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21 of 23 found the following review helpful:
Made in good faith but lacks something "special"Jan 20, 2011
By D. A. Theisen Venetica is rather inexplicable. A mystery wrapped in an enigma. From the start, I was left optimistic about some possibilities yet I was somehow already annoyed. Although worries like this usually sort themselves out pretty early on-- This can be for the better (as in Nier), or the worse (as in Last Rebellion)-- but the sensation never actually resolved itself. It has its moments of excitement, but I found myself grumbling at my TV just as often.
Let's get the painful bits out of the way first. The graphics on the whole are an abomination by today's standards, and though this alone is no reason to review unfavorably, the technical faults/bugs/glitches/errors are what hurts. Are they directly tied to one another? I have no idea, but combined the effect of each seems amplified and can ruin what might otherwise be rather beautiful scenes, and at other times worry you that your PS3 is having a heart attack.
Some of the less painful bits? The developers have tried to pull off some very interesting things with a creative presentation, but can't seem to make any of the ideas work to their full potential. Quests and other tasks to complete, a battle system that sounds great on paper but results in little more than button mashing, quirky-appearing minigames that are little more than memory tests, and an unbalanced upgrading system are but a few examples. All are a net plus but none stand out as noteworthy or truly unique. The setting and characters are the same, in that they're created in the best of good faith but should come with a disclaimer for confusion or total disconnect.
Bottom line-- It lacks refinement, but in a way that leaves the player unclear if they'd rather take a butcher's cleaver in for changes or just a small surgical knife. It lacks the "it" that would make it memorable, though I can't at all imagine what that "it" might be. I can't particularly recommend it to a typical RPG audience or anyone that takes his/her games "seriously", though as a budget title for people with some patience who like the available game previews and videos, it could certainly be 20-40 hours of mostly-enjoyable distraction.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
GoodSep 12, 2011
By Anzabel I'd like to say that Venetica is unlike anything you've ever played, but that's not entirely true. Think Assassin's Creed II (and Brotherhood) + Oblivion + Dragon Age I and II + Legend of Kain: Blood Omen II, and you'll get a clearer picture of Venetica. The graphics are worse than any aforementioned games (and considering LoK: Blood Omen had crappy graphics even for its time, that's really saying something), but it's still a very good game and one of the rarer good RPGs for the PS3. With that said...
The storyline is pretty basic. Scarlett's lover, Benedict, is killed during an attack on their mountain side village, and she can either seek revenge on his murderers or a reunion with Benedict. Along the way, she discovers that she has untapped powers in necromancy.
The battle system is simple, though not too simple. Like in Dragon Age, you can program certain buttons (in this case, the directional buttons) to execute certain spells. You can block and dodge, too, but even so, I find myself just smashing the X button because it gets rid of enemies faster. You can choose which spells/moves you learn, though you actually need to find a trainer in order to teach you instead of simply learning it on your own.
It's a pretty open world. You can wander around, invade people's houses, rifle through their kitchens and take their food. You earn a bad reputation if you get caught stealing, like in Oblivion, and you earn a good reputation when you help on city projects. You have the ability to pick locks, though instead of skill, you rely more on memorization (you'll see what I mean), and you can sleep to pass time (from sunrise, midday, sunset, dusk, midnight, and just before dawn).
I happen to like all of these characteristics, and they contribute to the 4 stars. The reason why I didn't give it 5 stars is, aside from the graphics, the puzzles. Like in the Legacy of Kain games and Assassin's Creed II, there are puzzles. The camera will show you where you need to go and leave you to figure out how to get there. In order to defeat bosses, you need to develop strategies that aren't quite obvious at first. I like puzzles, but these are kind of random and out there.
Then there's just lack of instruction in general. I ran around the water gateway for hours before I realized that I was supposed to use the hammer I picked up some time ago to smash into the wall. The lock picking was also a mystery to me until I realized that the lock picks had a little X, O, triangle, and square on the ends. They were so small and squished, I didn't even think about it.
Anyway, I would recommend it. It's good and entertaining with a few flaws that can be easily overlooked.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
its okDec 15, 2011
By Elmer the game would be fun if it was a lot longer, the game is rather short and they could of expanded so much more on it but they didn't
A simple RPGOct 25, 2011
By A. Sheppard I enjoyed my time with this game but clearly it is a budget title and as such, do not buy this game hoping for blockbuster writing or voice acting. The graphics are ok at best. The premis is interesting as you play the daughter of the Grim Reaper, however this is never really expanded upon and you simply go about tracking down the enemey to wipe him out. Still, the game has some decent boss battles and leveling up grants you some new powers to try as you go.
If you're looking for a deep RPG, this isn't it. If you're ok with an inexpensive RPG that is rather linear and are not bothered by the "cheap" feel of it all, then I would say try it out, but otherwise if you're looking for depth and a fantastic story, you may be very very disappointed.
4 of 7 found the following review helpful:
This is you're gameAug 09, 2011
By James C. Page
"The Puppet Master"
Venetica was worth every peny. Yes some will say the ombat is simplistic or that the graphics aretn as good as possible. The combat has to be that simplistic when you have that many ways to kill people skill wise, as for the graphics, considering they were trying to digitize daytime and nighttime venice I think they did pretty good. With three diferent ways to talk to people, two different endings, and so many skills to play around with, I finished Venetic feelin as if i played the game how I wanted to. To make a gamer feel like that when the game ends is quite the great achievement.
based on 10 reviews
( 10 customer reviews )
