In very sad news, Benoît Sokal, the creator of the Syberia video game series passed away aged 66 on May 28 after battling a long-term illness.
Syberia’s publisher and developer Microids put out a statement confirming the death of the talented creative.
“A true visionary and extremely talented artist, Benoît left an indelible mark on Microids’ history. He worked hard to share his vision with the world, starting in 1999 with his first title, Amerzone. His distinctive style made the various universes he built unforgettable for thousands of players worldwide, even earning him the position of Art Director at Microids for a time.”
The award-winning Syberia series first released in 2002, followed by a sequel in 2004, and then after 13 years, a third entry dropped in 2017. The fourth game in the series, Syberia: The World Before is due for release in 2021.
As a big fan of the point and click adventure genre, the Syberia series still remains a highlight for me. The world that Sokal created was truly amazing and I hope that more players eventually get to experience it, whether it’s playing the old games or the upcoming The World Before.
It certainly isn’t the news I was expecting to wake up to this morning and my heart goes out to his family and friends for their tragic loss.
Despite a childhood playing survival horrors, point and clicks and beat ’em ups, these days Zach tries to convince people that Homefront: The Revolution is a good game while pining for a sequel to The Order: 1886 and a live-action Treasure Planet film. Carlton, Burnley FC & SJ Sharks fan. Get around him on Twitter @tightinthejorts
