Syberia (other)
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''Syberia'' is a franchise of
graphic adventure game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story, driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based ...
s created by Belgian
comic artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the literary ...
and
video game developer A video game developer is a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large business with em ...
Benoît Sokal Benoît Sokal (28 June 1954 – 28 May 2021) was a Belgian comic artist and video game developer, best known for his comics series '' Inspector Canardo'', and the ''Syberia'' adventure game franchise. Biography Benoît Sokal was born in Brussels ...
. Set within an alternate universe designed by Sokal and introduced in the 1999 video game ''
Amerzone ''Amerzone'' (also known as ''Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy'', ) is a first-person fantasy graphic adventure game published by Microïds and designed by Benoît Sokal, who based it on his 1986 '' Inspector Canardo'' comic strip ''L'Amerzone'' ...
'', the series is currently developed and published by French video game company
Microids Microids (formerly Microïds) is a French video game developer and publisher based in Paris. Founded in 1985 by Elliot Grassiano, it attained early success with games published through Loriciel in France and other partners (including Activision ...
. The central focus of the franchise, beginning with the eponymous 2002 video game, follows the experiences of Kate Walker, an American adventurer who originally worked as a lawyer in a prominent
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
law firm. In each installment, Walker travels to various fictional locations in continental Europe and former Soviet states during the 2000s, where she encounters fantastical creatures as well as highly advanced automatons powered by intricate clockwork mechanisms. The first ''Syberia'' centers on Walker's efforts to locate and deal with the eccentric inventor Hans Voralberg on behalf of her firm to secure the purchase of his family's factory. By the events of ''
Syberia II ''Syberia II'' is a 2004 graphic adventure game developed and published by MC2-Microïds. As the direct sequel to 2002's ''Syberia'', it is a third-person puzzle-solving game. Although it is stylistically identical, ''Syberia II'' improves upon ...
'', Walker abandons her assignment and accompanies Voralberg in his search for the legendary island of Syberia, which is said to be home to the last surviving
mammoth A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus.'' They lived from the late Miocene epoch (from around 6.2 million years ago) into the Holocene until about 4,000 years ago, with mammoth species at various times inhabi ...
s of the world. The franchise features a cast of secondary characters, including Oscar, one of Voralberg's sentient automatons, and Dana Roze, an aspiring pianist introduced in the 2022 video game '' Syberia: The World Before''. Members of a nomadic tribal people indigenous to the geographical area of Siberia known as the Youkols also play an important role in the lore and setting of the series, which combines realistic and surrealistic elements for its tone. The first two ''Syberia'' titles have been commercially successful, with lifetime sales reaching 3 million worldwide by 2016. Both titles have been ported or re-released on multiple platforms ever since their original launches in the early 2000s. ''
Amerzone ''Amerzone'' (also known as ''Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy'', ) is a first-person fantasy graphic adventure game published by Microïds and designed by Benoît Sokal, who based it on his 1986 '' Inspector Canardo'' comic strip ''L'Amerzone'' ...
'', the predecessor of the first two ''Syberia'' titles, also saw critical and commercial success, especially in France. '' Syberia 3'' was released in 2017 to a mediocre critical reception. ''The World Before'' launched for PC platforms on March 18, 2022, with console platforms due for release at a later date. In May 2025, Microids announced ''Syberia Remastered'', a modernized version of the original 2002 game. The remaster is being developed by Virtuallyz Gaming and Microids Studio Paris, with a planned release in the fourth quarter of 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.


Games

*''
Amerzone ''Amerzone'' (also known as ''Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy'', ) is a first-person fantasy graphic adventure game published by Microïds and designed by Benoît Sokal, who based it on his 1986 '' Inspector Canardo'' comic strip ''L'Amerzone'' ...
'' was first released for PC platforms in 1999. The player assumes the role of a journalist who interviews an elderly French explorer, Alexandre Valembois, in 1999, though much of the plot explores the backstory of Valembois's 1932 expedition to the fictional
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
n country of Amerzone. While not bearing the series title, it takes place in the same setting as the later games in the series. *''
Syberia ''Syberia'' is a franchise of graphic adventure games created by Belgian comic artist and video game developer Benoît Sokal. Set within an alternate universe designed by Sokal and introduced in the 1999 video game ''Amerzone'', the series is ...
'', the first entry in the series proper, was released for
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in several territories throughout 2002. It follows Kate Walker, an American lawyer tasked with overseeing the successful financial transaction of an automaton factory owned by the Voralberg family in the fictional European city of Valadilene. This title is later ported to multiple console and mobile platforms across console generations since its original release. *''
Syberia II ''Syberia II'' is a 2004 graphic adventure game developed and published by MC2-Microïds. As the direct sequel to 2002's ''Syberia'', it is a third-person puzzle-solving game. Although it is stylistically identical, ''Syberia II'' improves upon ...
'' was released for Windows between March and May 2004 in North America and Europe, and for the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
and
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand that consists of four main home video game console lines, as well as application software, applications (games), the streaming media, streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox networ ...
later that year. It continues the story of the first ''Syberia'' and follows Kate Walker, who abandons her career and the opportunity to return to the United States, as she accompanies the last surviving member of the Voralberg family in his search for the legendary island of Syberia. Like its predecessor, ''Syberia II'' has been ported to numerous platforms since its original PC release. *'' Syberia 3'' saw a multiplatform release for Windows, OS X, PlayStation 4 & Xbox One. It launched in Europe in April 21, 2017, and for North America in April 25, 2017. It continues Kate Walker's story arc following the conclusion of ''Syberia II'' and her subsequent departure from the island of Syberia. She joins the Youkol tribe in their traditional migratory journey as she attempts to evade her pursuers. *'' Syberia: The World Before'' launched worldwide on March 18, 2022 for Windows. It features two main player characters: Dana Roze in the late 1930s, an aspiring pianist and member of a persecuted European ethnic minority; and Kate Walker in 2004, who is forced into indentured servitude at a salt mine following her capture in ''Syberia 3''. * ''Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy'', a remake of the original game, was released PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in April 2025. * ''Syberia - Remastered'' is an upcoming remastered version of the original 2002 ''Syberia'' game. It will feature fully redesigned character models and rebuilt environments, with updated visuals intended to meet modern graphical standards. The game's puzzles will also be reworked to provide a more intuitive and streamlined gameplay experience.


