Microids presented a large number of games this year at gamescom: Alfred Hitchcock - Vertigo, Arkanoid - Eternal Battle, Asterix & Obelix XXXL - The Ram of Hibernia, FIST: Forged In Shadow Torch, Flashback 2, Horse Tales - The Valley of Emerald, New Joe & Mac - Caveman Ninja, Smurf Kart and Syberia: The World Before. Unfortunately, it's impossible to see everything in thirty minutes and I can't spend my gamescom at a single publisher's booth. So I made a very personal choice, the smurfs kart game and the console version of Syberia. For the others, I've given you the links, so don't hesitate to visit the Microids site!
Smurf Card
After the kart game in the Pat'Patrouille universe tested on the Outright stand (PAW Patrol: Grand Prix), this is the second racing game adapted from Mario Kart that I'm testing on the show this year. On the Eden Games game program, 12 circuits and 12 characters, for a game that can be shared with four friends, in split screen.
I tested on the Nintendo Switch, the platform on which the game was released in November of this year, and it was very fun. There is nothing to say, it still smurfs just as well. In addition, I am a fan of blue men. Suddenly, I find it hard not to immediately have a silly smile while smurfing with them. Intended for children from 3 years old, the circuits however seem to me very convoluted, with traps, shortcuts, ramps and other unsafe edges. An adult has a field day. On the other hand, very young players may have difficulty coping. So it's up to you to see your target to choose between puppies or smurfs! Me, I already know that I'm going to smurf!
Syberia: The World Before
I unfortunately missed the release of the game on PC, after having played the first three opuses of the late Benoit Sokal. It always makes me a little nostalgic to think back to Kate Walker's dad, whom I had the chance to meet at gamescom 2016 to talk about Syberia 3 (you can find my long article here following this interview which will remain as one of the highlights of my various gamescom).
In The World Before, two characters are playable, Dana Roze in 1937, a young genius pianist. Kate Walker, in 2004, in a direct sequel to the events of 3. We find all the usual components of Syberia: an objective system, clues, puzzles, riddles to solve, symphonic music and a strong narration, stemming from from the imagination of Benoit Sokal. Indeed, the author will still accompany us in thought on several opuses, thanks to notes left before his disappearance.
The console version is strictly identical to the one released in March on PC, without additional content. I briefly tested on PS5 the beginning of the game, with the introduction of each of the two characters, and the controls are well suited to point-and-click. Even if, being a PC player above all, I regret the freedom of the mouse, compared to the limitations imposed by a controller. So, I'm all the more interested in the second announcement that accompanies this console release. Indeed, Microids is taking the opportunity to offer a Collector's version on all platforms, a special pack that includes the full game and a whole set of exclusive goodies. A nice gift to put under the Christmas tree!
