Why don't we leave aside "cold" and shallow titles lacking a great storyline and characters, and which focus mainly on violence and primary instincts, and talk about a more retro-action kind of game, set in the dampness-filled canals of Renaissance Italy's famed Venice. This PC title launched by PopCap Games today will have players knowing every canal in Venice like the back of their hand in search of artifacts.

Developed by Retro64, Venice is a puzzle-solving, sharp-shooting, retro action game set among the canals of Renaissance Italy's famed city. We can say without a doubt that the main challenge players have to face is helping save the precious artifacts of ancient Italy while keeping their ship afloat past dozens of classical Venetian buildings.

"Venice is a different sort of game, melding numerous puzzle-solving elements with varying degrees of retro-arcade action depending on your preference," noted Jason Kapalka, chief creative officer and co-founder of PopCap. "There's truly something for everyone in Venice, and the game-play is flexible in giving different kinds of casual game fans different ways to play. The themed soundtrack and artwork create great settings in which to experience the sights and sounds of ancient Italy while navigating your way to victory."

The gameplay is relatively simple and catchy, yet one single mistake can lead to a lost artifact. As players fire treasures from a golden gondola into appropriate slots attached to the walls and towers of the city, the buildings slowly sink. Successful shots remove barriers and allow progress upward as the canal waters rise and carry the ship up each building.

"We're thrilled to have PopCap publishing Venice and helping with the fine-tuning of the game - it's great to be working with the best in the business," said Mike Boeh, lead developer of Venice at Retro64. "PopCap truly has a knack for making a game as good as it can possibly be, and that's reflected in the final version of Venice."

There will be four play modes: Journey, Flood, Survival and Trick Shots. A free trial of the deluxe version is already available for download at Popcap's official website, as well as on other leading game portals. Give it a shot!