Venetica Review for Xbox 360 (X360)

System: Xbox 360, PS3
Dev: Deck13 Interactive
Pub: Atari
Release: January 11, 2011
Players: 1
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p

You have a single attack button, which, when timed correctly, can unleash powerful combos. You unlock the ability to block as you add points to your skill tree, and overall I didn't have much trouble fighting off the hoards of enemies in the game. But the main combat training in the game presents a confusing split. Everything you learn from teachers in the game tells you how to deal with a single opponent, from blocking to hitting them with a barrage of attacks. But almost every battle in the game will throw at least three different enemies at you, coming from all angles. If you ever get surrounded, you'll almost surely die. Luckily with the power of Twilight you can come back from death, sneak around your attackers and surprise them, but even that power wears out after one or two uses. The most effective combat tactic to survive some of the more difficult battles is to lure enemies into a hallway so they could be defeated in a single file line.

You have a detailed quest log that marks locations on your map to help propel you forward. Unfortunately, this map is one of the most frustrating elements in the game. You have a mini-map, but your markers are often left off it or hidden behind other icons. When you enter the large map, you have no cursor and must scroll through locations using the D-pad in order to set a marker. When you must sort through dozens of screens, this becomes an absolute headache. Compounded by the fact that your raven guide will often fly directly through walls, it's easy to get lost in the game.

Venetica Screenshot

While a few haunting tunes set the mood for the experience, most of the audio was marred by technical problems. The voice acting was poor and repetitive. Some recordings even hissed as though they were recorded at too high of a level. And in cutscenes, the audio was shot specific, so you'd jump from the silent ambiance of a character talking in front of a wall to a startlingly loud character talking in front of a stream with a ton of background noise, as though these characters standing two feet apart couldn't hear the same thing.

Venetica was an exercise in frustration for me. I was compelled forward by some of the mid-game events, but overall nothing presented a huge challenge. Almost every breakable pot had coins in it, so I was never poor. Single opponents were almost helpless to my strings of combos. The biggest struggle became trying to read the mini-map. With all of its flaws and its dearth of enjoyable sequences, I can recommend Venetica to the most patient and dedicated of action-RPG fans. The majority of gamers will grow frustrated and even angry with this trial of a title in its early stages.

By Peter Eykemans
CCC Freelance Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

2.5

Graphics
Some beautiful areas of the game truly shine, but the majority of the experience looks dated, jagged, and unpolished.

3.5

Control
The combat is all mapped to a single button that can be extremely powerful (and easy) once you learn combo timing in the game. It would help if there were more available slots to map magic spells to, but overall controlling your character in the game world feels pretty smooth.

2.0

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The voice acting really gets on one's nerves as the experience progresses, and the hiss of blown out recordings is jarring. Some of the characters sound absolutely terrible in their recording quality and the music rarely reaches a compelling note.

2.0

Play Value
Once I had committed a few hours to the game and was deep inside Venice leveling up and completing quests, I was indeed drawn into the game. But the sordid path it took to get me there and the unnecessary complications of the map were beyond frustrating and would turn away most gamers.

2.0

Overall Rating - Poor
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

A visually stunning cinematic RPG with a truly unique atmosphere.

Conquer a host of nightmare creatures in action-packed battles.

Master the use of the "Twilight World" and the ultimate powers of death.

3D map architecture that allows for multi-dimensional gameplay - from dungeons, streets, interiors, rooftops, and water canals to the world of the dead.

Dynamic night and day cycles that influence artificial life activities. Venice is a very different place after dark.

Clear, easy to pick up rule system and intuitive gameplay.