I can't imagine Syberia's locations working form a first person perspective, and the story lends itself to a 3rd person view. Kate Walker's (main character) appearance contrasts with the world around her, and makes up much of the stories heart. We are, essentially, watching Kate's adventure, rather than our own.
Whereas a first person view suggests immersion within the game world. You are experiencing the game world first hand, through your own eyes. This alters the narrative flow, as you dictate your own movements and pacing. Life can be suggested, through animations, and the recent Myst IV takes this to a new level.
Obviously, a full location in a 3rd person game also requires less screens. The viewpoint is fixed, as the character moves within it (sometimes covering many metres of play space). A node for a 1st person game requires either 4 views (for early-Myst style games) or several stitched graphics for a 360degree view. The average step from node to node is a couple of metres. The closeness of the camera to the game world also means higher res textures are essential.
By having less artwork to produce can mean more time for 'finishing' or adding extra details in post-production. Much of the Syberia screens feature montage material, with photographic elements cloned over dull surfaces. This is less possible in a 1st person game, as the nodes need visual continuity. A patch of weeds visable in one node, must be added to all the views.
My preferance, so far, has been towards 1st person, due to the narrative featured in the games.