Syberia: The World Before

Syberia: The World Before, is one of those rare masterpieces where the story is just so freaking well written, the soundtrack is perfect, the graphics are stunning and the puzzles inspired.

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"Syberia: The World Before" is an adventure game that follows the stories of Kate Walker, a New-York attorney, and Dana Roze, a pianist from Vaghen, as they navigate through the tumultuous events of 1937 and 2004. The game features intricate puzzles and a magical atmosphere, accompanied by a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack by Inon Zur and the Budapest Film Symphony. The Deluxe Edition includes the game's soundtrack, a script of the prologue, and a fan kit.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,023 reviews

story493 positive mentions

optimization16 negative mentions

Beautiful storytelling and visuals that create an immersive experience.
Engaging and emotional narrative that resonates with players, especially fans of the series.
Improved gameplay mechanics and puzzles that are enjoyable, though easier than previous installments.

Limited puzzle complexity and some players may find the game too easy.
Unskippable cutscenes and dialogues can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
Camera controls can be awkward, leading to frustrating navigation at times.

story
1,022 mentions
48 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The story of "Syberia: The World Before" is widely praised for its emotional depth, beautiful storytelling, and strong character development, particularly focusing on Kate Walker and Dana Roze. While many players appreciate the rich narrative and stunning visuals, some express disappointment in the pacing and predictability of the plot, feeling it leans more towards an interactive movie than a traditional adventure game. Overall, the game is recommended for those who enjoy story-driven experiences, though it may not satisfy players seeking challenging puzzles.
- “The story is beautiful, very sweet and heartbreaking; it was like a novel you couldn't put down.”
- “The story is engaging and interesting all the way through.”
- “The story is captivating and stimulates my own creativity in trying to forecast how the story is going to unfold.”
- “The story was quite different from the other games, but it was so beautiful and heart-felt.”
- “The story is very moving.”
graphics
335 mentions
72 % positive mentions
26 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Syberia: The World Before" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning detail and artistic design, significantly improving upon previous installments in the series. Players have praised the game's beautiful environments, immersive visuals, and atmospheric art style, which enhance the storytelling experience. While some noted minor technical issues, the overall visual presentation is considered a highlight, contributing to the game's emotional depth and engagement.
- “The graphics are truly stunning, presenting detailed scenarios crafted with impeccable taste.”
- “The graphics are so beautiful and atmospheric; the story captivating with a roller-coaster ride of emotions creating an immersive experience.”
- “The graphics are absolutely stunning, the soundtrack and the story are beautiful.”
- “It is not a 2022 game: bad graphics, poor controls, terrible mechanics.”
- “The game is not fast paced, there are no really graphically-intensive scenes and while the graphics are decent, they aren't pushing any boundaries in a way that might explain the poor performance.”
- “Despite this crappy graphics and animation and yet another clickbait ending, the game is a good one, with an excellent plot, cinematography and environments.”
music
216 mentions
63 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in "Syberia: The World Before" has been widely praised as a standout feature, with many reviewers highlighting Inon Zur's masterful composition that enhances the game's emotional depth and immersive atmosphere. The soundtrack is described as beautiful, captivating, and integral to the storytelling, often evoking strong feelings and complementing the stunning visuals. Overall, the music is considered a significant asset that elevates the gaming experience, making it a memorable part of the adventure.
- “The soundtrack is a masterpiece as always, thanks to Inon Zur.”
- “The music blends in perfectly with the story and the visuals are simply breathtaking.”
- “The heartfelt story and the accompanying music will take you on a journey of emotions that will stay with you even after finishing the game.”
- “I have to say I wasn't a huge fan of Inon Zur's music in Syberia 2 because to me the arrival of a new composer shifted the atmosphere established in Syberia 1.”
- “This is my subjective opinion, obviously, but I got so bored with this game that I stopped playing after the third location (the music square).”
- “Once you remove about 8 minutes of the musical square puzzles, there is nothing separating actually playing the game from watching a completionist longplay.”
gameplay
140 mentions
21 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The gameplay in the latest Syberia installment has received mixed reviews, with many praising its beautiful visuals and engaging story, while others criticize its simplistic mechanics and slow pace. Players noted that the puzzles are generally easy and the gameplay often feels more like a visual novel with minimal interaction, leading to a lack of challenge for those seeking a traditional adventure experience. Overall, while the game offers a charming atmosphere and intriguing narrative, it may disappoint those looking for more dynamic gameplay.
- “The gameplay is much less frustrating and more functional than in Syberia 3.”
- “The puzzles and gameplay were modern and mostly well-executed.”
- “The gameplay is good.”
- “In Syberia 3, I encountered a few bugs that hindered the gameplay.”
- “The gameplay was infuriating and made the game take much, much longer than it should have.”
- “Gameplay: 1/10 (it's that bad).”
emotional
107 mentions
99 % positive mentions
-2 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players describing it as a deeply touching and heartwarming experience that evokes strong feelings, including tears. The storytelling, spanning multiple timelines, is noted for its captivating and poignant nature, often resonating with players on a personal level. Overall, the combination of well-developed characters, beautiful visuals, and a moving soundtrack contributes to an emotional rollercoaster that leaves a lasting impact.
- “The story is captivating and well written, even if the beats are expected they still hit emotionally hard.”
- “The heartfelt story and the accompanying music will take you on a journey of emotions that will stay with you even after finishing the game.”
- “An emotional roller coaster of a ride with stunning visuals.”
- “After 8 hours of a boring story, I'm tired of fighting against the game to move Kate on the screen.”
- “The emotional moments felt forced and didn't resonate with me at all.”
- “I expected a deep emotional experience, but instead, I was left feeling indifferent.”
atmosphere
66 mentions
