Venetica

57%
Game Brain Score Based on 511 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Venetica Game Cover
Venetica is a mediocre action RPG, where you take on the role of Death's secret daughter Scarlett with the only power to stop him. Moral decisions are made changing the outcome of a story with multiple endings.
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"Venetica" is a single-player historical role-playing game set in a fantastical version of Venice. As the daughter of Death, you must use your powers to prevent the destruction of the living world by a secretive alliance of necromancers. The game boasts an outstanding story, good gameplay, and stunning visuals, but can be very grinding and is full of bugs. Reverse fate and conquer the powers threatening to destroy the world of the living.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

57%
Audience ScoreBased on 511 reviews
story155 positive mentions
graphics35 negative mentions
  • Engaging story with a unique premise of playing as Death's daughter.
  • Charming visuals and a well-designed world that captures the essence of Venice.
  • Fun combat mechanics that allow for a mix of melee and magic skills.
  • Frequent crashes and technical issues that disrupt gameplay.
  • Poorly executed lockpicking mini-game and tedious fetch quests.
  • Lack of character depth and unmemorable NPCs, leading to a generic experience.
  • story442 mentions

    The story of "Venetica" is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and unique, while others criticize it as generic and poorly executed. The narrative features a revenge-driven plot with moral choices that can lead to multiple endings, but many quests are described as tedious fetch tasks that detract from the main storyline. Overall, while the game has its charm and interesting characters, it suffers from pacing issues and a lack of depth in its storytelling.

    • “In closing, Venetica is a beautiful game with an interesting story and a great main character with fair gameplay, so please give Venetica a try; you'll probably like it. Thank you for reading :)”
    • “The narrative concept is uniquely compelling and the story is well-paced; it's not very long by RPG standards but nor is it bloated with filler.”
    • “The story drew me in and made me want to keep playing to see how it unfolds.”
    • “The story is a bit on the thin side.”
    • “The main narrative is somewhat disjointed, and makes for jumbled flow to the plot and a slight tedious method for progression.”
    • “The plot is generic as can be.”
  • graphics186 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, reminiscent of early 2000s titles, with many reviewers noting weak textures and frequent graphical glitches. While some appreciate the art style and find it charming, others feel it detracts from the overall experience, especially when compared to modern standards. Overall, the visuals are seen as acceptable for an indie RPG, but they may not satisfy players seeking high-quality graphics.

    • “The graphics hold up surprisingly well despite the game's age, thanks to great style and architecture.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful and reminded me of the Fable series, looking back from the year 2009.”
    • “Better than you might expect from the aged graphics, an absolutely solid RPG experience with some neat stories, fun (though sometimes glitchy) combat and overall gameplay that involves both quick reflexes and quick thinking.”
    • “The graphics of the game were clearly dated.”
    • “First of all - every element of the game feels awfully obsolete, especially the graphics and animations.”
    • “The graphics are very old fashioned.”
  • gameplay152 mentions

    The gameplay of Venetica is a mixed bag, with many players noting its outdated mechanics and frequent bugs, which can detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the enjoyable combat system and unique features like death powers and a skill tree, others find the gameplay cumbersome and frustrating, particularly due to its lack of polish and the illusion of choice. Overall, it offers a decent RPG experience with a compelling story, but it may not appeal to everyone, especially those who are sensitive to technical issues.

    • “Gameplay is alright for its age and after you get the hang of it, it's very enjoyable.”
    • “The gameplay consists of mostly talking to characters, fighting, and tons of running around the city of Venice.”
    • “The game has a decent (if somewhat unusual) story and the gameplay is quite enjoyable with a bunch of neat ideas and serviceable RPG elements.”
    • “However, there are several frustrating mechanics and it is very buggy.”
    • “It's just not up to today's spec in terms of gameplay, which is a pity; this game is killed by its game engine limitations and long dialogs.”
    • “My main problem with the game, apart from its crashes, its graphical glitches, its awkward dialogue and voice-acting, and its frequent typos, is the constant illusion of choice, which pervades into every aspect of gameplay.”
  • stability66 mentions

    The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, including graphical issues, crashes, and gameplay mechanics that can hinder progress. While some players find enjoyment in the story and mechanics, the overall stability is considered poor, with many recommending frequent saving to mitigate the impact of these issues. Overall, the game's stability is a significant drawback, making it frustrating for many players.

    • “When there are no glitches with the lighting or the shadows, the game is beautiful.”
    • “This is a shoddy mess that isn't going to be fixed, which is a pity because, in those isolated moments of decent gameplay (in between crashes and other weird buggy stuff), the game is actually quite nice.”
    • “Unfortunately, I was unable to enjoy this game due to the numerous glitches and bugs that made it impossible to progress beyond a certain point.”
    • “Update 2: after some hours, the game is just unplayable and every loading screen freezes, forcing me to restart the game.”
  • music32 mentions

    The music in the game, while generally considered suitable and relaxing, is often described as generic fantasy fare that lacks standout pieces. Some tracks, like the tavern song, are memorable and enjoyable, but overall, the soundtrack does not leave a lasting impression. Given the game's age, the music is deemed acceptable, though it may require some adjustments for optimal listening.

