Rating: 
Summary: Thank you, Kate Walker
Review: .. or should I say "Thank you, Benoit Sokal and the good folks of Microïdes".The Adventure Gaming world has produced many disappointments in the past year - new games which substituted eye candy for a good story line, sadistically difficult puzzle games, and far too many examples of the 'talk to everyone, click on every pixel' genre. And as for URU, don't get me started..... I must confess that I was looking forward to Syberia II with mixed feelings - I loved the original, but it's easy to mess up a good idea. I needn't have worried. Syberia II is excellent in all respects. It's a sequel, in the sense that it continues the original story, but it's every bit as fresh as the original.
The puzzles are good, logical, and don't involve trudging all over the landscape to find the components. We didn't use a walkthrough, and apart from a spot of bother with the cellphone, were able to complete the game fairly easily. The graphics reflect Benoit Sokal's background in Comic Book Illustration. They're outstanding. The characterization is very nicely done. Some old friends return, to continue the quest, and we're introduced to a whole new set. I must confess that I tend to enjoy games more if I feel concerned for the protagonists; if I don't care when a character makes the supreme sacrifice, the game has probably failed. Syberia II hasn't failed (I can't say more, without revealing a spoiler). Buy it. Without reservations, it's the best game to hit the market in over a year.
Rating:
Summary: Thank you, Kate Walker
Review: .. or should I say "Thank you, Benoit Sokal and the good folks of Microïdes". The Adventure Gaming world has produced many disappointments in the past year - new games which substituted eye candy for a good story line, sadistically difficult puzzle games, and far too many examples of the 'talk to everyone, click on every pixel' genre. And as for URU, don't get me started..... I must confess that I was looking forward to Syberia II with mixed feelings - I loved the original, but it's easy to mess up a good idea. I needn't have worried. Syberia II is excellent in all respects. It's a sequel, in the sense that it continues the original story, but it's every bit as fresh as the original.
The puzzles are good, logical, and don't involve trudging all over the landscape to find the components. We didn't use a walkthrough, and apart from a spot of bother with the cellphone, were able to complete the game fairly easily. The graphics reflect Benoit Sokal's background in Comic Book Illustration. They're outstanding. The characterization is very nicely done. Some old friends return, to continue the quest, and we're introduced to a whole new set. I must confess that I tend to enjoy games more if I feel concerned for the protagonists; if I don't care when a character makes the supreme sacrifice, the game has probably failed. Syberia II hasn't failed (I can't say more, without revealing a spoiler). Buy it. Without reservations, it's the best game to hit the market in over a year.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Game!
Review: All of the other reviewers have said so much about the game - its triumphs and flaws. I have read most of them. I do not always agree with what they say the 'effect' of the things they have pointed out is, but the things they point out are for the most part accurate. That having been said, I loved this game. I think it is a masterpiece. For clarification when I say the game, I mean Syberia and Syberia 2. It is one whole story and you need both parts. No exception. I KNOW there will not be a sequel, and it is testimony to the creator and the developers that I still find myself wishing there were. I can't wait for Mr. Sokal's next offering.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good but not as good as the first...
Review: As far as adventure games go this is a pretty good game. I gave it 4 stars only because it was 'not' quite as good as the first one. Not saying it was a bad game at all but the first one was really, really good. If you have not played Syberia I I recommend you give that a try first and then play Syberia II with the caveat that it is not as good as the first.
Rating:
Summary: syberia II
Review: Awesome game, I loved the first but this one is more spectacular, I actually said wow outloud while playing this game. It will be one of your favorites. wow
Rating: 
Summary: A little disappointing...
