Syberia: The World Before - Limited Edition for PlayStation 5

Product Information

Set off on an adventure across continents and through time. Play as both Kate Walker and Dana Roze as you get to the bottom of mysteries that have remained buried for too long. 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. Explore the fantastic and poetic world of Benoît Sokal, with its breathtaking sceneries and iconic characters.

I’m also not sure why the lore needs to offer up an alternate version of the World War 2, where Hitler and the Nazis are replaced by a fascist organisation called the Brown Shadow, which sounds like an unpleasant Marvel supervillain, and the main victims of their persecution are referred to as Vagerans instead of Jews (although one note explains that the Vagerans are Jewish). It all feels a little too vague, as you hear talk of “nasty times” and “people like us” rather than historical specifics. 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. Syberia: The World Before was announced by Microïds on August 19, 2019, by which time it had already been in development for a year. [3] The game was released for Windows via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG.com on March 18, 2022. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions were released in November, 15 2022 while PlayStation 4, and Xbox One ports were released in October 19, 2023. Although the Switch port was delayed and will be published sometime in 2024. [4] Plot [ edit ] Syberia: The World Before from Microids and the late Benoît Sokal is the latest entry in the long-running adventure game series, now out on PlayStation 5. Belgian comic book artist and video game developer Benoît Sokal spent the last two decades of his life working on the Syberia series, which includes Syberia, sequels Syberia II and Syberia 3 and was preceded by Amerzone, which does not share the franchise’s name but does take place in the same setting as the Syberia games. He, unfortunately, passed away last year, with Syberia: The World Before being his first posthumous release.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.

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. The game follows two timeframes with two characters: Dana Roze, a young pianist in the small fictional Central European country of Osterthal (resembling a mix of Austria, the Czech Republic and Switzerland) in the 1930s and Kate Walker, the protagonist of Syberia series, who is now imprisoned in a salt mine in the fictional Eastern European region of Taiga in early 2000s. Dana graduates from her conservatory by performing the local anthem dedicated to the city of Vaghen, where the fascist Brown Shadow faction (an analogue to National Socialists) have begun to persecute the ethnic minorities and force them into ghettoes. Syberia: The World Before is now Gold and is set to release November 15th, 2022 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Despite being set in 1937, it’s a story that, at times, feels especially relevant in 2022, a year in which it has felt as though we are inhabiting a world that at times has felt like it’s edging closer to war on a scale the likes of which haven’t been seen since World War II. I was genuinely moved on a regular basis, especially when the story casts a light on how damaging blind hatred can really be. Discover two captivating stories with incredibly high stakes written by Benoît Sokal and Lucas Lagravette.

The Verdict

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 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. 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.