Originally released in 2002 on PC and PlayStation 2, and later ported to Xbox, Syberia was something of a spectacle when it originally launched. With Benoît Sokal and Microïds project being deemed one of the finest Adventure games of it’s time upon arrival, the opportunity to pursue that fanbase was far too great to pass-up, and now all three titles in the main bloodline are available in one single package. But with the pursuit of new technology comes new opportunity for gameplay innovation, and few games can stand the test of time. Can those packaged in the Syberia Collection truly stand-up as “Adventure Classics”?

            This first instalment casts the player in the role of the American lawyer Kate Walker, who is sent to a remote French village in order to finalize the take-over of a toy factory. Upon arrival at the village, Kate learns that Anna Voralberg, the owner of the factory, has just died, and that she has a brother who must be contacted in order for the takeover to proceed. Hans Voralberg has travelled to the titular Syberia in order to research mammoths, much to the disgust of his father it is revealed. Her mission takes her across Central and Eastern Europe, gradually leading her to question her own lifestyle.

            This premise of course leads to some interesting plot twists, but similarly allows players to experience some varied locales and both environmental and inventory based puzzles. The game functions as with most Point-N’-Click titles; giving players information upon crossing an item or area with the mouse pointer and commanding movement and interaction with a single click. One of the biggest tricks in Syberia is that the player will encounter Hans’ creations, a number of automatons, along their travels and most importantly the wind-up train that will carry you between many different destinations. And therein Oscar, the particularly amusing train engineer.

            Oscar will regularly dish-out advice and commentary, along with some tidy and subtle mission objectives. The player will be running around aiming to please the automaton with the correct paperwork almost as often as encountering physical obstacles blocking their path. All of the challenges rely upon fairly simple logic, and few will prove taxing for more than a few minutes, but it’s this pace that gives Syberia the constant shift of focus often needed to maintain interest for longer periods of time. While never less than entertaining, experienced Adventure game players may find Syberia less than challenging.

            Newcomers are encouraged to experiment with the formula through a complete lack of any game-ending scenarios. Players cannot die and will never find themselves without an avenue to explore or a requiring a specific item and unable to return to an earlier location to obtain it. This results in a gentle stroll through the game’s world, which is unfortunately more patchy than the game’s puzzle system.

            Much of the story is delivered through characters that are absent, communicating via phone conversations with Kate. The definition of her character that is delivered through these conversations is an unfortunately irritating nature, and the path Kate follows through refelction of herself is entirely contrived. The overarching storyline is strong enough to carry the game, and Kate’s backstory would be all but unnecessary were it not to create some player investment for a sequel.

            Though clearly aged, Syberia still stands out as an incredibly well visualised world. The character animations are totally believable and some of the environments are truly breathtaking. The varied locales all maintain distinct themes and are supported by some fantastic ambient sound effects. The voice acting is certainly well read and injected with life, though many may find the frequently unnecessary rambling during phone conversations to be an irritation they could do without.

            Though the game is light on challenge, it’s clear that the dramatisation of Benoît Sokal and seasoned Adventure game creators of Microids have jointly delivered a title keen on progressing the genre, with many of it’s occasionally ham-fisted mechanics having since become a well integrated staple. That the game will remind those-in-the-know of a time when LucasArts ruled the roost won’t do Syberia any harm, and the pleasant pacing will keep many casual gamers enthralled as the storyline unfolds. Syberia is an enjoyable title despite it age, suggesting good things for the rest of the Syberia Collection.

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