Classic PC adventure game Syberia's full remaster doesn't do the original justice, but there's a silver lining

Announced back in May, the remaster of beloved 2002 point-and-click adventure game Syberia doesn't seem to be going according to plan. After a steady stream of spotlights highlighting how this hallmark of the pre-rendered background era, and one of the best adventure games ever made, has been refreshed for the days of 4k gaming, the newly released Syberia Remastered is currently sitting at 'mixed' reviews on Steam, with some even going so far as to call it "a cash grab."

It seems that one of the major gripes of this modern remaster, which launched on Thursday November 6, is a lackluster level of commitment to the craft. Players comment that while Syberia Remastered looks "pretty good," which isn't exactly a glowing endorsement, it's the cutscenes that have them shaking their head.

Despite basically everything else being completely redone to fit today's graphical standards, the original CG cutscenes have been left largely intact. They're upscaled for modern resolutions, but that's it, creating a jarring juxtaposition that has key protagonist Kate Walker revert from her more recent Syberia 3 look, which already doesn't exactly fit the timeline of events, to her 2002 Barbie-esque model at major moments in the game.

Elsewhere, one player, who claims to have played the original 30+ times and seen tens of walkthroughs in different languages, which is a commitment we won't question, brings up plenty of other points. These include "aggressively large" mustaches on the Rectors, three elderly administrative heads of the University of Borrockstadt. That tickled me. And don't get them started on the decision to hang an automaton where, checks notes… Jesus used to be. Christ.

In fact, most of the more negative reviews of this overhaul have a lot of good things to say about the state of Syberia (the game) in 2025. There's just a lot that they wish had been given a little more care and attention.

Ultimately, hardcore fans are asking those yet to play the first game to instead play said original version. And therein shines the silver lining. We're at a point in time where remasters can often feel rushed and the source material is scrubbed from existence, with little thought given to preservation over profit. We only need to look back to the Warcraft 3 Reforged or the GTA Trilogy situations to see just how badly corporate greed can blow up in our faces.

But the upside to this story is that, while Syberia Remastered may not appease long-time veterans of the late Belgium-born Benoît Sokal's virtual world, the original is still very much available, ready for a new generation to experience. In fact, you can get the two in a bundle for little more than the cost of just the remaster.

If you want to see a stronger remaster of one of the late artist's original games, read our Amerzone The Explorer's Legacy review for a look at an adventure title that came many years before Syberia, and was re-released to a much better reception earlier this year.