Review: Don't get me wrong, I love Syberia I and I even *like* Syberia II. But like a ho-hum second date right after a wonderful first date, Syberia II has left me to sigh and ask myself, "What happened there?" For instance, take this statement by Microids on their site: "Kate Walker has made up her mind. She will fulfill Hans Voralberg's dream - all the while pursuing her own." Kate had her own dream? The game certainly did not shed any light on her aspirations or what her motivations might have been when she decides to help Hans go all the way to Syberia. Yes she's changed we know that, but why? Syberia I posed the question, unfortunately Syberia II failed to answer it. I suppose my main gripe with this game is that it felt incomplete. The game ends with Kate stuck on Syberia for cryin' out loud! And the youki! Is it forever doomed inside that hamster wheel contraption?? Someone get him out now! I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that Sokal meant this as a segway into yet another installment of Syberia. Another gripe: in Syberia I there was a subplot (deemed annoying by most reviewers) involving Kate's fiancee and her best friend. What happened to those two? A small reference to their fates (like a convenient cell phone call) would have been nice. Yes, Kate drops everything she values in order to help Hans, but did the game have to literally drop them off the face of the earth? The first game could have done without this little soap opera but at the very least the sequel should have wrapped it up... along with the rest of the loose ends. Hans is still as mysterious as ever, I would have loved to hear more about his past... I would have loved to hear him, period. He is awfully silent in Syberia II when he should have been talking Kate's ear off about himself and his obsession with mammoths. Maybe I just got so used to the heaps of dialogue in Syberia I, but one thing I noticed is that Syberia II is definitely more hushed. There is less emphasis on talk and more on silent yet dramatic sequences. Now, that is good and all, but it made the game feel a little rushed and the characters a little lifeless... except for Oscar. He's probably the most memorable character from both games. I love his storyline and it seems he is the only character done right from beginning to end. But don't get the idea that Syberia II sucks. If I had to do it all over again I would still play the game. Let me mention that Syberia II is absolutely gorgeous graphically. This is probably old news to you, but it deserves to be mentioned. And the soundtrack... WOW. 'Nuff said. The best music in my opinion is when Kate is in the Great North Passage, keep your ears open for that. As for the puzzles... they were what you would expect from most adventure games: some were fair and some made me bang my head on the keyboard before I gave up and searched for a walkthrough online. Final thoughts... I still recommend Syberia II even though I might have sounded a bit anal and unforgiving about the game's plot and characters. But how could I not be when the first Syberia absolutely enthralled me? The second Syberia lost its predecessor's spell-binding quality (in terms of the plot and characters) but it still remains a very, very good game if one is willing to overlook some of the game's inconsistencies. And who knows, maybe third time's the charm (please Sokal, make Syberia III and give this poor reviewer some piece of mind).
Rating:
Summary: Well worth the wait
Review: Finally, the most anticipated game of the year has arrived, Syberia 2. Syberia 1 was a great game overall, I rated it with 4 stars on Amazon. Pro's were the artwork, atmosphere and storyline, cons where the relative easy puzzles and the absence of a true 3D gaming experience.
When it comes to Syberia 2, it has much of the same pro's and cons, but slightly different. The puzzles in Syberia 2 are a bit harder (you can get stuck at times, there was no such thing in Syberia 1) so that's an improvement. However, the story has more simplicity to it, and that's too bad.
In the graphics department Syberia 2 really excells. But then again, you can say that of almost any game nowadays. I must admit that I have lost my adversity against 2D pre-rendered backgrounds as being cheapish. Okay, it is still very nice to wander around in real 3D (try Beyond Good and Evil!), but with games like Syberia it just doesn't matter that much. Many other games (Black Mirror, Journey to the Centre of the Earth) have taken the hint from Syberia 1, and so in effect we have experienced a 2D boom - who would have thought that a couple of years ago?
What's missing out in Syberia 2 is the sense of wonder and the tristesse you felt in Syberia 1. If you have played Syberia 1, you'll recognise all the automatons immediately, so there's no big surprises to be had in that department. The characters in Syberia 2 are on the whole more gentle. I must admit I liked the sadness of the Russian crew in Syberia 1, but you won't find that much depth of story and character in this sequel. Also the architecture is more of the same, but without the intricate detailing found in the first installment.
