Venetica Preview

GameSpot was able to spend some time with Deck 13's action RPG Venetica and tells us a bit about the experience.
The highlight of the combat is certainly Scarlett's death powers. As she progresses through the story, she will be automatically rewarded with new powers, such as the ability to summon ravens and ghouls to her side, or instill terror in her enemies. She also has access to a pair of mentors that appear in spirit form and offer help with important tasks. We watched them guide Scarlett through a lock-pick minigame as she search a chest for valuable treasure.

The city of Venice is not the postcard that you may be used to. Venetica takes place in a parallel universe in the 16th century, and the canals and streets are filled with secret passages, and enemies. During the day, citizens will chat with you and offer information in addition to side quests. At night, bandits and more supernatural enemies take over. The day-night cycle lasts only about 15 minutes, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to wander Venice at the time of day that you prefer. Venetica encourages exploration as every door can be opened and every home searched for secrets, says developer Deck 13. There are two sections to Venice. We saw the prosperous area where most of the upper class citizens live, defined by large palaces and bright open spaces. A second more ominous area called the dark streets offers greater challenges. Two separate factions inhabit the city and you can choose to do quests for either faction. Of course, it wouldn't be Venice without gondolas, and the romantic boats serve as Venetica's automated transport system. Sadly there will be no romantic crooning from the gondoliers. O solo mio!