Generally everything is a solid step up from the last game, though in typical Microïds fashion, character models are deep in the uncanny valley. Despite how pretty the first game is, there were just so many pointless screens that needed to be removed so bad, and II definitely learned that lesson. Everywhere else works perfectly fine and benefits greatly from less to explore. The village does still have that backtracking problem, but not nearly as bad as it was in the university last game. There’s still a lot of fetching, but not as bad as it once was. Puzzles are a bit more enjoyable for this reason, as there’s almost always something new to do and figure out, and a few of them make solid head scratchers. Areas no longer have the same free exploration focus, but start adding restrictions and problems to solve as you go through them. New situations are constantly thrust upon you to figure out, making you adapt with shifting conditions. The story also continues with the pulpy adventure style, and handles it well. Despite a shift in focus, the game still looks stunning and really sells the new artistic shift. It fits very well with the themes of finality, and does a good job visually of showing how different Kate’s life has become compared to the shots of sunny New York we’re shown. There’s also a running theme of snow here, creating a beautiful and foreboding mood the further the game goes. Later areas include similar design sensibilities, like an old monastery, an abandoned cabin in the wilderness, and a tribal village. The only real touch from Hans is some mechanical horses in a bar, and the rest is all regular boonies buildings. It instantly looks distinct in its old fashion design, and it’s genuinely fast to navigate and travel around. The first area of the game, a two floor village in the middle of nowhere, is a great starting area. This time around, there’s far less rusted wonders, but the game makes great use of natural environments and smaller places. One of them does get one of the greatest death scenes in all of gaming, which is great (it involves penguins), but it’s just not as interesting as the detective plot line. Still, Kate never meeting the detective who was supposed to bring her home feels like a missed opportunity for a last minute twist or conflict before the game’s end, and would have probably have been more satisfying than the inclusion of two greedy brothers as the main villains. There’s no real payoff for that particular plot line, though its presence is appreciated as it helps show just how much Kate has grown as a character. It’s focused on the adventure, while the threat of Kate’s old life coming back to haunt her is downplayed. Areas are also typically more condensed or easier to navigate, resulting in a shorter game due to an absence of padding (or at least less padding, thanks to one late game area). Because everything is set-up properly already, there’s no early dragging. Syberia II benefits a lot from being a sequel. It’s so connected to the first title that the DVD compilation even lets you start Syberia II immediately after the final cinema of the first game. At the same time, Kate is having troubles of her own with Hans fading health, making the trip to the island of mammoths all the more dire. Since, her employers and family have started to make efforts to track her down and return her home, deciding to make use of a detective. At the end of the first game, Kate joined a found Hans on the remainder of his journey to the mythical island of Syberia, said to be filled with the extinct mammoth species. In becoming its own entry, Syberia II‘s story had to find a new way to continue the new versus old world story of the last game, while also reaching the climax built up from before. Syberia II was originally supposed to be a part of the first game, but was spun off into a sequel due to size issues.
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