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Android
iOS
Mac
Switch
Wii
Wii U
PC
PS4
PS5
Xbox One
Xbox X|SWe've documented 17 accessibility features for Syberia: The World Before, including Fully Voiced (Or No Speech), Low Pressure, No Quick Reactions, No Button Combos and No Repeated Pressing. Its accessibility is strongest in Controls and Getting Started but it also has features in Reading, Visual, Navigation and Audio to reduce unintended barriers.
This report is created with input from accessibility experts and the player community to help people find games that have the accessibility features they require. Once you have found potential games on the database, there are excellent specialist accessibility sites that offer in-depth reviews to guide your purchasing decisions.
Our accessibility examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked Syberia: The World Before (Series) accessibility 17 months ago. It was re-examined by Ben Kendall and updated 17 months ago.
Accessibility Notes
To solve some of the puzzles and perform certain actions, you do need to hold down buttons. There are no time limits, nor is there ever the necessity for quick reactions or the need to complete things within a certain time.
There is lots of text in the game, and sometimes you need to read from a journal, where the text is handwritten and can be difficult to read. In addition, much of the text in menus and throughout the game is quite small and sometimes low contrast.
There is no map, and although many of the spaces you visit are quite small, navigating through them can still sometimes be a challenge. The objects you can interact with all have an indicator showing this, but they can be quite small and can sometimes be difficult to see due to their low contrast to the background. Some of the puzzles can have parts which are very small, low contrast, or both.
Game Details
Release Date: 18/03/1999, updated in 2023
Out Now: Android, DS, Mac, PC, PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox X|S and iOS
Skill Rating: 12+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Adventure, Narrative (Communication, Point-and-Click and Puzzle)
Accessibility: 17 features
Components: 3D Third-Person
Developer: Microids Off (@Microids_Off)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Controls in Syberia: The World Before which deal with how you control the game, different options for alternative inputs and whether you can remap these settings to suit your needs.
Gamepad
Can play with the following:
Multiple Buttons & Two Sticks: Can play with multiple buttons and two sticks.
Mouse And Keyboard
Can play with the following:
Mouse Alone: Can play with just the mouse/mouse-button/mouse wheel.
Button Combinations
Specific button operation required to play
Rapid Repeated Pressing Optional: Quick, repeated button pressing (more than 2 times a second) is not required, can be skipped or switched to holding a button to trigger a repeated action.
No Simultaneous Buttons: Only one button or key required at a time, in addition to direction stick(s).
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Controls
If you want to play Syberia: The World Before, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Saltsea Chronicles (18 Controls Features)
- Leaving Lyndow (7 Controls Features)
- The Wanderer: Frankenstein's Creature (6 Controls Features)
- Papetura (5 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in Syberia: The World Before which deal with how you can adjust the challenge of play, and whether this is locked once chosen or can be adjusted as you play. The following games are similar to Syberia: The World Before, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:
- Roadwarden (1 Difficulty Feature)
- Return to Monkey Island (1 Difficulty Feature)
Getting Started
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Getting Started in Syberia: The World Before which deal with what support is offered to get started with the game. This includes customising the experience when you first open the game via any onboarding processes it provides as well as tutorials and other assistance when you first start playing.
Assistance Getting Starting
These features aid your play of the game in terms of cognitive load on learning controls, dealing with pressure and coping with the environment and challenges.
Reaction-Time Not Critical: Individual game actions don’t need quick reactions, or there are settings to lower the requirement for quick reactions. This means you don't need to quickly press a button in response to an on-screen prompt, target a fast-moving target or skillfully complete a scenario against the clock.
Low Pressure: Game tasks aren't time-limited or there's a low-pressure mode. This avoids the pressure of being put on the clock for overarching missions, or failing tasks because you didn't reach a destination in time.
Assistance For Progressing
These features aid your progress through the game offering different ways of maintaining your progression.
Save Progress Anytime: The game automatically saves progress or you can save any time. This doesn’t mean you never lose progress, but it does mean you can stop whenever you want (without having to get to a save point) without losing progress.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started
If you want to play Syberia: The World Before, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- Saltsea Chronicles (7 Getting Started Features)
- Roadwarden (6 Getting Started Features)
- Cube Escape Collection (6 Getting Started Features)
- Heaven's Vault (6 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Reading in Syberia: The World Before which deal with how much reading or listening comprehension is required, how well the game provides visual and audible access to the text and whether subtitles and captions are a good fit for purpose.
