I grew up on classic RPGs (think Wizardry, Ultima, Baldurs Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Planescape Torment, etc.) and still mostly play RPGs. Action or fps games sometimes require too much "twitch" for my taste. Not Venetica. Venetica's story was engaging and there was plenty of satisfying exploration and discovery. The progression of skill development, weapon strength and enemy difficulty is well balanced. The fights keep you on your toes without being punishing. The mouse and keyboard controls are easy to learn and the "action" part of this aRPG was easily managed and fluid. Graphics are certainly from a decade ago, but still very pleasing to the eye - beautiful in a fantasy way. Level layouts are well done. There are a few minor bugs as others have mentioned but nothing that killed my pleasure in playing. Bottom line - it's not a AAA game but it's MORE than worth picking up in my opinion. I was engaged throughout and had a fun time playing it!
A very nice nod to the old school isometric RPGs like Baulders Gate, though not as sophisticated or deep. No character interactions to speak of. No in-depth designing of one's own character. Tactical aspects of combat are there and quite fun but only lightly challenging. However, the world-building story line is well written and engaging, the music is nice and the graphics are good for this style of game. A quite workable crafting system, too. All in all a fun game. A great intro for a first-time or casual RPG player. It offers 30 to 40 hours or more if you are a completist. Replay value may be there if you want to experience how tactics differ between the different classes. I played a warrior and found crafting was only partly useful - mostly for potions. Loot drops were much more useful. I may replay as a mage to see how the gameplay changes... I definitely enjoyed the game. Well worth the discounted price I paid. Even at full price it's a lot of fun for ten bucks. And another thing: it is essentially bug-free and runs on older hardware quite nicely.
