The puzzles and conundrums are fairly well integrated into the circumstances, if a little fanciful at times. If there really are mammoths, there is no doubt Kate will find them. She is strong, resourceful, and unflinching, like many real women. No fluttering eyelashes, no twisted ankles, no resorting to feminine charms. Kate though is the central character, and it's she who drags the train and its passengers ever northward. Is his quest a quaint last wish of an aged man, or a selfish quixotic folly? Whichever, it is clearly what he has prepared for most of his life, as events reveal. Hans too is present, and it's his visions and creations that drive this episode. I did think Ivan and Igor were a bit goofy, but their presence provided both substance and some challenges. The presence of a few more characters added to the mix as well, including some who would actively oppose Kate. Indeed, the environment itself plays a part, including in some of the puzzles. Don't forget, Mr Sokal also made Amerzone. They play important and integral parts in the game. Being outside a lot more helped, and so too did the animals and people that flit in and out of the scenes.Īnimals are not just there for decoration either. There was an almost sterile feel to some of the scenes in Syberia, and whilst the Youkol village left me feeling a bit that way here, many little things lifted the game as a whole.
I thought the whole thing was more "alive" than the first game. Realism abounds watch and listen as Kate runs from a metal path into the snow, and past a puddle. Camera angles change during conversations, and whilst there isn't a constant soundtrack, soaring and at times inspiring compositions will accompany and embellish certain events and parts of the game.Īll of the scenes are crafted with a huge attention to visual and auditory detail. There is in fact, a cinematic feel about much of the game. The cinematics are of exceptional quality, the equal of anything I have seen in an adventure game. It is beautiful to look at, to listen to, and to play. I was not as enamoured of Syberia as some people, but Syberia II is simply stunning. Even his most ardent critics will have warmed to Oscar come the finale. Oscar tells her "my place is here in my place Kate Walker".īut Oscar too is changing, and his part in the story is a significant one. The monastery beckons, and the task falls to Kate. It is in need of winding and coal, but very quickly they are the least of the needs. The train on which Hans and Kate and Oscar the automaton are travelling in search of the mystical world of Syberia and its mammoths is now in Romansbourg. It can be played that way, and you would still be impressed, but I don't think it should be. I have no doubt Syberia II stands up better as the second half of a single story than it would as a stand alone game. You can play a short recap at the opening screen, to remind you how Kate has come to be who and where she is, but those who haven't played the first game should do so. Syberia II is a true Part 2, picking up where Syberia finished. As the detective now in pursuit of Kate reports, the Kate Walker sought by Marston in New York is not the Kate Walker he is chasing. But it's a burden to which she is unshakeably committed, no matter how far it takes her and no matter the trials placed before her. It must be true, because nothing less than that would account for what drives Kate on.Ī shared dream is a bigger dream, and in Kate's case it's also a more burdensome one. "My dreams are now your dreams" Hans tells her. Microïds and the Microïds logo are trademarks of Anuman Interactive.Review by Steve Ramsey (May, 2004) Kate Walker's journey of personal growth and discovery continues in Syberia II.
Far and beyond, a mystical Syberia awaits their arrival. The surreal quest Hans began alone several years ago will come to a final close as he and Kate face obstacles far more dangerous than ever before, testing their courage and determination. Mission accomplished? Perhaps, but not for her.Īn unlikely pair, young Kate Walker and old, eccentric Hans Voralberg now set off on a journey together, in search of the last of the fabled Syberian mammoths at the heart of a long-forgotten universe. Having searched Eastern and Western Europe for a missing heir, Kate Walker finally completed her long and arduous journey, obtaining the signature of Hans Voralberg and closing the automaton factory buyout.
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