    • “Memorable music and beautiful landscapes for the 2009 year.”
    • “The tavern song is freakin awesome, a real earworm! Every time I think of Venetica, I go like: send my ships to the islands far away bringing silk and gold and silver to the bay...”
    • “The music was definitely likeable, especially in the city and in some of the boss fights.”
    • “The soundtrack is boring.”
    • “The soundtrack is generic fantasy music, and there are no pieces that really grab attention or stand out.”
    • “Music is ok, when it works.”
  • optimization28 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues and a generally unpolished experience. While some users found ways to improve frame rates by adjusting settings, others noted that the game struggles even on capable hardware, indicating a need for better optimization. Despite these challenges, the engaging storyline and graphics have led some to recommend it as a hidden gem, albeit with caution regarding its performance.

    • “If you're running into performance issues, just turn off the fullscreen effects in the options menu, and you should get a solid 40 fps throughout.”
    • “Hope someday developers provide support/fixes/optimization because I would definitely like to continue playing the game in the future.”
    • “Mine isn't a gaming rig and it works great, so if yours is a gaming setup, you'll be happy with its performance.”
    • “This game is not for everyone since it is slow-paced and kind of unoptimized.”
    • “Trust me and try this hidden gem, but keep in mind it's not an easy experience. You'll need a walkthrough and a lot of patience, not because it's an impossible game, but because it has an unoptimized, broken game engine, a horrible quest system, and pacing that leaves you wandering aimlessly with no clue where to go.”
    • “The game is kind of rough (as in unpolished) and, apparently, poorly optimized.”
  • grinding18 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, characterized by repetitive tasks such as rolling, waiting, and a cumbersome lock-picking mini-game. Navigation is hindered by a lack of jumping and frequent backtracking, while combat and power management also contribute to a monotonous experience. Overall, the grinding mechanics detract from the narrative flow and player engagement, leading to frustration.

    • “The whole process becomes a tedious cycle of rolling, waiting, rolling, waiting, and then attacking.”
    • “It's combat is so simple and tedious, with nothing to brag about and the story from what I played was subpar.”
    • “The lockpick system receives a 3 out of 10 for being tedious, repetitive, annoying, and removes the player from the story.”
  • humor16 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky characters and a unique style that pokes fun at traditional RPG tropes, though some players found the execution of dialogue and animations to be awkward and disjointed. While certain moments, like a humorous old man's catchphrase, elicited genuine laughter, the overall comedic impact varied, with some players feeling that the humor became tedious over time. Despite its flaws, the game offers a charming experience for those seeking lighthearted gameplay.

    • “However, the game has its own kind of humor, where it subtly pokes fun at other RPG games.”
    • “And there is this old man who says 'oh hello' in a kind of funny way; it makes me laugh every time.”
    • “It's a funny, beautiful little RPG (if you don't expect realistic AAA graphics).”
  • atmosphere10 mentions

    Venetica - Gold Edition is praised for its immersive atmosphere, drawing comparisons to the original Fable with its aesthetics, gameplay mechanics, and British humor. While the game successfully creates a captivating world that enhances exploration, some players note that it occasionally lacks fine-tuning. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature that many players enjoy.

    • “Atmosphere: this is something I do enjoy more than in most games.”
    • “The game closely resembles the original Fable for the original Xbox - intentional or not - because of the aesthetics, gameplay mechanics, atmosphere, the British humor/writing/voice acting, along with a general aroma of being brought back to the world of Avion despite Venetica being an entirely new game.”
    • “The game closely resembles the original Fable for the original Xbox, intentional or not, because of the aesthetics, gameplay mechanics, atmosphere, the British humor/writing/voice acting, along with a general aroma of being brought back to the world of Avion despite Venetica being an entirely new game.”
    • “As mentioned earlier, I get vibes from the original Fable, and this is because of the feel of exploration and the atmosphere the game retains throughout.”
  • character development6 mentions

    Character development in the game is described as somewhat limited yet interesting, with individual characters showing some depth. The cartoony euro-comic style of character design complements the budget constraints, and the decent voice acting enhances the overall experience.

    • “The character design has a cartoony euro-comic style to it, which works better than anything realistic would with the budget, and the voice acting is pretty decent.”
    • “+ individual character development”
    • “Character development is somewhat limited but still interesting enough, same with the goods.”
    • “Character development somewhat limited but still interesting enough, same with the goods.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    The game offers high replayability due to its branching paths and multiple endings, encouraging players to explore different choices and outcomes. Users find it engaging and fun, further enhancing its replay value.

    • “The path branches several times into parallel decisions, enhancing replayability.”
    • “Has great replay value as there are multiple endings available to the story.”
    • “Very fun to play, engaging, great story, and has great replay value.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its great, touching story that resonates with players, evoking feelings of familiarity, warmth, and nostalgia.

    • “Great story... touching story.”
    • “It's familiar, heartwarming, and nostalgic.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

47% average critic score

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Play time

20hMedian play time
20hAverage play time
20-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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