Syberia II is much like what we expect happens when a dodo knocks on your door, rushes into the house and demands to be fed. What do you do with something long thought to be dead? Do you play with it or put it in a museum? It's a "point-and-click" adventure game (that is, a game where you have to walk around a village, talk to people you meet, find objects, talk to people some more and then move on to the next village) so there's no combat, no lock-on, no swanky graphics engine. It's very old fashioned.

But the real problem isn't the seemingly outdated gameplay. Point-and-click games can still be 'modern' - 2003's Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon is a brilliant tale (we scored it 80%). The issue here is that Syberia II is slow and problematic. Loading times and badly written and recited dialogue really dampen your spirits, and the control system feels imprecise and unwieldy.

The overall package - the visuals, especially - does have a certain charm, but that's the only thing the game has going for it, and those charms feel distinctly underdeveloped. If you really want something for a lazy Sunday afternoon's play then you'd be better off seeking out the infinitely superior Broken Sword. There is a place on PS2 for stories like this to be told, but few are likely to make space for something so confined and linear.

Graphics 70%
Gorgeous backdrops and animation.

Sound 60%
Nice sounds but iffy voice acting.

Gameplay 40%
Rigid, slow and puzzle-filled.

Lifespan 50%
The £20 price tag doesn't justify the boredom.

Overall 40%
Ponderous to the point of expiration: this is a nail in the adventure genre's coffin that's best left out in the cold.