59 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive sound design, and a unique blend of steampunk and vintage aesthetics, particularly in the city of Vaghen. Many reviewers highlight how the captivating environments and atmospheric music enhance the storytelling experience, creating a nostalgic and enchanting ambiance that resonates with players. While some note a shift in musical composition affecting the atmosphere, the overall consensus is that the game successfully evokes a rich, emotional atmosphere reminiscent of its predecessors.
- “While exploring the town of Vaghen, a mysterious and nostalgic atmosphere seemed to envelop the surroundings, adding a captivating layer to the experience.”
- “The graphics are so beautiful and atmospheric; the story is captivating with a roller-coaster ride of emotions creating an immersive experience.”
- “The atmosphere created is far beyond what I expected; they really nailed it with this one.”
- “I have to say I wasn't a huge fan of Inon Zur's music in Syberia 2 because to me the arrival of a new composer shifted the atmosphere established in Syberia 1.”
- “For a game that focuses so heavily on atmosphere, it can take you out of it a bit.”
- “While the technical aspects are well improved, it loses much on the atmosphere.”
optimization
45 mentions
29 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
36 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues, particularly on NVIDIA hardware, leading to inconsistent frame rates and lag even at lower graphical settings. While some users report smooth performance and good optimization on high-end systems, others highlight the need for further patches to address the game's technical shortcomings. Despite these issues, many players still find the game enjoyable, citing its story and art style as redeeming qualities.
- “It's beautifully made, runs smoothly, music is fantastic.”
- “This game is excellently optimized and runs comfortably on high settings on most modern gaming setups.”
- “The game optimization is very good overall and I've had only one bug throughout the entire playthrough.”
- “I've tried a variety of adjustments as recommended, but unfortunately, the performance issues remain.”
- “But even here, optimization is quite bad - sometimes I got 28 fps on my NVIDIA 4600 at 1920x1280, and it's really sad.”
- “The only problem with the game is its poor optimization; in some cut scenes, the fps will drop, but it didn't bother me at all. This game is all about the story.”
character development
11 mentions
36 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its depth and complexity, particularly in the protagonist Kate, whose journey is both captivating and transformative. Reviewers note that even minor characters are well-developed, contributing to a rich narrative experience. However, some express disappointment with the character development in the ending, feeling it lacks the depth and emotional resonance found earlier in the story.
- “Kate's character development is really well done, and the way the story is told is extremely captivating.”
- “Loved the storytelling, the twists, and the character development; even the smaller characters had some depth to them.”
- “Here we get to see her become completely changed with what her life is and her identity of who she is, what she is now living for, and a full circle for her character development.”
- “Lampshading cannot replace character development or storywriting.”
- “The nonexistent character development of the ending is frustrating.”
- “Character developments seem ill-fitting; I was especially disappointed by the lack of melancholic humor Oscar used to brighten my life with.”
grinding
11 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is characterized by tedious backtracking, slow camera movements, and repetitive interactions that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the story and puzzles, many find the gameplay frustratingly slow and monotonous, requiring significant patience to endure the lengthy scenes and unnecessary exploration. Overall, the game is seen as beautiful but ultimately tedious, making it less enjoyable for those who prefer a more dynamic adventure experience.
- “Examining objects is tedious, as the camera will take you for an adventure, showing a bunch of unnecessary camera angles of random scenery around the place you clicked on, each shot lasting about 3 seconds too long, which comes off as self-indulgence by the visual artists.”
- “Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful game but it gets incredibly tedious the third time you're forced to do things, and the whole point of an adventure mystery is to discover something new, not replay the whole thing when you know what's going to happen already.”
- “Each moment takes forever and there seems to be nothing you can do to skip an interminable tedious moment.”
stability
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
70 % negative mentions
Overall, the stability of the game is generally positive, with most players reporting minimal technical issues and no significant crashes. While some users encountered minor visual glitches and occasional control bugs, these did not detract from the overall gameplay experience, and many noted that the game runs well even on older hardware. In contrast, previous titles like Syberia 3 were criticized for being buggy, highlighting an improvement in stability for the current game.
- “Unlike Syberia 3, the world before looks much better, appearing beautiful in some areas and playing much better, with improved controls and virtually bug-free.”
- “No glitches, frame drops, or other issues whatsoever.”
- “Five hours in and the game runs great even on an older PC.”
- “Although Syberia 3 is a buggy mess, which can be frustrating to play.”
- “The control is buggy, with quite a lot of issues when moving around; if your mouse is at the edge of the screen, directions cannot be selected, leading to random movements.”
- “Visual glitches and performance issues detract from the experience, making it feel less like Syberia.”
humor
9 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the charming interactions between characters, particularly the robot Oscar, whose comedic presence adds levity to the narrative. While some players appreciate the funny moments and character commentary, others feel that the humor occasionally undermines the emotional depth of the story. Overall, the game balances humor with character development, though opinions vary on its effectiveness and consistency.
- “Oscar the robot was a nice sidekick, cute, and sometimes funny.”
- “The only game series I've played with a funny ending.”
- “It was funny when the characters commented on the beauty, even though it was true.”
replayability
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability, with users expressing concerns that it requires significant effort to revisit, indicating a lack of built-in features to enhance replay value. Overall, it received a score of 6/10 for this aspect.
- “I am not sure if there is any replayability value for this game.”
- “Overall, it's a big drawback here for the lack of replayability without tons of work, which could have been programmed into the game's menu.”
- “[b]Replayability:[/b] 6/10”