Syberia 3’s story picks up just weeks after the end of Syberia 2, with Kate in the company of tribe of the nomadic Youkol people.
The game’s music comes from celebrated composer Inon Zur, who previously worked on Syberia 2, along with the Dragon Age and Fallout series. In a wonderful touch, as you progress in a given puzzle the soundtrack you hear grows more layered and intricate, giving you an audible sense of your progression. Another puzzle, involving an intricate key that needed to be unfolded into the right shape to open a door, felt like classic Syberia clockwork goodness. There were some satisfying puzzles on display in my brief hands-on time with Syberia 3, including an interrogation at a mental hospital that served as a nice reminder of all Kate Walker went through in the previous games.
When you experiment with items in this way, protagonist Kate Walker actually tries to combine the items, and the remarks she makes if something doesn’t work can provide natural clues to point you in the right direction. One interesting change to the established formula was the fact that you need to find a workbench or other appropiate object or area to allow you to combine items from your inventory. The gameplay I experienced was classic adventure fare, with a combination of dialogue trees and environments to hunt through for the clues and objects you need to progress. Characters in particular look much more detailed and alive than they ever have before. Gone are the days of the series’ intricate 2D backdrops, which some fans may mourn, but there’s plenty of visual detail and care to be found in Syberia 3’s more modern graphics.
The biggest immediate change you’ll notice in Syberia 3, if you’ve played the earlier games in the series, is that you’re now exploring full 3D environments. I recently had a chance to go hands-on with two different portions of the upcoming game, and experienced a combination of the series’ familiar charm with modern power and polish.
Now, more than ten years after the previous game, the series returns with Syberia 3, releasing on April 20. The games were acclaimed for their impressive artistic visuals and a compelling story rich in European culture and feminist themes.
The first two games, released in 20, followed the adventures of American lawyer Kate Walker across Europe and Russia as she attempted to unravel the mysteries surrounding inventor Hans Voralberg, possibly mythical mammoths, and more. The Syberia series is regarded as one of the highlights of the traditional point-and-click adventure game series.