​Kate Walker's journey continues in Syberia 3 at E3 2016

By Mike de Leon Posted on June 23, 2016

It has been 12 years since the last game was released in the Syberia franchise and video game studio Microids and Benoit Sokal was keen to show off the latest installment of the cult adventure game; Syberia 3 at E3 2016. The game is currently being developed for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC (and Mac), and is scheduled for a December 1, 2016, release.

I met up the with Cyril and Eric from the Microids team, as they walked me through the demo for the game that they brought with them. Twelve years may have passed, but it was worth the wait. First of all, the environments and world of Syberia 3 is fully 3D, no longer a product of the time using pre-rendered backgrounds and a fixed camera position. This in itself adds a new dimension to the series, forcing players to examine items more carefully, and look for clues from all angles to get past puzzles and obstacles. Some of the puzzles I saw were solved by manipulating items altering the camera angle using the analog sticks (the demo was being played with a controller). Award-winning composer Inon Zur reprises his role by crafting an interactive score for Syberia 3. Since the previous game, he has worked on both the Fallout and Dragon Age franchises.

The game picks up at the end of the Syberia 2, continuing the journey of Kate Walker, although knowledge of the previous games is not a requirement. As always, longtime fans of the series will recognize returning characters as well as get more enjoyment out of the easter eggs referencing the previous games.

Focusing on the game’s narrative and cinematic storytelling, Syberia 3 hopes that players will become invested in the characters and sweeping story arc.