REVIEW

Syberia 3 Review

by Rob Pritchard, April 28th, 2017

Back in the early years of the last decade, Syberia and its sequel were considered to be two of the most critically acclaimed adventure games of that era. The two entries focused on a young lawyer named Kate Walker, who travelled across the world to solve an inheritance dispute and becomes involved in a series of ancient mysteries. Thirteen years after Syberia 2 was released on PC, the third entry has at least seen the light of day Syberia 3.

After waking up in a psychatirc institution without any clue how she arrived, a young lawyer named Kate Walker determines that she is being held against her will. Along with several new friends and her loyal friends from the Youkul tribe, Kate must find a way to break out of her prison and find a way for a prophesied migration to take place. The story is filled with some interesting plot twists, accompanied by some well written dialogue from Kate and her supporting cast.

Like its predecessors, Syberia 3 takes place in a variety of distinct locations, ranging from the psychiatric asylum to an abandoned castle which has become the headquarters of a secret organisation. As you control Kate’s movement with the left analog stick, you will need to interact with several objects and characters using the button prompts provided on screen. Even with the prompts, sometimes it is not entirely clear on how to manipulate objects inside the inventory, which can prove frustrating when you need to find a key piece of information to proceed.

Like many modern adventure titles, Syberia 3 gives you the option to hide all hints and prompts, giving players of all skill levels a chance to experience the story if they are not adept at solving puzzles. Most of the challenges that are presented are definitely inspired by titles such as Broken Sword and Gabriel Knight, feeling appropriate to the situation at hand and satisfying to complete, with only the odd puzzle feeling as if it has been placed to extend the length of the game. This occurs fairly early in the narrative with the asylum key puzzle, but the reason for its inclusion is explained away by a cruel and unusual plot twist.

Although there aren’t any major twists caused by your decisions, many of the destiny affecting choices feeling inspired by the recent developments in the adventure game genre. One of the earliest examples of this occurs when you face a morally bankrupt nurse. She is not afraid to use her medication to get her patients to submit should you force her hand, so you will need to make a heart breaking choice to attempt to be a heroine, or stand in silence and watch your friend suffer. One major issue with the dialogue system in the game is that it is impossible to speed up the progression of the subtitles, or skip through the dialogue if you are interested in getting back to the gameplay.

The graphical style of Syberia 3 harks back to the first two games, providing detailed character models and realistic environments which look fantastic on modern consoles. It is slightly disappointing that the frame rate is sometimes unstable, even when played on a PS4 Pro with Boost Mode enabled. It never slows to being unplayable, but you will definitely appreciate the occasions when the game runs at a smoother pace.

The soundtrack of the game is a mixture of orchestral ambient tracks and the occasional louder theme when then there is emotional conflict or a dangerous situation on screen. Despite the well written dialogue, the voice acting can sometimes be slightly underwhelming and disjointed, with many of the characters possessing an Americanised voice when they are clearly designed to be from somewhere in Eastern Europe. It is not a game breaking decision, but it does break the immersion into the mysterious world of the Syberia series.

Overall, Syberia 3 is a typical example of a traditional adventure game with solid puzzles and high quality graphics. Despite the inconsistent voice acting, it is an essential purchase if you are looking for an experience to scratch your point and click adventure itches. Gamers who are used to a modern perspective on the genre may be surprised, but if they stick with the game, they will not walk away disappointed.