[Kuja]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

Well, having played other kinds of games, it gets annoying and frustrating. I feel like I'm walking through a beautiful world where everything is underglass, clinical, and I can't touch anything except the puzzles and inventory items.

The last adventure game I played where I had a great time interacting with the world was Gabriel Knight 3. The smart ass comments Gabe and Grace gave on all the things you clicked on were almost more fun than the puzzles and storyline.

Amen, clicking on the paintings around the hotel was a total joy.

[Antoinetta]

"....then ignore Syberia and go straight for Syberia 2 - it's so much more engrossing than the first one." Posted by Manhunter71

To do this would be like starting a 400 page book on page 200. While Syberias I+II were sold and marketed separately, they are together one long game; Syberia II starts off in the same scene that concludes Syberia I, and the story continues.

Antoinetta

[BenjaminBunny]

Originally Posted by Antoinetta

To do this would be like starting a 400 page book on page 200. While Syberias I+II were sold and marketed separately, they are together one long game; Syberia II starts off in the same scene that concludes Syberia I, and the story continues.

Antoinetta

She's right.

[Manhunter71]

Originally Posted by Antoinetta

"....then ignore Syberia and go straight for Syberia 2 - it's so much more engrossing than the first one." Posted by Manhunter71

To do this would be like starting a 400 page book on page 200. While Syberias I+II were sold and marketed separately, they are together one long game; Syberia II starts off in the same scene that concludes Syberia I, and the story continues.

Antoinetta

I agree partly, but as far as I can remember there is an option in Syberia 2 to go over the previous story and find out how Kate got to her starting point in Syberia 2.
It's not really like starting a book halfway through, it's more like reading the second book in a series - during the second game there's enough detail and dialogue for you to become acquainted with her and Oscar, and in my opinion, Syberia 2 is much more emotionally involving.
The first game left me feeling pretty numb - I really didn't care wether she completed her mission, and at the end of the game where she finally got to meet Hans Voralberg, which for the gamer, should have been a very intense experience - I felt nothing. In fact I almost didn't buy Syberia 2 but I was in Game and saw it going cheap so decided to take a chance - the DVD collectors ed was on sale for £20, and I have to admit it was probably the best £20 I ever spent

It was just a completely different experience - Kate had developed a personality, Oscar was funny, and seeing Hans falling ill was quite sad.
If Syberia had been made as well as this then I would have been more impressed

[BenjaminBunny]

Yeah but I for sure wouldn't have been nearly as engrossed and invested in the story if I hadn't played Syberia 1 first, and I watched the "review" thingy. I don't think Syberia 2 can stand on it's own. I think the two could be re-released as one game and it would flow together so seamlessly anyone who had not played them before would not know where the first one ended and the second one began.

[Antoinetta]

If Microids had developed the entire game (both Syberias I+II) and released it on a DVD, I don't think people would be dividing it in half in their minds and commenting that the second half was somehow better or fundamentally different from the first half. The only way to properly play Syberia is to first install both Syberias I+II on your machine before you start playing. Then start playing from the start of Syberia I; there will be three times you will have to switch CDs before you come to the end of Syberia II, but you won't notice any difference at any of these points UNLESS YOU STILL HAVE IT STUCK IN YOUR MINDS THAT THESE ARE TWO SEPARATE GAMES!!!!

Antoinetta

[Karmillo]

Originally Posted by Antoinetta

If Microids had developed the entire game (both Syberias I+II) and released it on a DVD, I don't think people would be dividing it in half in their minds and commenting that the second half was somehow better or fundamentally different from the first half. The only way to properly play Syberia is to first install both Syberias I+II on your machine before you start playing. Then start playing from the start of Syberia I; there will be three times you will have to switch CDs before you come to the end of Syberia II, but you won't notice any difference at any of these points UNLESS YOU STILL HAVE IT STUCK IN YOUR MINDS THAT THESE ARE TWO SEPARATE GAMES!!!!

Antoinetta

well in a way they did with the collectors edition, but what i found was really strange was that the interior of the train completely changes in the second game, the walls dont even look the same. syberia 1 and 2 really are two diferent games, but still the one story, i say this because the second game had allot of changes regarding to how conversations worked (if there was nothing new to talk about then the topic disapeared) and the menus also changed slightly aswell. So to say that syberia 1 and 2 are the same game would to be saying Monkey Island 1 and 2 are the same game, or that broken sword 1 and 2 are the same game, or even say any game and its sequel are the same game.

oh and in the collectors edition it asks you at the end of syberia 1 if you would like to jump straight into syberia 2 but even when it was my first time playing them and i did that it still didnt feel like i was playing the same game...

[ashleyelaine]

Syberia worked best for me, because it was dreamy and cute. I loved how it continued into a second part and I personally loved Kate Walker.

Still Life, would have been chosen, but it was too short and will obviously not continue into another game.
Post Mortem doesn't count, because it was barely planned to be connected until the last minute.

I really loved Still Life's idea. Swearing, gritty, art and horror. And very slight forensic things really helped.

But, overall Syberia wins.

[Tobbe]

I´ve only played SYberia so far (can´t get that damn Still Life working on my comp) .. But I highly recommend Syberia, like trep said, the world isn´t so "hot-spottish" or rich, but the atmosphere and story is great..And the graphics/background, Oh so beautiful!

