Syberia: The World Before - Limited Edition for PlayStation 5

Product Information

Syberia: The World Before Collector’s Edition will be available in November 2022 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch versions will be released in 2023. 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. It’s a shame then that some of the narrative’s power is sapped by underwhelming production values and some clumsy delivery. Visually Vaghen’s scenery is evocative, reflecting the town’s evolution through good times and bad, and its population look convincing enough when they’re standing still. The animation and the way they interact with objects is less able to maintain the pretence, however. It’s not quite true to say that sometimes it’s hard to tell the humans from the automatons, but there is a certain puppet-like stiffness and weightlessness about their movements.

The dual running narratives also have gameplay implications as you will find yourself in control of Dana as well as Kate here, with the game switching to Roze as Kate digs into and uncovers more about her life. The moment-to-moment experience doesn’t change too much between the protagonists, with the core gameplay loops involving the solving of many, many puzzles and sleuthing your way through environments as you look for intel and anything else you can interact with that might help move the narrative along. 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 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. A full 100% walkthrough of Syberia: The World Before, showing solutions to every puzzle and code in the game. Unravel the intertwined fates of Kate Walker, a New-York attorney whose life was turned around by the call to adventure, and Dana Roze, a young and promising pianist in Vaghen whose career is threatened by the shadow of the Second World War. Escape prison, visit abandoned cemeteries, explore high mountains and feel the thrill of adventure.Explore the fantastic and poetic world of Benoît Sokal, with its breathtaking sceneries and iconic characters. Despite a slow start and some persistent technical issues that are inexcusable, Syberia: The World Before is a fantastic narrative adventure that continues the series in spectacular fashion, and does Benoit Sokal’s legacy proud. It’s not clear where Syberia as a series goes from here now that the Sokal is sadly no longer around to steer the ship, but I have full faith after playing Syberia: The World Before that Microids is more than capable of continuing to deliver more incredible tales in this universe.

Discover two captivating stories with incredibly high stakes written by Benoît Sokal and Lucas Lagravette. Syberia: The World Before is now Gold and is set to release November 15th, 2022 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Having made its way to PC earlier on in 2022, Syberia: The World Before, has finally made its way to consoles. Being the fourth installment of a beloved franchise is already a daunting task, but, with series creator, Benoit Sokal, sadly passing away during the development cycle, the pressure was firmly on development studio Microids to continue Sokal’s legacy and deliver something that maintained the high standards the series is known for without his valuable oversight. With that in mind, it’s with great pleasure that I can confirm that Syberia: The World Before isn’t just a fantastic narrative adventure, but a title that the late Sokal would have been immensely proud of. 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.One criticism that could perhaps be leveled at Microids is that it takes an incredibly long time for the narrative to gain any steam. The early hours are very much spent walking through the beautifully rendered world at a snail’s pace, engaging in what are, quite frankly, uninteresting conversations. You’ll come across very little in the way of anything that challenges the player in the early stages, and while it does allow for Microids to flesh this world and the characters out well, it does also create a bit of a barrier to entry for anyone who appreciates a bit more instant gratification. Overall, though, I’m sure anyone who does manage to persevere will find that those early hours were well spent, as taking that time to focus on the world and characters really help later narrative beats resonate that much more. 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. Currently available for PC ( Steam/ GOG/ Epic), Syberia: The World Before is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 15, 2022, followed by PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in 2023.