That said, Syberia 2 is still a very, very good game. I wonder how it can be sold for just under 30 bucks, when obviously a large team or artists must have worked continiously for the last two years to make this game happen.
The puzzels are much more integrated into the game, and not all of them are inventorybased anymore, as is Syberia 1. Many of the 'closed doors' '('I can not go there' every five minutes) are gone. That's a good thing. There are no foolish puzzles (like using a cat's hair to light a fire, to be able to make some coffee, to give it to someone to get some information... You like those puzzles? Try Conspiracies).
The locales however are lacking a bit in diversity, with a lot of snow, and then some more. But, then again, snow never looked as good is it does in this game. Do you need to play Syberia 1 before starting out in Syberia 2? No. In fact, to feel and appreciate where this game is coming from, you actually need to start out with Amerzone, Benoit Sokals first game. Then move on to Syberia, then play Syberia 2. That will make for a great gaming experience, and you'll feel like reading a great trilogy.
I will be interesting to see how Syberia 2 holds out against new offerings that are coming our way soon, such as Forever Worlds, Aura and Atlantis 4. I'm confident that Syberia 2 will stay on top of the list this year.
Rating:
Summary: Is the Sequel as Good?
Review: First let me tell you where I'm coming from so you can judge my review. I enjoy Adventure games. If you like collecting items and then finding places to use them to continue the game then this might be your type of game. For me the plot is the game. It's like interacting with a book and if the plot is bad so is the game. I enjoyed Syberia so I was excited to play Syberia II. I would expect that it is why all the initial reviews are so positive. If you liked the first one this is more of the same, in fact better because you already know and like the characters. If you haven't played Syberia I'd suggest that you play it first. By now it is a bargan bin game and you can tell if you like the story. The original Syberia does take a while to get started so give it time.
Syberia fans probably don't need this review so I'll just add some of my observations and possible corrections. First I found several scenes to dark to play and had to hunt the pixel to find what I was looking for. It wasn't that I didn't know what I was looking for it was just to dark to see. Even adjusting the brightness all the way up on my screen didn't help a lot. Although this wasn't necessary for the vast majority of the game.
Several tips. They have certain puzzles that appear to be trial and error such as the ring of candles but they are not. A map of the solution to these puzzles is elswhere. Read everything that you find and use your phone because it can save you a lot of searching and guessing. If you take your time and experience the game then you can complete it without a hint book or walkthrough. The object of a good adventure is not to get to the end but to enjoy the trip.
Rating: 
Summary: Major flaws I'm not willing to overlook...
Review: First off, I want to establish that I've never played Syberia I -- and judging from the glowing reviews I'm seeing everywhere on the Web for Syberia 2, it may be a good thing. It seems that with every Syberia 2 review I've read so far, the author is carrying over nostalgia from the first installment. While I understand the sentiment, it's a no-no if you want to review something objectively.
The best features of Syberia 2 have been well-covered in game reviews, but they bear repeating. The graphics are nothing short of jaw-dropping; artist Benoit Sokal took any constraints he may have had (only so much you can do with snow and ice, you'd think) and somehow created one breathtaking scene after another. Time after time, a new scene would unfold and I'd just shake my head in amazement. Screenshots won't do any justice -- you have to experience these views when they're mixed with environmental effects like snow falling off tree limbs or birds fluttering past the camera. The music also fits the mood of the story perfectly; it's subtle yet thoughtful, exactly what you'd expect from a quaint Russian town in an arctic neverland.
Ambience and atmosphere are not a problem with Syberia 2. Even the story itself, though maybe uninteresting on paper, did manage to captivate me. In short, your goal as Kate Walker is to help Hans Vogelberg achieve his lifelong goal of reaching the (fabled?) land of Syberia, quite possibly to verify the existence of wooly mammoths. Again, not your run-of-the-mill adventure formula perhaps, but it does work well in the grand scheme of things.
