Syberia II - Xbox

The first game won its fans largely because of its well scripted storyline, which managed to make you forget the oddness of its premise and really invest in the cast of genuinely believable and engaging characters. The quality of writing is undiminished in this sequel, but the story itself is beginning to feel unnecessarily strung out with the constant stream of snowy wastelands leaving you wishing for more verdant surroundings.

The puzzles are also a bit of a step down from before, with the welcome attempt to add a greater variety of tasks and difficulty levels leading to an uncomfortable mix of traditional LucasArts-style conundrums and more trial-and-error Myst-style affairs.

Despite these misgivings Syberia II is still enjoyable, with superb production values--particularly in the excellent cut scenes. Those who have never played the original, however, should certainly start there as this slightly disappointing sequel is really one for those that want to continue the series' journey to its logical end. --David Jenkins