Compilations

*''Syberia Collector's Edition I & II'' is a
compilation Compilation may refer to: *In computer programming, the translation of source code into object code by a compiler **Compilation error **Compilation unit *Product bundling, a marketing strategy used to sell multiple products, such as video game co ...
of the first two ''Syberia'' titles. It was released on April 7, 2008 for PC platforms and PlayStation 3. *''Syberia Collection'' is a compilation which consists of remastered versions of the first two ''Syberia'' games as well as ''Amerzone''. It was meant to be the first pack in the "Adventure Classics" branding used by publisher Iceberg Interactive. It was released for PC platforms on October 30, 2009. A similarly named compilation for the PlayStation 3, which only collects the first two ''Syberia'' titles, was offered as a free PlayStation Plus game for December 2017. *''Syberia 1 & 2'' is a compilation of the first two ''Syberia'' titles for the
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
. It was released on November 8, 2018. *''Syberia Trilogy'' collects the first three games of the franchise as a physical release. It was released on October 31, 2019 for the Nintendo Switch.


Development

The ''Syberia'' universe is created and designed by Belgian comic artist and video game developer Benoît Sokal. Each installment in the series has been developed and published by
Microids Microids (formerly Microïds) is a French video game developer and publisher based in Paris. Founded in 1985 by Elliot Grassiano, it attained early success with games published through Loriciel in France and other partners (including Activision ...
. The development team originally considered developing a single game for ''Syberia'', but decided to develop two separate titles due to the large scope of the project as envisioned by Sokal.


Adaptations

''Syberia'' was first adapted into the comic book format in 2017, with the release of a two-volume graphic novel published by Belgian publisher Le Lombard. It serves as a prelude to the video game series' third installment and offers an "alternative version" of the first game's story, which is centered on Hans Voralberg's backstory as a child in the distant past, with interspersed scenes depicting Kate Walker in the 2000s. The first issue was released on April 20, 2017, and the second issue on October 18, 2017. Sokal and his son Hugo were credited as scriptwriters, with art provided by Johann Blais. In June 2023, Microids announced an animated series adaptation of the franchise with What The Prod will produce.


Reception and critical response

''Amerzone'' was a surprise commercial success. Following its release in France in March 1999, it sold 10,000 units by early May. By June 1999, ''
GameSpot UK ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' concluded that ''Amerzone'' had become a "big hit in France". The game generated lifetime sales of 1.5 million copies by 2013. The first two ''Syberia'' titles have been successful commercially and critically. The first ''Syberia'' surpassed 225,000 units in sales by February 2003, and had achieved nearly 350,000 global sales across its console and computer versions by September 2003. In France, the Agence française pour le jeu vidéo reported that ''Syberia''s computer release had sold 50,000 units by September 2003. According to Michel Bams of Sokal's
White Birds Productions White Birds Productions was a French video game developer. White Birds was founded by Benoît Sokal, Olivier Fontenay, Jean-Philippe Messian and Michel Bams in August 2003. White Birds specialised in adventure games but also handled other work, ...
, it reached "nearly 500,000 copies" in global sales that February, a number it surpassed by late 2005, according to
Ubisoft Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Anno'', '' Assassin's Creed'', ' ...
. By 2006, ''Syberia''s sales in the United States reached 161,000 units. Following its launch in March 2004, ''Syberia II'' reached sales of 215,000 copies in Europe and the United States combined two months later. Its PC version also saw some commercial success in Russia. By late 2005, ''Syberia II'' was on track to reach 600,000 sales overall, a number it had reached by March 2006. Worldwide sales of the overall ''Syberia'' series had topped 1 million units by 2008, and rose to 3 million by 2016, before the release of '' Syberia 3''. The first two ''Syberia'' titles received praise from critics following their initial launches, although reviews of console ports for the original Xbox and Nintendo Switch were less enthusiastic. The Nintendo DS and PlayStation 3 ports of the first ''Syberia'' in particular received criticism over significant technical issues or perceived quality. The third installment received an unfavorable critical reception, with a consensus among reviewers that it is not up to par with its predecessors in terms of overall quality. ''The World Before'' received generally positive reviews from reviewers, with some reviewers lauding the title as a return to form for the series.


References


Further reading

*


External links


Official Twitter account
{{Benoît Sokal Alternate history video games Microïds games Point-and-click adventure games Steampunk video games Video game franchises Video game franchises introduced in 1999 Video games adapted into comics Video games developed in France Video games featuring female protagonists Video games set on fictional islands Video games set in the Arctic Video games set in Russia Video games set in the 21st century Video games set in South America