The last time we met Kate Walker, she was working for an upscale New York law
firm and saddled with the responsibility of closing a deal concerning an
automaton factory. The sole surviving owner was an old man named Hans who had an
obsession with mammoths. He took off in search of a mythic island known as
Syberia. Hans believed that mammoths some how managed to survive all these years
on this hidden island, and was determined to find them. Instead of sealing the
factory deal, Kate wound up accompanying Hans on his adventure. Syberia was
awarded adventure game of the year for beautiful graphics, a unique story and a
sincere protagonist on a search to find herself. Syberia 2 picks up where the
first game leaves off.
Syberia 2 is like Return Of The Jedi. We know the story, but we need to tie
up loose ends. Kate and Hans are looking for mammoths. Oscar the annoying yet
lovable robot, who irritates much the way C-3PO does, drives the train. The
train will get stuck, it will break and Kate has to figure out a way to fix
everything and get to the fabled island of Syberia before its too late and Hans
can no longer make the journey. There’s a pair of dim-witted villains to contend
with, a rampaging bear, and a dream sequence toward the end that I really
enjoyed.
The conclusion to Syberia, Syberia II, delivers crisp graphics, stunning
artwork, memorable locations and characters, and a talented voice cast. The
howling wind, falling snowdrifts and haunting music create a rather somber, yet
very worthy finish that fans of the first game will appreciate. It does not have
the charm of the first game however. It feels like the last chapter in a longer
story. If you haven’t experienced the first part of the story, than the end may
appear incomplete. Without the depth and background, Syberia II deals more
specifically with actually getting to the island of mammoths, and not the
mysterious past of Hans or with Kate’s tumultuous personal life.
Play is reminiscent of its predecessor. Movement is achieved by a point and
click method with the mouse cursor. Each puzzle can be solved by obtaining an
object, speaking to another character or manipulating a panel or machine.
Speaking to other characters will open up new dialogue trees and help progress
the plot. Standard adventure attributes delivered beautifully for the most part.
Most of the solutions are fluid and several problems are solved by using
animals which I found refreshing. Other puzzles require traveling to point B to
retrieve an object only to travel all the way back to point A and then back
again. Some may find this a little tiresome, but adventure veterans know this is
not unusual to the genre.
Kate Walker’s character development is what made Syberia such an involving
experience. We found out about her life through strategically placed cell phone
conversations. There are several more phone calls in Syberia II, but they aren’t
very important and don’t really add much depth. Newcomers to the series might
find themselves wondering why Kate is in the middle of nowhere on a train in a
blizzard with an old man in poor health and a robot. I would suggest playing
part one and part two in a nice long gaming stretch if you can. The magic of who
Kate Walker is, and how she has grown does not carry over to the sequel as a
stand-alone offering. Syberia II would not be as good without the character
growth provided to Kate in Part I. Instead, I was left with a now what feeling
when I finished Syberia II. What happens to Kate and how does she put her life
back together in New York? That would be a great starting point for Syberia
number 3. Syberia II gives an ending that fans have been wanting since the first
game was released. But does it provide an ending? You tell me.
Gameplay: 8
Consists of the tried and true method of point and click, but Syberia II
does it very well. Puzzles are integrated logically in most cases and are
reasonably challenging.
Graphics: 9
The world of Syberia is once again beautiful and filled with a sense of
ancient mystery. Careful attention to detail really sets this game ahead of the
pack once again.
Sound: 8
The music is almost melancholy at times, which really sets the stage that
Kate is completely alone. Kind of sad, but very convincing.
Difficulty: Easy
There was one instance that had a path finding issue where I had to click
and click for a good ten minutes to find the right spot to complete a task.
However, most of the puzzle solutions are solved simply by process of
elimination. A bit of good deduction work provides just the right amount of
challenge.
Concept: 8
The concept of Syberia is still a fresh one and drastically different from
the standard action oriented titles out there.
Overall: 8
The overall presentation of Syberia II is excellent. Easily one of the best
adventures games so far this year. The character depth is not as strong as the
first, but it answers some burning questions and in my opinion, the end opens up
a whole new bottle of what now? A must for Kate Walker fans. Others may not get
it.
