Syberia 2 is, in most aspects, a worthy successor to the original Syberia. Like it's predecessor, it's a 3D point-and-click adventure in 2nd person perspective. In Syberia 2, you play as Kate Walker, a young New York lawyer, and continue your quest to help Hans Voralberg, a genius toymaker, realize his lifelong dream: to find the lost island of Syberia, where, according to legend, live mammoths still roam.
In the first game, you have traced Hans Voralberg all over Europe by means of a clockwork train (yes, really!) and its automaton engineer, both inventions of Hans. Finally, you have found him in Aralbad, a place in the far north of Russia. The game itself also contains a recap of the first game, a big point in its favor.
The story starts where the first game ends, when the train leaves Aralbad. Your first stop is Romansbourg, a few houses thrown together: the very last outpost of society. From there you'll travel by train and by other means, meeting good people, crooks, and just downright strange characters, meeting old friends and making new ones, and also leaving some things behind as you get near your goal. I see a parallel here with Amerzone, one of the previous masterpieces of Benoit Sokal. You start with a lot of "luggage", but as you travel, you leave more and more of it behind to arrive more or less "empty" at your final destination.
The story is excellent and captivating, with lots of twists and surprises, and several touching moments. There are some drawbacks as well. Kate is "chased" by a detective, sent after her by her former employer. This part of the story, however, turns out to be rather disappointing. Also, the interaction with the other characters in general appears somewhat superficial, compared to Syberia 1.
Most of the characters are excellent as well. One of the more outstanding is the Youki, a pet adopted by Kate on her travels. It's the epitome of cuteness! You´ll also meet some Russian people which I thought to be pretty well-thought-out characters. A rather disappointing character is one of the crooks. His British accent and ways are totally out of place in what´s supposed to be, after all, a Russian setting. Strange, all the other characters fit in pretty well.
The puzzles in the game blend in perfectly. I'd describe their difficulty level as somewhere between easy and average. The graphics are even better than in Syberia, and that is saying a lot. The words ¨breathtaking¨ and ¨mouthwatering¨ are certainly appropriate here. The attention to detail is great! For instance, both Kate´s and the Youki´s reflection are always visible in any water they cross, as are their footsteps. Birds fly around the screen, sometimes it appears they fly right past you.
The screens are never dull, even though there is, of course, a lot of snow and ice involved. There is, for instance, a place beneath a waterfall that´s pure eye candy, and a library that is just superb. As in Syberia 1, there is a lot here just to sit back and enjoy.
The sound is beautiful and merged very well with the game. Gameplay is easy, you just use the mouse and an inventory. The mouse cursor will change to show exactly what can be done at any given place. You´d want to play this over and over again, if only for the graphics.
Overall, a really excellent game, but i would say it equals, not surpasses, Syberia.
