Syberia 1 and 2

Games = Syberia 1 and 2
Ted Puffer's Reviews = 4 stars

Game genres come and go, but there is no disguising the fact that the 'adventure game' has been on a decline for a number of years now. Most of this is likely due to the fact that to make an adventure game, you don't need 3d modeling, multiplayer or any other design scheme that jumps off the screen. What you need is a good story, and that is something that just doesn't happen because a deadline has been set. Great stories only come about through imagination, and I don't think imagination is something budgeted in the Blizzard process flow.

But Syberia has it in spades. These two games are the products of the same studio that came out with one of my favorite games "Amerizone", which is old and grey now but still one hell of a ride for anyone who gives it a shot. The setting is similar, in fact this story builds on the same world as Amerizone. Parts of the dialog indicate that the two games are united in location, as some of the species found in the alternate-relity Amazon jungle find their way into the frozen wastes of Syberia.

Most entertaining about the first chapter is the steampunk setting. Steampunk games get overlooked for the most part when people think of the style, and that's really a shame. Syberia has truckloads of atomatons, gears, steam and general victorian style to satisfy the most hard-core enthusiast of the genre.

Where the games really shine however is in the story, and the way the puzzles encountered on the adventure resolve themselves in logical ways. It's not the case where the main character is running around doing certain tasks for no other reason than they need to be done. Right from the start, Sybera presents the player with a main goal, and every puzzle naturally falls into the story as a way to get from point A to B. The setting and backstory are worthy of being expanded upon, and although it looks unlikely that a Syberia 3 will be coming out any time soon, I for one would be eager to step back into that world. Great game!