Cult classic adventure series Syberia returns this December with The World Before • Eurogamer.net

Fans of cult classic adventure series Syberia can soon reunite with protagonist Kate Walker on a brand-new adventure – this one “across continents and through time periods” – when a fourth instalment, The World Before, comes to PC on 10th September.

The original Syberia, if you’re unfamiliar, released all the way back in 2002, quickly charming adventure game fans with its gently surreal story of a New York lawyer dispatched to deal with the sale of a former automaton factory hidden in the French Alps.

An equally well-regarded sequel followed two years later, but it took a further 15 years for Walker’s adventures to continue. Unfortunately, 2017’s Syberia 3 was generally considered to be a bit of a dud – plagued by technical problems and flawed design – leaving many to assume its poor reception would mark the end of the series.

That, however, wasn’t the case and publisher Microids announced a fourth game – Syberia: The World Before – back in 2019. This newest entry – once again directed by original series creator Benoît Sokal, who sadly passed away earlier this year – splits its story across two different timelines. Kate Walker returns – her story unfolding in 2004 – while a second plot strand, set in 1937, follows a new playable character, 17-year-old pianist Dana Roze, as struggles against the looming fascist threat of the Brown Shadow at the start of the Second World War.

If you’re intrigued, a free playable prologue episode has been available on Steam and GOG since late last year. The full version of Syberia: The World Before will be available on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store for £34.99 when it launches on 10th December this year.