Rise of Venice

“Rise of Venice isn't a bad game. But it sure is boring. The core elements are all functional and do a decent job of recreating a Renaissance era trading business, but there's a reason it's a job people got paid to do, not pay for. I had some good moments with the game, and enjoyed the challenge of building up my wealth without waging war on everything that moves. However, after 10 or so hours the game became a real slog. I was repeating the same tasks over and over with little sense of gratification; the added mechanics like missions and power play all became equally repetitive. A leaderboard mode provides a different challenge in which you have to get as rich as possible without saving the game, but it's ultimately the same old thing. Rise of Venice aims towards a new audience, but in the same move it has simplified itself to a point where trading fans will find very little to interest them. I wouldn't bother unless you're really into wine selling.”