Syberia: not bad!

[Underseer]

For Christmas I got a $15 gift certificate to Target of all places. I was leafing through the bargain software bin and came across a package that included Syberia and Syberia 2 for $10.

Honestly, I'm not much of a fan of the adventure genre. The last adventure game I played was Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity (a must-play for any fans of ST:TNG because it really feels like you're acting out a ST:TNG episode). The last adventure game I played before that was an old Infocom interactive fiction game Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (yeah, I'm old).

As with most adventure games, the pacing seems interminably slow, and this is what usually turns me off to the genre. With strategy and RPG games (my preferred genres), there is always some sort of conflict going on driving you forward. With "Final Unity," the longueurious pace of adventure games was counteracted by the constant feeling of "Dude! I'm in a Star Trek episode!" In the Hitchhiker's Guide and many LucasArts adventure games the slow pace is countered by deliciously twisted humor.

It did grow on me, though. The prerendered backgrounds are gorgeous and the game overall has a great melancholy feel to it. It's really sucking me in.

Of course, one thing still bugs me about the main character: why would a New York lawyer go on a business trip dressed in that getup? Shouldn't she be in a business suit toting a briefcase?

 

[Maniacal]

In your entire post you faield to mention a very important question.

What is Syberia?

Also, why do my local Walmart, Futureshop and Stapels never have PC games in their discount bins? EDIT: Oh yeah, theiur "discount" bins are still like $18.95 and computer games stay on the shelf at taht price, some lousy discount bins).

 

[Underseer]

Sorry. My bad. I thought it was apparent from my post that these are adventure games.

Overall, they got fairly decent reviews:

Syberia

Syberia II

Looks like I got a bargain at Target. Amazon still wants $22.49 for what I got for $10. Sweet.

Amazon listing

Also, why do my local Walmart, Futureshop and Stapels never have PC games in their discount bins? EDIT: Oh yeah, theiur "discount" bins are still like $18.95 and computer games stay on the shelf at taht price, some lousy discount bins).

Retail is funny. They're constantly shifting prices around. The other day I saw the Dungeon Siege II expansion at Wal*Mart for $20 (most other retailers still want $30+ for that).

 

[Maniacal]

I meant more like usualy people tell you what the game is about, I gathered that it's an adventure. Anyways, looks interesting, I'll check it out.
Heh, yeah about the prices, I saw at Walmart a jewel case for Far Cry for $8.97 (Canadian) and also Far Cry in a box for something higher (can't remember exactly). I wonder though, if the boxed one has a paper slip instead of a plastic case, as I hate paper slips.

 

[Underseer]

The links I provided have links to reviews that cover any details you might want.

I'm not very good at revealing details without giving away plot points, but the story centers around an American lawyer who visits some obscure town in the French Alps to facilitate the buyout of a centuries old manufacturer of clockwork automatons. As the story unfolds, she ends up chasing all over Eurasia for an elderly midget ******** idiot-savant who has a talent for creating oddball clockwork mechanical devices. It ends up being a bizarre sort of modern day steampunk sort of thing.

There's lots more info at the reviews I linked.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

They're not bad.

The first one was a lot better than the second. I didn't like how the story turned out in the second one, plus it got way to SF and got me questioning ms. Walker's mental health.

IMHO, the story would have been perfect if the second game would've never been made.

 

[Underseer]

They're not bad.

The first one was a lot better than the second. I didn't like how the story turned out in the second one, plus it got way to SF and got me questioning ms. Walker's mental health.

IMHO, the story would have been perfect if the second game would've never been made.

I'm still in the early stages of the second game, but already I have questions.

I can understand her deciding to jump on the train (after all, they needed a sequel and she hasn't really searched for the island the game is named for), but why didn't she stuff the contract along with a resignation letter at the very next train stop? There were a lot of people back at Valadilene whose livelihoods depended on that contract being signed and turned over to the international toy company.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

I'm still in the early stages of the second game, but already I have questions.

I can understand her deciding to jump on the train (after all, they needed a sequel and she hasn't really searched for the island the game is named for), but why didn't she stuff the contract along with a resignation letter at the very next train stop? There were a lot of people back at Valadilene whose livelihoods depended on that contract being signed and turned over to the international toy company.

Yup, from the second game there will be several of these kinds of questions ... Or you could just think that Kate is just going for it till the end, no matter what.

 

[Underseer]

I've come to the conclusion that Kate is simply nuts.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

I've come to the conclusion that Kate is simply nuts.

The end of the second game will provide the best evidence.

 

[Verbose]

Iirc the guy who wrote them is this Frenchman Benoît Sokal.

I've been a fan of his ever since ages ago when he was still writing and drawing comics — "Inspector Canardo", kind of a cynical but melancholy hard drinking and chain smoking cousin of Donald Duck... caught in the rain... and a film noir plotline...
Brilliant!

 

[kcwong]

I got both too... IMHO not as great as Grim Fandango, but it's fairly good these days, when we get nearly no adventure games.

Another recent adventure game on my mind is The Longest Journey... I think Syberia1/2 is the better one... I haven't got The Longest Journey 2 though...

 

[Heretic_Cata]

^
No way.
Longest Journey 1 > ... > Other stuff > Syberia 1 > a lot of other stuff > Syberia 2