A sequel that seems to misfire at times. It fleshes out the Syberia universe, but feels rushed.
In this sequel, we pick up with Kate Walker continuing her journey with the quiet , childlike Hans Voralburg and Oscar the conductor on their way to Syberia, the mythical land where Mammoths escaped extinction and roam free. If you have not played the first game, it is not an issue as the game offers a Summary of what has happened on the main game menu. Kudos to Microids for including this as most games just take the assumption that you played the first game, or build the story in a way that disjoins it from the first game. It is a feature more sequels shoud employ.
Anyway, the game starts you off in the wintery wonderland of Romansburg, which seems to be in the old Soviet republic somewhere. And get used to this place, because you spend a majority of the game here in Romansburg. This is a shame as one of the charms of the first game was the diverse areas that went to on your journey in the first game. This is the biggest problem with the story is that you have this slow meandering start in Romansburg and then it just picks up and sprints to the finish line. A good adventure story is suppose to have a good steady pace. Maybe it will have a few peaks here and there, but for the most part, it is an even keel. That being said, the game does have a good story that picks up from the last game and gives you a tale that ties up most of the ends. Although you get the feeling that this is not the last adventure for Kate Walker.
Also there is a sub-plot in the story where the company you worked for is trying to find you. I guess your mother is frantic over the fact you never returned from the assignment. She blames the law firm you worked at for sending you on a difficult assignment. So they send a private investigator out to find you. It just felt like it added nothing to the story. Occasionally, you would get a cut-scene that would detail these guys calling the PI and he would talk about how he was getting close, but you never cross his path, so it just brings nothing to the story.
Gameplay is similar to most adventure games as you seek to find the solution to puzzles to complete mission goals. And the puzzles are logical and for the most part make sense. For example, you need to find a way to get a cure into Hans’ system. The only problem is that he has to inhale it. So you have to find the ingredients and then make them into a candle. It is practical in the sense of a puzzle that follows real world logic. But there are always a few that are not. When you run into the puzzle of the berries behind the ice, you would think that you could just break it with all the ivory that surrounds you. Nope, instead, you have to scare a mouse into crawling through, while plugging holes and flooding chambers to get him to the berries. It just seemed way out of place.
The game again looks like a painted masterpiece. The town of Romansburg feels like a dilapidated town, with its staind brown walls and dirty soot colored snow. It feels like a Russian town that has been forgotten over the years. The designers filled the town with old mechanical structures that give it a Stalinistic feel. The outdoors areas that you get to later on do not have the same sense of style as it is a lot of snow . It just does not have the detail that you are use to seeing in the Syberia universe. But the Yokul village more than makes up for that. It is a fortress of Ivory and Ice. It is like an amalgam of simple technology with old world craftsmanship. It is a spectacle to behold when you first walk out and see the sprawling village that has merged into its icy cavern. It is a sumptuous feast for the eyes. The characters merge into this environment nicely and they seem to hae the detail upped a bit. Also, the cut scenes are again of high quality for an adventure game.
Sounds are again good, but not great. The voice overs are just fabulous and full of energy. Even the voice of Hans Voralburg is played quite nicely with its tired feel. You can tell that the people they got to do the voice over work were dedicated to the job and put their feelings into it. The score in the background would kick in from time to time, but it seems to be hard to hear at times. It could be a sound card compatibility issue, but the score just seemed muffled at times. Also the ambient sounds are rather non existant. You will hear the occasional bell , bird or the wind, but for the most part, it seems like a land with the mute button constantly on. The voice work definitely overshadows the rest of the sound in this game, but a big margin.
The game is stable and runs pretty flawlessly. Occasionally, the game would stutter a bit, but it could be new hardware not playing nice with an older game. The save game issues that plagued the first game are noticalbly absent in this one which is a good thing. Sound issues aside, the game is very stable out of the box, no patching necessary. Can’t say that too often in today’s gaming marketplace.
The flaws in the game are minimal, but it is a disappointment that the majority of the game is spent in one location. The game is suppose to be about exploration while discovering the truth about yourself. It is suppose to be about a journey of self-exploration, but you just seem to stay in the same place for far too long. The musical score is a mis-mash and barely audible at times. There are some minor movement glitches, but nothing that is a gamestopper in any way. The sub-plot with the PI is also just not necessary and just seemed like filler.
So does Syberia II keep the universe alive? Yes, the game is solid and far better than most of the adventure games that are released in this day and age. But with such a spectacular pedigree, this one comes up short to the original. It is worth a buy, but do not expect the same as the first game.