Syberia 2 Review (Xbox)

  Never before have I felt such a connection to video game characters than I had when playing Syberia 2.

  Building on the original, the story unfolds and concludes in an emotional, if somewhat predictable, fashion.

  Here we once again join Kate Walker, Oscar, and Hans as they attempt to journey to Syberia; a fabled island where wholly mammoths still roam free. Like in the first game, you'll have train troubles aplenty, though this time they'll be more involved than the old "now I have to wind the train up to get to the next location" puzzles.

  These puzzles range from the simple find the object ones to more involved mechanical puzzles. None of them are particularly difficult, nor are they too easy. Most of the time the answers lie in further exploration of the envirnoments.

  And exploring the environments is both a joy and a pain in the arse. The visuals are great, awe-inspiring really. The problems arise when trying to move from one area to the next. You'll say to yourself, "Wow, I didn't think I could go there"; then soon after, "Now why the hell can't I go there?".

  At moments like these when you feel stuck or lost, just take a deep breath, relax, and soak in the beauty of the game. It'll calm you down. But seriously, not once did I feel so lost and beside myself that I felt like giving up on the game or finding a walkthrough. If you've completed the first game (which is an absolute must before you play this one), you should have no problems finishing this one.

  Speaking of finishing: the ending of the game is great. I'm not ashamed to admit that I felt the tears coming to my eyes. And I haven't felt that way since the first time I saw Braveheart. This is an adventure that's well worth taking.

  If you own an XBox and like adventure games, pick this one up. I bought it brand new for twenty bucks, so it's a bargain to say the least.

  Highly recommended.