Syberia: The World Before - 20 Years Edition (PS5)

Product Information

The Budapest Film Symphony, led by the internationally acclaimed composer Inon Zur (Prince of Persia, Dragon Age, Fallout…) created a sublime score, and interpreted meaningful themes for the characters and locations throughout the game A world filled out with exceptional story-telling, imagined and drawn by Benoit Sokal, with music by Inon Zur Syberia: The World Before is more of an emotional journey than a physical one for its two heroines. It primarily explores who Kate is as a person, but the link between the two women, separated by time, is satisfying when ultimately revealed. As with the first Syberia game, this one ends with a moment that feels like both an appropriate ending and an excellent launching point for further adventures to come, though sadly any new tales will have to be told without the oversight of Benoît Sokal, who passed away before this game was complete. The game's story does touch on issues surrounding WWII, specifically the rise of the National Socialist Party (Nazi) (although not mentioned in game but are known as The Brown Shadow). I say this because if you are sensitive to historical themes of Nazi/Jewish (Vaghens) occupation and the persecution, then I am letting you know now so please bear this in mind. There is no graphic or insensitive content in the game or walkthrough but the references are clearly obvious.

Glowing Gold Ring: The cursor will be a gold ring when you are telling Kate to walk about. It will start to glow when you have the option of changing scene. A full 100% walkthrough of Syberia: The World Before, showing solutions to every puzzle and code in the game. Syberia: The World Before is a graphic adventure video game developed and published by Microids and the fourth installment in the Syberia series. The game is dedicated to the memory of creator Benoît Sokal, who died during development in 2021.As ever, you accompany perennial protagonist Kate Walker, now an investigative drifter who stumbles into intrigue and turns it into obsession. In this case, in the process of escaping enslavement in a Russian salt mine (where she ended up after the events of Syberia 3) and learning of the death of her mother, she finds an old painting of a girl who looks quite a lot like her. For our anchorless hero that poses a question which can’t be left hanging. For the secondary objective "Explore the Stalls Before You Talk to the Antiques Dealer" in "Antiques District", you don't need to interact with the door at the end of the alley.

Magnifying Glass: The cursor will turn into a magnifying glass when you can look at something more closely. I fell in love with this game right away. That's important to note, because when The World Before was first announced, I was skeptical, as I suspect many Syberia fans were. That’s because the ill-fated third game in the series had left such a poor taste in my mouth, to the point where I almost wished the franchise would end there. Then Microids released the playable prologue for Kate's fourth adventure, and while it was still rough around the edges at that point, it hinted at enough possibilities that I became cautiously optimistic. Having now completed the full game, I feel confident in saying this is the game fans have been waiting for since the Syberia series began. As a poignant reflection on Kate's growth as a character, however, it will best be appreciated by longtime fans.But that’s the nature of the beast, and won’t deter genre fans, while any dropped story beats are made up for by the overall rhythm of a compelling plot. And ultimately, the game’s heart is there, not in its machines but in those human stories, in Dana and especially in Kate. It’s her curiosity and longing for meaning that drives this series, and precisely what we need for a good adventure. The World Before allows her to shine, and long may she continue. Indeed, when it comes to Dana’s sections, many ‘puzzles’ are really daily routines in disguise, such as serving the right drinks in a bar. This is a smart way, I think, for The World Before to spend quality time with its characters and story, as opposed to directing everything towards advancing a wild adventure. As such, I would almost call it a kind of visual novel, not in the sense that there’s loads of reading to do, but that it develops the kind of epic saga that would suit a book.

Immerse yourself in the story, original puzzles, and mysteries of the fabulous adventure of an unforgettable heroine. The story of Syberia: The World Before takes place in two separate timelines. One follows series’ protagonist Kate Walker in 2005, imprisoned in the salt mines (following on from the events of Syberia 3) who’s struggling with the news of her mother’s passing. The other follows a young woman called Dana Roze, a promising young pianist in 1937. After Kate escapes the mines following the tragic death of her friend, she is left alone, and the only thing of any worth in her possession is a painting of Roze: a woman that looks a lot like her. A year passes, and she becomes obsessed by finding out who the girl in the painting was, sending her to a small town called Vaghen, somewhere near Switzerland. Syberia is an adventure game with stunning visuals and a very expansive feel. It was published by Microids in 2002 and the sequel, Syberia 2, was released in 2004. The third Syberia game is expected to be released later in 2015 or 2016. Another miss with Oscar comes in his utility throughout the game. As events begin, the only thing Kate has left of Oscar is his automaton heart, which also contains his memories and personality. One of her early goals is to find a new host automaton to put the heart into. I had anticipated this would be a source for some interesting puzzles involving swapping the heart into different mechanical bodies. Regrettably, this potential goes largely unrealized, though this a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things. With the story focused on Kate's internal struggle, more shenanigans with Oscar likely would have gotten in the way. A tale like no other! Embark on a magical journey through the enchanting cities of eastern Europe, both in 1937 and 2004. Accompanied by the music of Inon zur and the Budapest Film Symphony, piece together the puzzles that will disentangle the mysteries of two lives entwined together

