Syberia Remastered Review – Adventure Awaits (Again)

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The late 80s and early 90s were a fantastic time for adventure games. Companies like Sierra On-Line and LucasArts consistently released popular titles, including classics like Mystery House, King’s Quest, Maniac Mansion, and The Secret of Monkey Island. These games really captured the imaginations of PC gamers. And that’s not even mentioning the innovative visual novels coming out of Japan, like Hideo Kojima’s The Snatcher.

After the success of Myst, and as other types of games became popular, adventure games like it started to lose their audience. Games like Valve’s Half-Life began including similar features, and the demand for purely story-driven, character-focused adventures with puzzles decreased.

Despite the recent revival of the genre, a few excellent adventure games emerged in the late 90s and early 2000s. One standout was The Longest Journey, and another was Microïds’ Syberia (2002), directed by the late Benoît Sokal. Syberia was remarkable for its beautiful artwork and unique story, even though its gameplay felt a bit old-fashioned. It was a memorable game that has remained popular, as evidenced by the 2022 release, Syberia: The World Before.

Okay, so the dialogue is a bit of a mixed bag, honestly. The voice acting definitely sounds dated – it’s how things were done back then, and they haven’t remastered it or anything. Just a heads-up, it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s part of the game’s original feel.

It often feels like everything old is new again, especially in the gaming world with so many remakes and re-releases. Now, we’re revisiting the start with Syberia Remastered. But simply going back doesn’t necessarily feel like a comforting return, and time has a way of changing things.

The story begins with Kate Walker, a lawyer from America, traveling to the town of Valadilèn to help the Voralberg family sell their factory. Right away, things seem strange – she arrives during a funeral led by robots, suggesting the sale won’t be simple.

Valadilèn was once a lively town, its residents believed, but it declined after Anna Voralberg, the last of her family, passed away. However, Kate learns her brother Hans, thought to be dead, is actually still alive, and she needs his permission to sell something. She and a helpful automaton named Oscar then set out on a journey to find him, after she investigates the factory and helps Oscar.

The story feels wonderfully nostalgic for the mid-90s. Kate, a stressed professional, is thrown into an unfamiliar and somewhat unwelcoming situation. She’s dealing with a demanding and rude boss, a husband preoccupied with appearances, and a distant mother. While completely unexpected, this new challenge also offers Kate a chance to break free, see the world from a different perspective, and potentially grow as a person.

The dialogue can be a bit uneven – it definitely sounds dated, and the voice acting hasn’t been updated. This sometimes makes conversations feel unnatural or awkward. However, the chemistry between Kate and Oscar is still great; their relationship feels genuinely funny and charming as it evolves from initial interest to playful frustration.

By the way, even though Microïds Paris and Virtuallyz Gaming have simplified the interface and redesigned the puzzles, you’ll still need to use classic adventure game thinking to solve it – unless you consult a walkthrough.

The most noticeable improvement in Syberia Remastered is the updated graphics. While they don’t match the visual quality of today’s top games, they weren’t meant to. The game stays true to the original’s artistic style, but now features fully 3D environments instead of the older, pre-rendered backgrounds. You’ll find reflections almost everywhere, especially in outdoor areas, and locations like the factory and the Mammoth doll cave are packed with impressive detail. However, surprisingly, making the buildings look more realistic and detailed actually reduces some of the original game’s strange and dreamlike atmosphere.

Honestly, whether you prefer the original or the remastered version really comes down to what you like. But I’ve noticed some cool changes in Syberia Remastered‘s visuals. The cutscenes are way more dynamic, with more interesting camera angles and cuts – it really brings scenes like Kate arriving at the hotel or meeting Oscar for the first time to life! It’s a bit strange though, because the game itself still uses mostly fixed camera angles, so some parts actually feel different than I remember from the original.

While it doesn’t significantly impact how you play, the factory’s angles and lighting when going up the stairs and catwalk feel strange compared to the original game’s clear visuals. Overall, I enjoy it in certain areas, but I’m not sure why these changes were made, except to make those parts look different without actually changing the gameplay.

The game’s interface and puzzles have been improved, but you’ll still need to think like a classic adventure gamer to solve it—especially if you don’t want to use a walkthrough. For example, remember those gears needed for the cemetery elevator? You’ll have to return to the hotel to find them where Momo was previously sitting. And the documents to run the train? You’ll need to get them officially stamped at the Notary Office using ink you found in the Varlberg family’s attic.

Even though the game feels inviting, it’s strange that important details, like the model number of Oscar’s legs, weren’t recorded or mentioned again. While the puzzles aren’t overly complex, you’ll still need to revisit areas and carefully check things to progress.

The original game still feels the most authentic, even with its older design. We recommend playing Syberia Remastered to get acquainted with the series, or to remember what makes it so great, and then experiencing the original classic for yourself.

The game’s controls feel smoother and more modern, but the movement can be inconsistent. It’s odd to be able to run freely in some areas, yet be forced to walk in others, even when no one is around. It also felt clunky trying to get the character, Kate, positioned just right to interact with objects. A specific example is a console near a train – you have to awkwardly turn to face it in order to activate a prompt, which is more frustrating than anything happening in the story itself.

There are a few minor technical issues to be aware of. On PlayStation 5, the Performance Mode didn’t noticeably improve how the game ran and actually made the reflections look worse, so I preferred playing in Quality Mode. The game generally runs at a smooth 30 frames per second, with good graphics, although I did notice some objects appearing suddenly and a strange outline around the character Kate. These aren’t major problems – and it’s worth saying that when the game looks good, it looks very good – but that outline is hard to miss when you first see it.

The story and characters in Syberia still feel fresh and engaging. While some choices in this updated version aren’t perfect, it’s generally an improvement over the original. However, the original game remains the most authentic experience, even with its older, clunkier parts. Think of Syberia Remastered as a good way to discover the series, or as a refresher, before going back to play the original classic.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

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2025-11-06 18:46