Calling it a "hidden gem" doesn't even do it justice. It's incredible how great and unknown this game is at the same time.
Venetica presents you with a beatufil and lively world, composed mostly of a fantasy Venice. Everything, the world, the characters and even the story has strong Discworld vibes. The city si beautiful, yet rotten to the core. Quests are simple, but original and most importantly, actually funny. Venice itself is filled with lively marketplaces and beautiful architecture, but also shady alleys and of course mysterious cannals. You will spend about as much time swimming the cannals and running around on the rooftops, as you will walking the streets and the plazas. And then come the dungeons - as someone else already said in a review here - each dungeon is unique and interresting. Dungeons are quite huge, with many crossroads and shortcuts, they are a great playground for any exploration possitive player. The gameplay itself is a simple action-ish rpg, it's neither too difficult, nor boring. The story revels around dealing with undead overlords of the corrupted city, with a little bit of a darker twist ont the main character herself and her mission. Where the game trully shines is the mentiond environment design (the city and the dungeons), character design adn dialogues.
I mean it when I say that for me, this is Terry Pratchett's Ankh-Morporok come to life. The fascinating but dangerous city, its dark but also comical secrets, its all too human citizens, all combined with the fresh and original fantasy setting make you feel the silliness of it all, while still making you care for some of the smallest characters. And when you meet that last nightwatchman patrolling, you'll want to ask him what's captain Vimes up to these days.
