I am not very good at putting my thoughts to paper so bear with me and I would be happy to make clearer if you have any questions or concerns. I tried not to give away anything but there may be Spoilers so read at your own risk.

My Thoughts After Finishing Syberia 3

The Story

My initial thought at the beginning of the story was “how did I get here and how did it tie into the end of Syberia 2? After finishing the game I still don't know.

Story started slow for me and picked up steam through the middle of the game only to stall about 3 quaters of the way through until the abrupt ending which seemed rushed at the least and painstakingly tried to prepared us for another game. Tried to be a cliffhanger but I think it somehow fell short. I do remember how stunned I was at the ending of Syberia 1 but somehow in that game I felt satisfied although I did have a “Whaaat” moment then and wondered what was next.

The Game

It was nice to see and hear Kate Walker again and some of the characters we met in the first 2 games. Some have complained about the voice acting but I had no problem with it. I had no problems with the graphics although the lip sync was off a tad but supposedly that was cleaned up in that last large Update/Patch.

Game Play

I did not use a controller but relied on about 85% Keyboard commands and the rest mouse control. Very hard to control Kate as the camera angle changed repeatedly which resulted in a lot of walking in circles and banging into things. There were loading screens and the further into the game I got the longer they seemed to be but I think they took care of that in the Patch too. The Inventory was very clumsy especially later in the game when there were more items in it. Supposedly they have also fixed the clumsy controller issues with the Patch and according to Mikael the games navigation and gamepad controller works 100%.

The Auto Save System was bearable as the triggers didn't seem that far between. Mostly whenever you completed something or talked with someone the game saved. However the inability to be able to load anything previous Save but the Auto Save prevented any replaying of a part of the game you want to go over again.

My Final Opinion

Not the best of story from Benoit and the clumsy controls took away any immersion for me into that story. The game did not, to me, flesh out the characters much and why things were happening.

I thought the musical score was not up to what I expected and at times the music that was playing seemed inappropriate.

It took me 29 hours to finish the game in the Mode with no help. I think the clumsy controls, loading screens and the fact that I spent a lot of time stuck in a game glitch (stairs) probably contributed to 2 or 3 hours. Also the fact that I didn't run much at all in the game as I found it very hard to use the WASD keys and try and use the Left Shift Key to run so I walked much of the game. There are some who have complained that the game is very short and even some that have said they finished it in 13 hours however I think they had to have used the easier mode in the game and had help with Walthroughs or videos.

My Hopes For a Sequel

Really, like the first 2 games it wouldn't be a sequel but just a continuation of the same story, in other words a Part 2 4.

I don't mind the 3D environment but I would hope they could find a way to incorporate more mouse or P&C into the game play like other newer 3D games recently released have had. Sort of like a Classic Option. I would hope they would get rid of that Inventory system and just make it pop up at the top or bottom of the screen when the cursor is placed there. Also it would be nice if that even though that game had Auto Saves they could incorporate a system that would save all previous Auto Save Points so one could go back and replay a part especially if they didn't remember what a character said or did.

The game, to me is not a $40 game, maybe half of that. If you don't mind using a controller or the WASD Keys then I would suggest trying the game but only when the price drops considerably.

When the story kept getting better for me I was prepared to give the game a B- grade despite the control issues but when the story stalled and then the abrupt ending I can only give it a C and that is being generous for me as there were too many questions left about what was going on and not in a good way that good writing leaves you with wanting more but in a way that makes one not understand the who, what, where and why.

Thanks GreyFuss for posting this. It does sound disappointing but at some point I still hope to play. Was already planning on waiting for a good sale.

Thanks for posting, Greyfuss. I think you covered it very well. I so wanted to play and love this game, but i am pretty sure I never will. I may have considered trying to muddle through the bad controls if the story would have continued, but I see absolutely no need to suffer through the gameplay for this.

I started typing pretty much what Ana did... I also might have tried to endure the bad controls for an otherwise excellent game. But I fail to see why "endure" is a good thing when I've paid $40 - a premium price - for a mediocre story and game. Taking a big pass on this one.

Greyfuss The cliffhanger is why I said not to watch the youtube game video. Perhaps I should have spilled the beans I wrestled with that but kept quiet. Had I spent the money, and I almost did until I read what was contained on the disc version,I would have been furious when reaching the ending. I didn't wait thirteen years to get a badly engineered game only to be left in the lurch at the end waiting who knows how long to get a complete story. Based upon responses I've read it is unlikely this game will be a big seller.

