Syberia: The World Before - 20 Years Edition (PS5)

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The story of Syberia: The World Before takes place in two separate timelines. One follows series’ protagonist Kate Walker in 2005, imprisoned in the salt mines (following on from the events of Syberia 3) who’s struggling with the news of her mother’s passing. The other follows a young woman called Dana Roze, a promising young pianist in 1937. After Kate escapes the mines following the tragic death of her friend, she is left alone, and the only thing of any worth in her possession is a painting of Roze: a woman that looks a lot like her. A year passes, and she becomes obsessed by finding out who the girl in the painting was, sending her to a small town called Vaghen, somewhere near Switzerland. The attention to detail in both the wider environments and enclosed spaces are wonderful. The scenic locations resemble Bob Ross paintings, building depth to the world around you. In closer environments like the town of Vaghen, the steampunk-like setting is both captivating and engaging, offering an alternate world to the one we’re familiar with. Some of the facial animations are a bit wooden, but the surroundings are gorgeous, and I couldn’t help but soak it all in.

In side objectives, too, which prompt you to interview characters or rummage around more thoroughly, the aim is purely to learn more and add context. It’s refreshing for a game of this type, particularly one with so many mechanical parts, to not present the world merely as a series of useful things, or problems with discrete solutions, but as a place to observe and comprehend for its own sake. A full 100% walkthrough of Syberia: The World Before, showing solutions to every puzzle and code in the game. For the Betrayed achievement, you must choose "Justify yourself" while talking to Leni at Silberspiegel Refuge (Part 2). The other options don't trigger the achievement.

In fact, one of the qualities I like most in The World Before is that it doesn’t feel a need to hurry to hold your attention. It’s willing to linger on views, expressions, thoughts as Kate zig-zags across the postcard town on quietly efficient automated trams, pondering her life and Dana’s. Moments set aside for optional ‘introspection’, meanwhile, aren’t merely a convenience to recap events with internal monologue, but punctuation points that create space for events to breathe.

The game's story does touch on issues surrounding WWII, specifically the rise of the National Socialist Party (Nazi) (although not mentioned in game but are known as The Brown Shadow). I say this because if you are sensitive to historical themes of Nazi/Jewish (Vaghens) occupation and the persecution, then I am letting you know now so please bear this in mind. There is no graphic or insensitive content in the game or walkthrough but the references are clearly obvious.

Syberia features gorgeous graphics and an interesting story line that will keep you engrossed until the very end. I fell in love with this game right away. That's important to note, because when The World Before was first announced, I was skeptical, as I suspect many Syberia fans were. That’s because the ill-fated third game in the series had left such a poor taste in my mouth, to the point where I almost wished the franchise would end there. Then Microids released the playable prologue for Kate's fourth adventure, and while it was still rough around the edges at that point, it hinted at enough possibilities that I became cautiously optimistic. Having now completed the full game, I feel confident in saying this is the game fans have been waiting for since the Syberia series began. As a poignant reflection on Kate's growth as a character, however, it will best be appreciated by longtime fans. A tale like no other! Embark on a magical journey through the enchanting cities of eastern Europe, both in 1937 and 2004. Accompanied by the music of Inon zur and the Budapest Film Symphony, piece together the puzzles that will disentangle the mysteries of two lives entwined together But that’s the nature of the beast, and won’t deter genre fans, while any dropped story beats are made up for by the overall rhythm of a compelling plot. And ultimately, the game’s heart is there, not in its machines but in those human stories, in Dana and especially in Kate. It’s her curiosity and longing for meaning that drives this series, and precisely what we need for a good adventure. The World Before allows her to shine, and long may she continue. At the beginning of Silberspiegel Refuge (Part 2), it's enough to examine the objects on the table to complete the secondary objective "Inspect the Common Room".

For the secondary objective "Explore the Stalls Before You Talk to the Antiques Dealer" in "Antiques District", you don't need to interact with the door at the end of the alley. The plot of The World Before is split across two timelines, with Kate in 2005 attempting to figure out what happened to this young woman, Dana Roze, and segments where you play Dana herself, starting in pre-war central Europe. Much of the story for both characters takes place in and around Vaghen, a fictional city in a fictional country somewhere between Germany and Switzerland. Kate visits locations frequented by Dana over 60 years before, seeking clues in any remnants and memories that endure. Another miss with Oscar comes in his utility throughout the game. As events begin, the only thing Kate has left of Oscar is his automaton heart, which also contains his memories and personality. One of her early goals is to find a new host automaton to put the heart into. I had anticipated this would be a source for some interesting puzzles involving swapping the heart into different mechanical bodies. Regrettably, this potential goes largely unrealized, though this a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things. With the story focused on Kate's internal struggle, more shenanigans with Oscar likely would have gotten in the way. Indeed, when it comes to Dana’s sections, many ‘puzzles’ are really daily routines in disguise, such as serving the right drinks in a bar. This is a smart way, I think, for The World Before to spend quality time with its characters and story, as opposed to directing everything towards advancing a wild adventure. As such, I would almost call it a kind of visual novel, not in the sense that there’s loads of reading to do, but that it develops the kind of epic saga that would suit a book. The story benefits from this care. Dana’s tragic love story caught up in rise of fascism is more intimate than most adventure games manage, giving her purpose and determination that the grieving Kate hungrily latches onto. Not to mention for the most part it’s a tightly plotted and directed mystery that gathers momentum throughout.Hey GoldenSun, thank you so much for this amazing guide! While following it, I noticed a few things: