Ah, the city of Venice. Beautiful, mysterious, deadly... hang on, that can't be right.
With Russian mobsters running amok over the bridges and through the tight alleyways, it's hardly surprising that there's been a Murder in Venice.
This latest hidden object game from City Interactive starts off strongly, but a lack of variety in the settings and puzzles is eventually quite the turn-off.
You may find yourself sticking around for the conclusion to the story, but in terms of gameplay, it's a slog.
The city of loveMurder in Venice follows the story of Vera, an American tourist who witnesses an execution, and gets wrapped up in a plot she'd rather not be a part of.
Teaming up with an ex-KGB agent, she goes on the run, finding clues and gathering evidence all whilst their pursuers are hunting them down.
The story is generally entertaining, with plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep you on your toes. Diary entries note a different element of the action, as the agent tries to keep the innocent Vera alive.
There are also a number of interesting sections that provide flashbacks to the agent's KGB days, cleverly fleshing out the operative's backstory.
Route: CanalThe game comprises dozens of scenes with hidden objects scattered around them.
Your job is to find each of the items listed at the bottom of the screen, and then use certain items to unlock new areas.
Inbetween these sections, you'll occasionally get special puzzles to complete, such as navigating a maze against the clock and pushing blocks out of the way in a grid.
Unfortunately, these brainteasers are few and far between, and not particularly interesting in the main, anyway. Most rely on trial and error, rather than the use of your noggin.
This wouldn't be too much of an issue were it not for how dull the hidden object sections can be. There's not enough variety, and the places in which you're meant to use the items are always really obvious.
Gondola fishingA few little extras attempt to bump up your playing time, but these are all somewhat pointless.
Collectibles that you find throughout the story appear in the extras menu, but can't really be used for anything other than to gawp at.
You can access and replay all of the mini-games and scenes individually, although there isn't much benefit to this, as once was definitely enough.
Murder in Venice fails to capture the magic that has been present in past City Interactive hidden object titles, leaving us feeling as cold as the war it so heavily features.