenes. This was the game’s greatest aggravation for me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve clicked on something I’d previously seen, just to have to suffer through the character’s whole inner monologue all over again. In a game that is so focused on its story, these occurrences had a significant impact on the rhythm at times.
An old acquaintance reappears.
Aside from the gameplay difficulties, Syberia: The World Before accomplishes a lot of things correctly. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful game. The character motions are realistic, and the face expressions are especially excellent. Each region seems authentic and lived-in. The sound design is also fantastic. The music is fantastic, and almost every voice performance is authentic and credible. With yet another stunning and unforgettable original soundtrack, composer Inon Zur once again hits the nail on the head.
Thanks to famed composer Inon Zur, the game’s orchestral music is excellent.
In some aspects, Syberia: The World Before was a departure from the franchise’s previous installments, but in others, it was a return to form. The puzzles were not as odd or out of the box as those in other games, but they did seem more natural in the context of the plot. Similarly, the previous entries featured more fanciful and fantastical features, however this game is far more realistic. Although, given Syberia 3’s ridiculously bold directions, I’d absolutely view this as a significant win. Syberia: The World Before isn’t flawless, but it’s the right conclusion to the Kate Walker narrative in my opinion.
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With just a few minor lighting and framerate concerns, this is an amazingly stunning game. |
It’s mostly a point-and-click adventure with a few easy puzzles tossed in for good measure. The game’s fixed camera angles may be annoying, and there’s no way to bypass conversation or cutscenes. |
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With outstanding voice performances and a fascinating soundtrack, the sound design is amazing. |
Syberia: The World Before is a break from the rest of the series, concentrating more on the story than on puzzles and exploration. That said, it’s a lovely conclusion to the Kate Walker tale. |
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Final Score: 7.5 |
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On PC, PS4, and Xbox One, Syberia: The World Before is now available.
On a PC with an i7-9700k, RTX 2070, and 16GB of RAM, the review was conducted.
The publisher donated a copy of Syberia: The World Before.
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Syberia: The World Before is a game that was released in 2003. It features the story of Kate Walker, an American attorney who travels to Europe and gets caught up in trying to find her missing father. Reference: syberia: the world before physical.
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