Syberia for the Xbox follows a lawyer named Kate Walker that has been sent to a small village in Europe to take over an Automaton factory. Upon her arrival she learns that the owner of the factory has died, yet the next heir has been missing for quite some time. Your mission is to find Hans, the long lost brother of the previous owner, and get him to hand over the factory.

Syberia is a lot like Myst – a lot of exploring and puzzle solving is involved. The puzzles in Syberia are not nearly as mind-bending and difficult as in Myst, but they require a lot of exploring. The majority of time you spend playing Syberia will be pressing the A button. Talking to people and Automatons (people-like robots that live among humans), picking up items, and using items is all accomplished using the A button. Controls are simple, yet awkward at times. I found that maneuvering Kate was unresponsive with the joystick. She was a bit more responsive when I switched over to the D-pad, but still seemed to go in directions I wasn’t telling her to go in.

The story in Syberia is not the best story a game could have. You’re a lawyer representing a toy factory that has set out to find the heir to an Automaton factory and get him to give it up. Now, the story isn’t a huge selling point, and I had a hard time getting into it. Syberia is definitely for fans of puzzle/adventure games, or for anyone that liked Myst. Syberia is roughly the length of a short RPG: anywhere from 15 to 25 hours not using a strategy guide. Most of that time is spent exploring and talking to the locals to get hints on what to do next.

The graphics in Syberia are gorgeous. Since the backgrounds are prerendered, they were able to achieve a level of realism that real-time backgrounds have yet to reach. The environments are lush and full of detail, which really helps immerse the player into the game world. The character models are detailed as well. Even though they sort of stick out in front of the prerendered backdrops, they still look excellent. Characters’ motions are extremely fluid, but not very life-like. Kate, as well as the other characters on the screen, seems to walk very rigid and robotic.

The sound in Syberia is also done really well. With Dolby Digital support the ambiance surrounds you, thrusting you into the game world. Birds chirping, wind blowing, water churning…it’s all there and amazingly realistic. Even the voice acting is done very well, which is still a hard thing to come by in games.

Syberia is a fun game full of exploration and puzzle solving, although it’s definitely not for everyone. Most casual gamers today are used to fast-paced gameplay and probably wouldn’t have the patience for this game. Syberia is for anyone that enjoys immersing themselves in beautiful environments and solving mysteries. If you’re one of those people, I think you’ll really enjoy Syberia.

Gameplay: 6
Nothing exciting or intense really happens in Syberia, but that’s not a bad thing. Puzzles require brainpower, not reflexes or timing, and most of the game is pressing the A button. The gameplay can be extremely slow at times while trying to figure out certain puzzles, too.

Graphics: 9.7 
If it weren’t for the unrealistic animations of the humans, I would have given a perfect score. The environments are stunning and animations are extremely fluid. The only game that compares is Resident Evil on the Gamecube.

Sound: 9.6
The music and sound effects are wonderful, the voice acting is better than most, and the ambiance just surrounds you. Even the music is good, but the same song is played often. Other than that, the sound is just as breath taking as the graphics.

Difficulty: Medium
Syberia has nothing like boss fights or random encounters, but some of the puzzles can get tough. Also, very thorough inspections of areas are required to find significant items to move through the game. So in a way, it balances out – the puzzles can get tough, but you can take all the time you need to figure them out without worrying about enemies or time limits.

Concept: 6 
The way Syberia plays is very unique. Like Myst, it’s mostly about solving puzzles and searching for something rather than catching a bad guy. Unfortunately, games like Syberia aren’t usually very popular, since many gamers look for a quick fix rather than a long, involving quest. I think games of this nature are good for taking a break from all those quick fixes. You can take your time to enjoy the scenery and exercise your mind with puzzles.

Overall: 7
Even with its slow points, Syberia was entertaining and a refreshing break from the high-adrenaline majority of games. The graphics are stunning and the sound is incredibly realistic. With the game being so long, it was too bad the story couldn’t have been better. I mostly enjoyed the scenery and mind games. The world is very imaginative as well, and I was easily submerged into it. If you’re a fan of great graphics and puzzle solving, Syberia has both. But beware: it’s not very exciting.