[Manhunter71]

Maybe it's just me and some inherent fault in my brain that makes me keep banging on about it, but, although Syberia was an ok game, I wasn't impressed
It had great potential but imo didn't live up to it, and the ending, as I have said a thousand times left me pretty much jaded about the whole experience. I really did want to feel something at the end of the game as I had put a lot of effort into it.
I'm not sure exactly what the problem was? It definitely wasn't the graphics - they were sumptuous, and I don't think it was the gameplay, because that was very fluid, and I know it wasn't the storyline because that's what attracted me to the game in the first place - so - it looks like the main problem for me was the characterisation - there was just something about Kate that I couldn't bond with

When I played Syberia 2 all of that changed - I would play the game through to the early hours of the morning because I was desperate to find out what would happen to Kate, Oscar and Hans

The reason I am makng this long post is to illustrate the fact there is something different about Syberia 2 - maybe it's just the way they portrayed Kate Walker, bur all I know is that during the second game I was behind her 100% and I felt it was my duty to make sure she completed her mission

[Once A Villain]

Syberia II, in my opinion, sort of ruined the beautiful ending of Syberia. It was still a fun game, but a lesser game for me. And as for the original question...I'd say Syberia, but I think Still Life is easier to get into for most people.

[Filmman]

I love to play Syberia Games they are more Fun.

[CrimsonBlue]

Syberia was very good but not by a long shot the ultimate adventure game. Both of the games have fantastic music and great atmosphere. Great game, but not the best ever.

I say play Syberia 1+2 first, in the correct order. By then you'll kinda know what you get when you're picking up Still Life. Except, Syberia has a lot better puzzles. I hated about 40% of the puzzles in Still Life, they just didn't feel right.

[mszv]

I don't care if it's "too easy" for some - I adore Syberia 1 and 2. Some games are just like that, for me.

I'm finally going to play Still Life this week. Although it's predecessor was flawed, I really enjoyed Post Mortem. This not playing games on my part (various reasons) just has to end!

[Wormsie]

Originally Posted by Antoinetta

If Microids had developed the entire game (both Syberias I+II) and released it on a DVD, I don't think people would be dividing it in half in their minds and commenting that the second half was somehow better or fundamentally different from the first half. The only way to properly play Syberia is to first install both Syberias I+II on your machine before you start playing. Then start playing from the start of Syberia I; there will be three times you will have to switch CDs before you come to the end of Syberia II, but you won't notice any difference at any of these points UNLESS YOU STILL HAVE IT STUCK IN YOUR MINDS THAT THESE ARE TWO SEPARATE GAMES!!!!

Then why are they sold separately? Claiming something as stubborn as that is a bit...

...stubborn. Why not just say something like "you will enjoy the games more that way"?

[Quadriflax]

Originally Posted by Wormsie

Then why are they sold separately? Claiming something as stubborn as that is a bit...

...stubborn. Why not just say something like "you will enjoy the games more that way"?

Not disagreeing with the last part there, but for the sake of argument... They're sold separately because that's the way they had to do it. To wait to release the whole thing at once could have been suicide. Breaking it up in pieces allowed them to generate some revenue from the first "half" while finishing up the second. Calling them "I" and "II" really only means "this half comes after the first one." On a similar token, Shenmue and Shenmue II aren't really seperate games. But there's no way in hell you could wait until the whole thing was programmed before you start selling it. The downside, in this case, is that the first part cost too much and didn't make enough (if any) profit to really go further. We may never see the end.

[Lucien21]

I think there is rumours of an Xbox360 Shenmue game, but whether it is the long proposed online game or another sequel I don't know.

[nex]

I think Syberia is better because is more exciting

[daveny]

Syberia or Still Life?

When you start playing with Syberia, it looks like that it will be a serious game around making a business with that automaton toy factory, but after a while, you quickly notice a big change in reality. You will start hunting for Mammoths which live in Syberia (which is a kid story), because your client, Hans Voralberg had a terrible accident and had some illusions. So if you want to get a beautiful game with unbelievable story, then choose Syberia.

Still Life is quite different if you compare it with Syberia. It's not so beautiful, has some violence effect, there are crimes and these things. (the places are frightening, scarying) So if you want to get a real game and you have the ambition to be a detective, then... Still Life is your game.

I finished Syberia and Syberia II too and played with Still Life demo and if you asking my opinion, then... choose Syberia I & II.
Reasons:
-I won't look for prices, but I thing that you can buy Syberia I&II for that money, what you would like to spend for Still Life because Still Life is the newer.
-Syberia I&II is much longer (in gameplay of course) than Still Life so... you will enjoy it even longer.
-Syberia is less depressing...

[daveny]

Originally Posted by Antoinetta

If Microids had developed the entire game (both Syberias I+II) and released it on a DVD, I don't think people would be dividing it in half in their minds and commenting that the second half was somehow better or fundamentally different from the first half. The only way to properly play Syberia is to first install both Syberias I+II on your machine before you start playing. Then start playing from the start of Syberia I; there will be three times you will have to switch CDs before you come to the end of Syberia II, but you won't notice any difference at any of these points UNLESS YOU STILL HAVE IT STUCK IN YOUR MINDS THAT THESE ARE TWO SEPARATE GAMES!!!!

Antoinetta

I am not completely agree with you. Most of those, who played with Syberia say that Syberia I was much better than Syberia II. In story, in gameplay, in everything. Syberia I gave you a lot quite different places which was exciting (at least for me). Syberia II starts and ends with snow and winter. Of course, the first place called ROMANSBOURG was beautiful but after that place... you only be able to see snow and trees. (one little house and a train) And a Yukon village but... that was the worst place in that game.

So, even if you play the whole game, you can feel that the second half of the game isn't as good as the first half. And it's not only my opinion.