Reading Level
How much reading is required to play the game's main path or story and how complex the language is. The presence of voiced characters doesn't reduce this requirement, as it's recorded as a separate datapoint.
Moderate Reading: Moderate reading required. The quantity and complexity of reading are at a level that a high school student (14-year-old) would appreciate.
Subtitles
All Speech Subtitled (Or No Speech In Game): All spoken content has subtitles, or there is no speech in the game. This means there is no requirement to hear spoken dialogue or narrative to play the game.
Voice Acted
All Dialogue is Voice Acted (Or No Speech In Game): All of the game dialogue and narrative can be voiced, or there is no speech in the game. This means there is no requirement to read the dialogue and narrative text to play the game.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Reading
If you want to play Syberia: The World Before, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Return to Monkey Island (7 Reading Features)
- Rusty Lake Hotel (7 Reading Features)
- Heaven's Vault (7 Reading Features)
- Rusty Lake: Roots (6 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Navigation in Syberia: The World Before which deal with how the game provides guidance and assistance to navigate its worlds. These are only for games that have traversal and exploration in 2D and 3D spaces.
Clarity
Clear Mission Objectives: The game provides clear, structured missions with directional guidance and advice on which can be attempted next. This also indicates (ideally on maps where they are provided) which missions can't be attempted because you do not have the appropriate items yet.
Menu Navigation
Menus Don't Wrap: Menus don't wrap and stop the cursor at the bottom of the list if you press down. Or menus do wrap but make it clear that you are back at the top of the list with sound or narration.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play Syberia: The World Before, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
- Roadwarden (3 Navigation Features)
- Disco Elysium (3 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Visual in Syberia: The World Before which deal with how you can adjust the visuals to suit your needs, and offer additional information if you can't hear the game.
Visual Distractions
No Screen Shake: No screen shake effect or it is included but it can be disabled. This includes the absence of screen shake for dramatic effect as well as to indicate hits on a target.
No Busy Backgrounds: No distracting backgrounds or you can make them static or blank. This includes the absence of other movement elements in the background that might distract or confuse the action. Where foreground contrast is high, this includes games with some movement in the background that doesn't make it overly difficult to distinguish what is happening.
Motion Sickness Friendly
Motion Sickness Friendly: Doesn't have 3D movement elements that may trigger motion sickness, like motion blur, depth of field and field-of-vision. Or includes the ability to disable motion blur, depth of field and field-of-vision effects.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Visual
If you want to play Syberia: The World Before, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- The White Door (8 Visual Features)
- Saltsea Chronicles (6 Visual Features)
- Disco Elysium (5 Visual Features)
- Roadwarden (4 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Syberia: The World Before which deal with how you can adjust the audio of the game and whether audio cues compensate for aspects of the game that are hard to see.
Adjustable Audio
Balance Audio Levels: Set music and game sound effects separately. This enables you to select your preference as well as ensure critical game sounds aren't obscured by other audio.
Play Without Hearing
Play Without Hearing: No audio cues are necessary to play the game well.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Audio
If you want to play Syberia: The World Before, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Audio accessibility:
- Roadwarden (3 Audio Features)
System Accessibility Settings
In addition to the accessibility features provided in the game, you can also use system-wide accessibility settings:
Android
Android has accessibility settings including ways to navigate and interact, although not all games support this.
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch has some built-in features, including a lockable zoom, that can be used on all games.
PC
Windows has extensive accessibility features. Some, like colour correction, work with games. Lots of accessibility software can be used with PC games, from voice recognition to input device emulators.
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 4 has a range of accessibility settings. Some are system only, some work in games (invert colours and button mapping).
PlayStation 5
PlayStation 5 has a range of system-wide accessibility settings.
Xbox One
Xbox One has a system features, the excellent co-pilot share controls mode and adaptive controller support for all games.
Xbox Series X|S
Xbox One has a system features, the excellent co-pilot share controls mode and adaptive controller support for all games.
iOS
iOS has a very extensive suite of accessibility settings including ways to navigate with voice and comprehensive screen reading, though most of the features don't work with games.
Read more about system accessibility settings.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Ben Kendall