Most of the characters are vivid and interesting; it's hard not to feel sympathetic for Hans, particularly after experiencing a "dream sequence" where you get a glimpse into his childhood. Even if he is bedridden most of the adventure, you get a real sense that he's involved in the story from beginning to end. There are a number of colorful characters that pop in and out of the story as it unfolds, from giggly Youkol villagers (Eskimo wanna-bes if you ask me) to cookie-cutter bad guys.
The cinematic sequences are, for the most part, moving and aesthetically pleasing. More often than not, when you solve a puzzle you are rewarded with a nugget in the form of a short movie. A nice feature is the fact that you can easily access these movies at any time once they've been shown the first time.
So we have a fairly riveting storyline, interesting characters, and breathtaking graphics. It's a mega-hit, right? Not so fast. True, you will have a difficult time finding any review of Syberia 2 that gives anything less than an A+, even though the authors admit the game has its problems. Well I'm sorry, but my standards dictate that no game deserves an A+ unless it provides what I'd consider a perfect gaming experience. Syberia 2 doesn't even come close.
My first complaint is underlined many, many times. Though it may not bother some, I simply could not ignore it. Think about this: when you first meet someone and learn their name, how long would you continue to address them by their first AND last name? Not long, correct? Well, from the very outset, when Hans and Kate (who are supposedly good friends) talk about their upcoming trip to Syberia, Hans finishes nearly EVERY sentence with "Kate Walker." "Yes, Kate Walker. We just need to wind up the train, Kate Walker." At first, I thought it was just an oddity with Hans, but then Oscar the Automaton followed suit, then Malka the little girl, then the patriarch in the monastery, then... and on and on. They ALL kept calling her by her first and last name! It got to the point where I purposely avoided dialog sequences because it grated my nerves so badly (until I realized some dialog was necessary to move the plot along). I find it damn near impossible to believe nobody at Microids noticed how odd the "Kate Walker" thing was during testing. It's frankly inexcusable and distracting.
Now, for the puzzles. Some of the brain-teasers were actually quite good, requiring abstract thought and an attentive eye. Others, however, are a hardcore case of trial-and-error (which I personally hate). On a number of occasions you will find yourself pressing buttons or plugging holes in different combinations until magic occurs. Or, even worse, you will find yourself running from Point A to Point B, then back, then again, then back, then again, until you've found the solution that works.
But that's not the worst of it. For a few select cases, the answer does not reside in logic at all. There are times when you need to move your mouse cursor over a small area of the screen, effectively hunting for a "hotspot", to perform a specific action. That's all fine and dandy, except many of these "hotspots" blend perfectly into the pristine artwork. You can spend days walking in circles because you failed to scan each and every screen, pixel by pixel, for a hidden hotspot. As a result, the game comes to a screeching halt.
My last real problem with Syberia 2 is linearity. Every item that makes it into your inventory will be used at some point. There are absolutely no red herring items, no subplots, no alternate/optional goals along the way. Also, with maybe one or two exceptions, you can only examine or touch those items which will be directly acted upon.
While linearity is almost inevitable with adventure games, there are ways to minimize the claustrophobic effect. In Broken Sword 3: Sleeping Dragon, you come across many items you'll never use, and you can examine darn near anything on the screen regardless of its relevance to the story. As a result, you really sense the world is open to possibilities. In Syberia 2, the mindset tends to be, "okay, what specifically does Microids want me to do here."
Frustrating puzzles, a finicky interface, and abundant restrictions put a sour flavor on this potentially delicious gem of a game. I regret that I can't join the masses who gush about Syberia 2 and gleefully overlook its major flaws -- I just can't.
Rating:
Summary: The answer to the URU Downer
Review: Found URU to be very disappointing and returned it. Then my children found Syberia. This is a magnificent piece of work. The graphics are exquisite and the music appropriate. The ease of use is apparent. The story line is interesting and original.
I heartily reccommend this to all Myst players. This is the quality of work we expect. Thank you Mr. Sokol. Syberia II is up and running. Just sent XBox version as a gift!
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