Mammoth news for Syberia fans as a remastered version unveiled

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Benoît Sokal's classic 2002 "clockpunk" adventure to be enhanced and updated for PC later this year

After delving deep into the jungle in the recent remake of Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy, we'll be heading toward much colder climes in Microids' next game, a remaster of the Benoît Sokal classic Syberia, due out later this year. 

Syberia stars American lawyer Kate Walker, who arrives in the quaint village of Valadilène in the French Alps to oversee the sale of a family-run automaton factory following the death of its last remaining owner. She soon discovers, however, that the brilliant inventor of the automatons, Hans Voralberg, is handicapped mentally but still alive and traveling the continent in pursuit of his "seemingly impossible dream: finding the last living mammoths on the mythical island of Syberia." In order to get his approval for the sale, Kate must embark on an "extraordinary journey across Eastern Europe and its snow-covered landscapes" to follow Hans's trail. She does so aboard a unique automated clockwork train, accompanied only by a "loyal and one-of-a-kind automaton" named Oscar. As the train makes stops at increasingly "mysterious and forgotten places, filled with eccentric characters," Kate's search for the missing Hans may just result in finding herself instead. 

While preserving the original's key story elements, atmosphere and iconic locations where "realism blends seamlessly with dreamlike wonder," the Syberia remaster aims to "fully modernize" the experience and rebuild the graphics in crisp 3D without losing their distinctive Benoît Sokal style, similar to the design of 2022's Syberia: The World Before. The user interface will be updated as well, promising "improved 3D navigation, and more fluid controls tailored to today’s standards," while the game's intricate mechanical puzzles will be "redesigned to provide a smoother and more intuitive experience."

No firm target release date has yet been announced, but Syberia – Remastered is on track to be launched on Steam for PC sometime before the end of this year.