A visually stunning, immersive gameworld unlike any other

I eagerly snatched up a copy of French cartoonist Benoît Sokal's "Amerzone" a few years ago, an obscure little game with gorgeous graphics and creative critters. I dearly loved "Amerzone" because it was unique: following the legacy of a dying explorer to a remote South American country isn't your standard game fare. The problem with "Amerzone" was that the game was too short, too easy and there was hardly any music or character interaction. With "Syberia," which was originally intended to be an Amerzone sequel of sorts, many of the problems with "Amerzone" have been fixed outright.

In "Syberia" you play the role of an up-and-coming New York lawyer, Kate Walker, sent to buy out a French toy factory in the Alps. But when Kate arrives in Valadilene, she finds that closing the deal won't be as simple as she thought as Miss Anna, the owner of the factory, has died, and there is a mysterious heir. Kate must journey across countries searching for his identity. Along the way, she rediscovers herself, becoming more assured and independent, a true adventurer.

"Syberia" indulges in flights of fancy unlike anything I've ever experienced. The plot was a masterpiece of mystery, drama, melodramatic moments, and half-buried family secrets. The graphics are photorealistic, and the animations are some of the best that I've ever seen. The music is lush and haunting, always reflecting the particular country/atmosphere that it was portraying. Words cannot do this fantastic game justice. Play it for yourself, then keep an eye out for the sequel, which is due Fall 2003.

Microids is the same company that produced the love-it-or-hate-it "Road to India." Based on every other Amazon.com review except mine, everyone hated it. I loved it, flaws and all, and I think that for a small company in Montréal with a smallish budget, Microids did a fantastic job trying to capture the feel of India and come up with a semi-original mystery. It is much easier to critique what a game is missing or lacking than to sit down and produce a game from start to finish, sticking to the plot, deadlines and budget. However, "Syberia" is a superior game in every way: the 3D models, voice actors, animations, and the biggest difference is storyline. Where "Road to India" lacked much of a plot, "Syberia" has a novel-length backstory and plenty of twists and turns.

The Good: Everything
+ 3D models are extremely realistic, especially in closeup (think Helena Romanski's opera performance---the most haunting thing I will EVER see in a video game OR movie)
+ Architecture uses elements from Art Nouveau, Russian Communist-era factories, dilapidated, once elegant seaside resorts, train station/greenhouses...
+ Voice acting is superb, especially the cell phone conversations
+ Cell phone added a level of real-world plausibility: having Kate's boss calling and nagging you, having to listen to Kate's mom gush about her new boyfriend, talking with your boyfriend, your best friend sharing secrets along with her finds at Bloomingdales...you also use the phone in at least one puzzle to gather information. All together a nice touch.

+ Music (haunting, magical and highly addictive)
+ Cutscenes played like movies. The flashbacks to WWII were especially well done, as was the intro and the ending (which I found to be magnificent...although the actual end of the game does come very abruptly).
+ Characters: Unlike "Amerzone" and "Road to India," where there was hardly a soul, in "Syberia" there are dozens of characters that you interact with on your journey, all of them interesting and some with quite the personality!
+ Story: Highly original, magical, with unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my office chair
+ Creatures: some of the creatures from "Amerzone" make a guest appearance, and you will learn quite a bit about mammoths.
+ Attending a lecture at Barrockstadt University
+ The evolution of Kate Walker's character from a business-minded, uptight lawyer, to an adventurer who comes to care for the company she was going to sell

The not-so-good (with this game I can't make myself say "bad"):
- Occasional crashes
- Ending is very abrupt (not the ending cutscene, but simply the ending itself...quite obviously a setup for a sequel and rather a disappointment after all the puzzle-solving
- Many puzzles are easy, especially to seasoned gamers
- Kate's annoying "No need to go down there" and "No point. The door's locked," became incredibly frustrating and irritating after the hundredth time

Overall, along with "The Longest Journey," this is the most fantastic game that I've ever had the pleasure to play in terms of graphics, story and presentation. The best game of the year and possibly of all time in my humble opinion.