- Action/Adventure
- 2008
- Buy the Game
Reviewed by Jason Zingale
()
ilicon Knight’s “Too Human” has been in development for so long, you’d think it was being made by Blizzard. Originally conceived in 1999 for the PlayStation, the game was then moved to the GameCube one year later, only to never be released. Many thought the project was officially dead until 2005, when the Canadian developers reannounced the title (this time on the Xbox 360) as a trilogy since, well, that’s the hip thing to do these days. Of course, if you’re going to go that route eventually, it’s better you do it sooner rather than later. Because as “Too Human” proves all too soon, no matter how monotonous the gameplay may get, as long as you have a master plan, your audience will stand by you through thick and thin.
A clever take on Norse mythology that finds its most famous characters thrust into the future, “Too Human” tells the tale of Baldur, a cybernetically-enhanced Aesir (or human god) who has been tasked with protecting the human race from an army of machines. Ironically, as the Aesirs continue to use cybernetic implants to increase their abilities, the machine army has begun eating flesh and blood in an attempt to become more human. Baldur, who refuses to rely as much on cybernetics as his fellow warriors, is viewed as being too human (hence the title of the game), but when a rogue Aesir named Loki escapes from captivity to lead the cyber army against ODIN (Organically Distributed Intelligence Network) and its god-like sons, it’s exactly this remaining shard of humanity that gives Baldur the edge he needs to stop Loki and his daughter Hel from combining forces and taking over the world.
Though “Too Human” is essentially a button-mashing dungeon crawler, Silicon Knight has done a fine job of making the experience feel new. Sure, you’ll still select a class (one of five, including Champion, the well-rounded fighter; Bio-Engineer, the resident healer; or Commando, the demolitions guy) and manage inventory like any other RPG, but the combat system differs from the typical hack-and-slash adventure in more ways than one. Combat is more fluid thanks to the use of the right analog stick as your primary attack (both in swinging your sword and performing power slides), while the addition of long-range weapons (mapped to the left and right trigger buttons) makes gameplay a more complete package. You’ll be switching between both sword and gun throughout the course of combat, and in order to make sure that you do, “Too Human” introduces a juggling system that is too cool to pass up. Knocking an enemy into the air, and then keeping him up there with gunfire, is one of the single most enjoyable moments of the game – especially when you happen to have a rifle with a grenade launcher equipped.
In addition to basic combat, “Too Human” allows the player to upgrade character skills that increase melee attacks, provide you with the ability to deploy mechanical spider sentries, and use special moves like battle cries (which make enemies more susceptible to combos) and sentient weapons (a spirit version of your sword that aids you in battle). These skills, along with the room-clearing Ruiner move, are the only chance you’ll have of surviving the later levels, because if there’s one thing “Too Human” isn’t short on, it’s enemies. In fact, the game crams so many baddies on the screen at one time that it’s often impossible to see what you’re doing. This is a problem, because if you can’t enjoy the fluidity of the combat system, there’s no point in implementing it in the first place. Add to that the fact that every time you die, you have to watch a 30-second cinematic of a gold-plated angel coming down to resurrect you, and gameplay can tend to get a bit monotonous.
That’s really the game’s only major problem, though. On the weapon and armor side of things, “Too Human” is about as customizable as you can get – from using runes that apply bonuses to dyeing your equipment a specific color – and for everything that you don’t find scattered across the battlefield (or in treasure chests shaped like little Washington monuments) you can build yourself (for a price, of course) using blueprints that you pick up along the way. There are also hidden treasures to be found in the game’s otherworld (called Cyberspace), which you can access via gateways in each level. Along with the promise of finding bounty, visits to Cyberspace are also necessary for unlocking doors in the real world – which you’ll open using telekinetic powers as provided to you by a trio of witches called NORNS.
As for the story itself, well, you’ll have to play the game to see what happens, but if there’s one thing that can be said without giving away any spoilers, it’s that the first chapter of “Too Human” plays out a lot like the original “Star Wars.” It prepares you for the things to come, but the really cool stuff probably won't happen until part two. Here’s hoping the game is a big enough success for the sequels to become a reality, because with a second “Mass Effect” already in development, it would be nice to have another sci-fi epic around to provoke a little healthy competition.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |