The first one didn't really pull me in. In fact I never played it properly until after I started the sequel!
Syberia II had a great start and definitely played to the stronger elements of the story. It starts immediately after the end of the first game, without skipping a beat, which I appreciated. The visuals were better than its predecessor, technically and artistically, with more diverse scenery and environments. It sucked me right in and compelled me to play the first game to get the whole story.
Syberia is the best set of Benoït Sokal's games I've played. I was really let down with Sokal's Paradise, which just felt underbaked and lacking.
Now I wanna play Amerzone!