What surprised me the most was just how heartbreaking Dana Roze’s story was. It’s delicately handled and beautifully told, and throughout Syberia: The World Before, you switch between 2005 and 1937, getting to play through memories of Roze’s story as Kate tried to find out more about her. She was dealing with the threat of the Brown Shadow, essentially the Nazis, and the impending Second World War. There’re seldom references to Dana being Jewish, but rather Vageran, yet it’s basically the same thing. It’s baffling just why this blatant omission exists, especially as the Brown Shadow sounds more like a nasty mess left in your underpants than a fascist and dangerous power. Syberia: The World Before from Microids and the late Benoît Sokal is the latest entry in the long-running adventure game series, now out on PlayStation 5. Belgian comic book artist and video game developer Benoît Sokal spent the last two decades of his life working on the Syberia series, which includes Syberia, sequels Syberia II and Syberia 3 and was preceded by Amerzone, which does not share the franchise’s name but does take place in the same setting as the Syberia games. He, unfortunately, passed away last year, with Syberia: The World Before being his first posthumous release. In fact, one of the qualities I like most in The World Before is that it doesn’t feel a need to hurry to hold your attention. It’s willing to linger on views, expressions, thoughts as Kate zig-zags across the postcard town on quietly efficient automated trams, pondering her life and Dana’s. Moments set aside for optional ‘introspection’, meanwhile, aren’t merely a convenience to recap events with internal monologue, but punctuation points that create space for events to breathe. Please ensure you read ahead in the walkthrough before carrying out in-game tasks since some actions have caveats (which are denoted via asterisk (*)), and therefore have consequences should you not read the addendums first and cause yourself to miss something in the game. The game follows two timeframes with two characters: Dana Roze, a young pianist in the small fictional Central European country of Osterthal (resembling a mix of Austria, the Czech Republic and Switzerland) in the 1930s and Kate Walker, the protagonist of Syberia series, who is now imprisoned in a salt mine in the fictional Eastern European region of Taiga in early 2000s. Dana graduates from her conservatory by performing the local anthem dedicated to the city of Vaghen, where the fascist Brown Shadow faction (an analogue to National Socialists) have begun to persecute the ethnic minorities and force them into ghettoes.

Syberia: The World Before is a sequel to the previous parts, but it has been developed in such a way that knowing them is not necessary to play. The action of this game is set in two different eras, in which we control different characters. In 2004, Kate Walker's search for her own identity leads her to a salt mine in the Siberian taiga. The heroine gets trapped in underground tunnels, which turns the expedition into a real fight for survival. In 1937, we go to the fictional Vaghen and play as 17-year-old Dana Roze. The protagonist is on the verge of a great career as a pianist, but the Second World War and the threat of growing fascism keep her awake at night. Discovering long-forgotten secrets rests on the shoulders of both protagonists. Game mechanics Syberia features gorgeous graphics and an interesting story line that will keep you engrossed until the very end.In side objectives, too, which prompt you to interview characters or rummage around more thoroughly, the aim is purely to learn more and add context. It’s refreshing for a game of this type, particularly one with so many mechanical parts, to not present the world merely as a series of useful things, or problems with discrete solutions, but as a place to observe and comprehend for its own sake. I do not reveal major plot spoilers in the walkthrough, however, the outcomes and overall narrative may become obvious based on the tasks you will be asked to complete as described in the walkthrough, as well as the achievement descriptions. The opening of Syberia: The World Before feels slow, and it takes some time before you start to take an interest in what is going on. Much of the gameplay also feels sluggish, especially in walking and jogging around the streets, with certain conversations chugging along rather than offering anything of interest. As Kate arrives in Vaghen and visits a nearby refuge, it started to become a lot more interesting, and it helps that the visuals are stunning. The way you switch between the timelines is done well, and as the story progresses, both characters are given enough depth for you to care deeply about both of them.