| Syberia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre(s) | Graphic adventure game |
| Developer(s) | Microids Anuman Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | Microïds Casterman and Ubisoft (Amerzone) The Adventure Company (North America, Windows) XS Games (Xbox, North America) |
| Creator(s) | Benoît Sokal |
| Platform(s) | |
| First release | Amerzone March 18, 1999 |
| Latest release | Syberia: The World Before March 18, 2022 |
Syberia is a franchise of graphic adventure games created by Belgian comic artist and video game developer Benoît Sokal. Set within an alternate universe designed by Sokal and introduced in the 1999 video game Amerzone, the series is currently developed and published by French video game company Microids. The central focus of the franchise, beginning with the eponymous 2002 video game, follows the experiences of Kate Walker, an American adventurer who originally worked as a lawyer in a prominent New York City law firm. In each installment, Walker travels to various fictional locations in continental Europe and former Soviet states during the 2000s, where she encounters fantastical creatures as well as highly advanced automatons powered by intricate clockwork mechanisms.
The first Syberia centers on Walker's efforts to locate and deal with the eccentric inventor Hans Voralberg on behalf of her firm to secure the purchase of his family's factory. By the events of Syberia II, Walker abandons her assignment and accompanies Voralberg in his search for the legendary island of Syberia, which is said to be home to the last surviving mammoths of the world. The franchise features a cast of secondary characters, including Oscar, one of Voralberg's sentient automatons, and Dana Roze, an aspiring pianist introduced in the 2022 video game Syberia: The World Before. Members of a nomadic tribal people indigenous to the geographical area of Siberia known as the Youkols also play an important role in the lore and setting of the series, which combines realistic and surrealistic elements for its tone.
The first two Syberia titles have been commercially successful, with lifetime sales reaching 3 million worldwide by 2016. Both titles have been ported or re-released on multiple platforms ever since their original launches in the early 2000s. Amerzone, the predecessor of the first two Syberia titles, also saw critical and commercial success, especially in France. Syberia 3 was released in 2017 to a mediocre critical reception. The World Before launched for PC platforms on March 18, 2022, with console platforms due for release at a later date.