Adventure Gamers - Forums

BEGINNINGS

Another tribute to Kurufinwe, who wrote so passionately about the games he loves and hates. The well-known funeral procession in the beautiful opening scenes of Syberia. 

Too short to be a proper introduction but does the game really need one? The story starts out simple enough and the phone conversations give us all the necessary background info.  It’s the atmosphere of the opening scenes that counts. Kate’s arrival in the surreal world of mechanical puppets sets the mood of melancholy and sadness. I’m not a real fan of Syberia, but that atmosphere and the marvelous graphics kept me playing.

Karlok - 07 June 2014 03:27 AM

Too short to be a proper introduction but does the game really need one?

Absolutely, like all stories. And phone conversations really spoiled storytelling, any screenwriter will tell you that.

That said, I don’t remember much of Syberia, even though I played it at the time. The art was good.

I’m not really criticising Syberia - as I said, I don’t have much memories about the game. I was generally speaking about intros and storytelling. IMHO it is important to introduce people to the game, to give some background info about the main character, the game world. But it should be also done properly. Throwing a character’s profile in your face is wrong. And mobile phones became this kind of weapon for lazy writers. Of course, the way you described it - phone as a link between real and fairy worlds - is a different thing. That’s like letters from other countries that give some background info, but don’t influence the main storyline much. Although I still recall I was a bit frustrated because Kate spent too much time talking on the phone, retelling her adventures and even dumping her boyfriend I think))

I’m sure the “Syberia hype” (wait for Zobraks to explain it to you) would have been 30% less if the game had started along the lines - You’re Kate Walker, a lawyer, and you have just arrived in a French village to buy a toy factory, what you see here are some freakin’ automatons made by Hans, an old geezer we need to locate.

Wait, did I just spoil it?

diego - 07 June 2014 06:33 AM

You’re Kate Walker, a lawyer, and you have just arrived in a French village to buy a toy factory, what you see here are some freakin’ automatons made by Hans, an old geezer we need to locate.

That’s bad storytelling alright. But there are many ways to introduce the character and the world - from obvious scene-by-scene background story or flashbacks to some mild hints, like personal belongings, photos, a creepy guy staring from his window at the young girl. The intro to Syberia actually does a pretty good job at introducing the world that mixes robots and traditions.

Doom - 07 June 2014 04:31 AM

Karlok - 07 June 2014 03:27 AM

Too short to be a proper introduction but does the game really need one?

Absolutely, like all stories. And phone conversations really spoiled storytelling, any screenwriter will tell you that.

Countless excellent films, books, games drop you in a story without any introduction at all. In Syberia you don’t need to know anything important, it’s just one of Kate’s cases and the story takes it from there.

UruBoo - 07 June 2014 07:54 AM

Karlok and Chrissie are just bringing back old classics.

For now. Next week will be different.
or , that’s for you to decide.

UruBoo - 07 June 2014 07:54 AM

Another great game. Karlok and Chrissie are just bringing back old classics. All of them are in my top 10 must-play-must-have adventure games.

Including Silverload?

diego - 07 June 2014 06:33 AM

the “Syberia hype” (wait for Zobraks to explain it to you)

He already did so.
Use Google translator and have (additional) fun.

P.S. Syberia is a game everyone has played, but if you post a screenshot from it no one recognises it.

Karlok - 07 June 2014 07:53 AM

Countless excellent films, books, games drop you in a story without any introduction at all. In Syberia you don’t need to know anything important, it’s just one of Kate’s cases and the story takes it from there.

Oh, I don’t know. There’s a golden standard for writing and screenwriting with roots in Aristotle’s Poetics, and that includes a setup. There are always exceptions, of course, but I wouldn’t say they are countless. But with games setup doesn’t mean intro alone.

Doom - 07 June 2014 10:10 AM

But with games setup doesn’t mean intro alone.

There you have it. I’m talking opening scenes. You’re talking something else.

Syberia… Aristotle’s Poetics

Anyways, I watched the intro on Youtube and it’s quite fulfilling. A nice-looking young girl has just arrived from a big European/American city to a small exotic town for the first time, without a slightest idea of what to expect there. Although her intentions are still unclear, as nobody bothered to meet her, she is all alone and has to make all the way to the hotel on foot under the rain. Without playing the game, I would’ve said she is either a wandering adventure seeker or a serial killer