Venetica
Rombax Games
PC, Xbox, PS3

It's been a while since we've seen a newly released, action-RPG for the console. In this day and age the PC dominates the RPG genre, leaving the rest of us with consoles to weep and mourn. I hadn't heard of this title until I picked it up last week, and I must say there's still hope for the single-player action-RPG genre. In an old-timey scenario (like most RPG's), your main character Scarlett has a good ol' time slashing assassins and beasts of the wilderness, gaining luscious XP and equipment along the way. The game lags slightly during cut scenes, and character animations are subpar — and then there's the voice acting ...

But Venetica makes up for these inconveniences with beautifully crafted terrain and environments, and little luxuries like gaining XP for completing tasks, exploring new areas on your map and helping people here and there. Like all RPGs, it starts slow, but doesn't take long to become the addicting, action-packed, riddle-solving adventure that some of us live for. Of course, you also have your magic powers, which add bonuses to your physical attacks and magic skills, while the game gets much more entertaining. This title's not for everyone, though.

> Email Josh Sexson