Thanks, GreyFuss.

A big disappointment all round for me so I won't be buying

Thanks for the fair, detailed review, Greyfuss, but I'm really sorry to hear that! I have very fond memories of the first two instalments, because of its unique atmosphere, beautiful imagery and creative, unusual storyline. I'm pretty sure I will be buying Syberia 3 regardless at some time, if it meets my system requirements, because I feel that exceptional, highly personal visions should be supported in the very fickle, extremely risky world of creative software development. In other words, I think playing the game will bring its own rewards despite its shortcomings - which I'm quite used to anyway, playing vintage titles!

It's also because I like Benoît Sokal. I've yet to play Amerzone and Paradise (which are on my wish list), but I did buy one of his comic books on Inspector Canardo, which is quite different, but great fun in a twisted way, being a scathing commentary on the Royal House of Belgium and the escapades of Prince Laurent especially.

I must admit I don't look forward to downloading a rather expensive game (I've never actually done that), and going through the hassle of registration, unique keys, confirmation links and so on, but there's no avoiding going that way anyway, though I still prefer buying a physical object instead of any sort of vague subscription, lease agreement, streaming, stuff involving DRM and similar constructs.

I understand that the disk version is just a Steam registration device, and doesn't contain the game? Or are there other releases?

Best,

Rich

There will almost certainly be DRM-free releases in the future that don't require Steam -- and will cost less than the current price. I'd advise you to wait, especially since your current video card doesn't meet listed requirements.

If you're going to pay a premium price for a game, I don't think this is the one to spend your money on. Wait for a sale. Wait for a DRM-free version that doesn't require a "client." Wait until you buy a better video card. The game isn't going away any time soon.

Thanks for the very sound advice! I'll take it to heart !

Rich

FYI: I just gathered a few detailed, considerate Syberia 3 editorial (so 'official') reviews from Dutch sites, like Eurogamer.nl, Gamer.nl, PSX Playstation Community, Imagine Game Network IGN and Gameliner.nl.

They are surprisingly unanimous, so all arrive at roughly the same verdict, and also express regret: unfulfilled potential, "fair" (grade C), deficient, clumsy or sloppy execution, stay away!.

Pros

• Great grubby steampunk atmosphere, thanks to Benoît Sokal's designs, reminiscent of Terry Gilliam and Jean-Pierre Jeunet
• Tintin-like colourful cartoon characters provide giddy fun
• Beautiful soundtrack
• Controls work mostly fine on the PS4

Cons

• Weak story, which lacks depth, explanation and character motivation
• Bad voice acting, often doesn't fit the character or the accent
• Stiff dialogues
• Bad lip sync
• Spoken dialogue different from subtitles
• 'Foley' sounds or dialogues that sometimes disappear along with the music score
• Translation errors: jerrycans become canisters, 'forge' becomes forgery instead of smithery
• NPC dialogue options have little to no consequences
• Bad fixed camera angles
• Wooden character animation
• Unstable framerate
• Scenes too dark; brightness can't be modified in-game
• Game often halts or crashes
• Awkward PC controls, mouse operation not accurate enough for tasks
• Puzzles too simple
• Long-winded, sometimes frustrating assignments, where you must retrace your steps (backtracking quests)

Best,

Rich

What can one say to a list like THAT ????

Silence is golden ....

As Syberia is a French game, you'd expect French players to be more lenient, especially because voice acting and translation problems shouldn't bother them, but even on Amazon France, more than 2/3s of the reviews are scathing ...

Most customers, understandably, complain about the obligatory Steam download. If they had known about the 45 GB of disk space needed, they should have figured out it would have required about 10 DVDs to contain the game, but webshops like Amazon sadly don't list details like that...

Editorial French reviews arrive at an average of 2.7 out of 5....

Beware!

Rich

The download size is not 45 GB.
45 GB is the amount of disk space you need to install and play the game, which includes room to expand files for installation, room for the save, etc., along with the download itself.
Microsoft Store lists the download size as 15.18 GB.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/syberia-3/bnf1mdx12ng3

15.18 GB would fit on 2 dual-layer DVD's.
Wikipedia says dual layer DVD's can hold up to 8.6 GB.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD#Dual-layer_recording

The problem with a disc version is that they'd have had to delay it. Even the buggy original Steam release was a better version than what they would have had ready at the time they had to manufacture the discs.

