Game Review: Syberia: The World Before

Warning: Spoiler Alerts

In the early 2000’s, I stumbled across a seemingly humble point-and-click adventure game called “Syberia,” not knowing that it was destined to develop a huge, deeply dedicated and eternally loyal fan base. I am one of those fans. “Syberia” and its successor “Syberia 2” are works of absolute brilliance. I still tear up sometimes thinking about the ending to “Syberia 2” when the last, long-hidden herd of mammoths in the world are finally revealed. The game has scenes that are so beautiful I still remember them to this day, and its storytelling is sublime.

As with any cult-hit game both blessed and cursed with a legion of adoring fans, there was a lot of pressure on the developers for more. We Syberia fans waited thirteen long years for a third game to come out, and when it finally did, it was an unmitigated disaster and a heartbreaking disappointment to those of us who so loved the first two games. It was quite obviously rushed through, and I believe there were way too many cooks in the kitchen. It had nothing of the magic and beauty of the first two, and I feared that all hope was lost for a resurrection and that I would have to settle for to replaying the first two games in perpetuity. So I was quite wary when I heard that a fourth game, Syberia: The World Before, was out. I couldn’t stand anymore disappointment and preferred to keep my Syberia memories unsullied by yet another screw-up. I waited until just a few weeks ago to download The World Before. I’m a little less than half through the game now, and I am thrilled to report that the developers have more than redeemed themselves. It’s magnificent, and I feel that my Syberia experience is whole again.

The heroine of Syberia is Kate Walker, who starts off as a straitlaced, rules-abiding attorney. After a series of wild adventures involving a clockwork toy company that she has been asked to manage an acquisition for, all of that goes out the window and Kate’s conventional life is obliterated. She throws her lot in completely with a series of eccentrics and in trying to protect the Youkels, a remote tribe in Russia that look after the mammoths. At the beginning of The World Before, startlingly, Kate is imprisoned in a Russian work camp, being forced to mine for many hours a day alongside her cellmate, Katyusha, who she has developed a deep bond with. While trying to escape from the camp, Kate and Katyusha come across an old train car filled with treasure presumably stolen by the Brown Shadow, who are metaphorical Nazis (which is a strange quirk of the game that I will address momentarily.) Among the loot is a watercolor painting of a young woman who Katyusha insists looks remarkably like Kate. Unfortunately, Katyusha is killed by a guard in the escape attempt, but her last words are to tell Kate that she must find the girl in the painting. Thus begins Kate’s new adventure in The World Before as she obsessively hunts down Dana Roze, the young woman depicted in the watercolor. From that point on, the game toggles back and forth between Dana’s life in the the 1930’s in the fictional European city of Vaghen, and present-day Kate.

The World Before is graphically stunning, with top notch voice acting, a beautiful soundtrack and a well-paced, intricate plot that unfolds in a way that provides a satisfyingly clear sense of progression. And the puzzles are delightful. Most are only mildly challenging, but designed in such a way that I personally feel like a total genius when I solve them. (Hello, dopamine hit!) The game is also emotionally rich, with many mournful flashbacks as well as one quite harrowing fight over the phone with Kate’s estranged sister. This game was very well-thought out and lovingly made. The developers truly took time with every detail and nothing was passed over or rushed through. I have been absolutely rapt following Kate's’ journey to track down Dana and can’t wait to see how this mystery is going unfold.

The only thing that puzzles me a bit is the choice the writers made to cloak the history of the Nazi persecution of Jews in a metaphorical alternate history. The story follows the exact historical trajectory of the rise of the National Socialists in Europe and the lead up to World War Two, but the names are different. The Nazis are the Brown Shadow and the ethnic minorities are the Vaghen people. I understand that they wanted to create a new world that borders somewhat on fantasy, but this conceit is a little bit distracting. However, this is a totally forgivable quirk in an otherwise breathtaking game.

For a small taste of what I’m raving about, watch this epic opening scene of the concert in the Musical Square in Vaghen. I knew when I saw it that my beloved Syberia is once again in good hands.

 --Kristen McHenry