I'd certainly rather wait for a "real" disc version that contained the game files, but those in charge of distribution decided they could make extra money this way. Maybe they think they'll make a "real" disc version later, and sell it to people who already bought the Steam disc version, getting money from them twice. Maybe they figured the game was bad and no one would buy a delayed disc version after reading reviews. They don't seem to realize that tricking people into buying a download will hurt future sales of all games those tricked people might have considered buying in the future.

Fake disc versions are why people stop buying games on disc -- not that people don't want disc versions of games. But instead of switching to buying downloads, many will stop buying games at all. Less-than-expected sales will be blamed on "piracy" (the universal scapegoat) when the real reason is lack of choice in delivery system (disc vs download), lack of trust in what's being sold (how do you know if a disc actually contains the game) and/or poor reviews. Many of the Amazon buyers who were essentially tricked into buying a Steam download disc may never buy another game, and I don't blame them.

Hi Jenny,

Sorry for the misunderstanding! I own dual-layer movie DVDs myself, so I should have known!

I even have some double-sided DVDs (e.g. different language versions), so that could even be a cheaper distribution option.

Yes, indeed, a number of reviewers have called the Syberia download a beta version inflicted on the user.... The download-plus-online client practice certainly lends itself to rush-releasing buggy games, while endless patches applied automatically should save the day - or rather save the developers' face. Consequently, hardly anyone knows what version they're playing, or what went wrong at what time. This certainly undermines the customers' trust and adds to their frustration.

I also prefer physical releases, which force the publishers to carefully prepare and test their products. Of course, patches would also often be released, but you would have a clear history of what patches served which purpose. Downloads and streaming, along with their often sloppy presentation, also reinforce the idea that media should be free of charge, as it minimizes the effort of producers and distributors, hence both simplifying and (almost?) validating piracy! I actually know a number of people, who believe that if it's not physical, they won't pay for media ... Look at YouTube: you spend days finding a good, official release of some movie or song, only to be told, why bother, it's on YT - no doubt, illegal and bad quality, but who cares?

On the other hand, disc players are harder to get nowadays, and people are throwing out their CD and DVD collections in favour of streaming and downloads, even of poor resolution. Apparently, it's good enough for a quick listen or view on a pad or smartphone.

When I had my PC put together two years ago, the manufacturer told me he'd had a hard time finding a suitable DVD-player/burner for my desktop! Consequently, DVD and even Blu-ray releases now become more bare-bones and of dubious quality, and quickly end up in the bargain bins for a few bucks.

But I guess that would be a different discussion altogether!

Best,

Rich

Common Sense Media may not be a site readily associated with adventure games (there is exactly one reference to it on this site), but I thought this looked like a worthwhile - though extremely critical, yet perfectly commonsensical review.

Or rather, I'm afraid this is the case:

Best,

Rich

Well I don't think the voice acting was universally bad.
I thought Kate was fine, and a few of the other characters were OK too. I didn't care for the over-the-top cartoon voices that were used for many of the other characters though.

I don't think all the puzzles were bad either, but they were made so much worse by the interface. And no hotspot-highlighter, which should be a standard option by now and is even more critical for 3D interfaces than it was for point-and-click because you have to be aimed the right way as well as being close enough to the object to interact. Otherwise it's too easy to think you aren't supposed to use an object you see onscreen to solve a puzzle, when in fact you're simply aimed wrong or a hair too far away.

And of course there should never be a cliffhanger on a game. It's not like the sequel will be ready the following week to resolve the cliffhanger. It takes years for a game. A plot device that may have worked for 1920's and 1930's movie serials and later for TV series and comic books isn't necessarily going to work for a game, where the wait time is orders of magnitude longer. It becomes more advantageous for the audience to write their own endings and forget about waiting years for a sequel that is only going to have a worse cliffhanger at the end.

Thanks for putting things into (pertinent) perspective, Jenny!

Rich

Many thanks for your impressions GreyFuss! I'm not sure I liked the direction the story was planned to go in anyway so wasn't so excited about this release - your thoughts reflect many of the reviews which at one time I wouldn't have taken too much notice of & played anything anyway but I've now got too many games to catch up with along with more enticing offerings winking at me!