Trying To Move On

Too Human could very well be the poster child for the negative effects of over-hyping a video game. Too often we gamers and the people who supply us with information become so obsessed with the possibilities a game represents that we lose sight of reality. An exciting and eagerly awaited game is built up to impossibly high standards that only a few games in a hundred manage to meet. We want so badly for a game to be everything we hoped that we lose sight of what it is, which in this case is a very decent title with its share of issues; nothing more, nothing less.

The unusually long game development time for Too Human has created its share of difficulties concerning both the over-hyping of the title as well as the core of the game itself. Originally scheduled for release on the original Playstation, the title found its way to the GameCube following a partnership between Silicon Knights and Nintendo, and finally ended its long journey on Microsoft's Xbox 360. The time allotted to the development of an average game is typically more than enough to allow for the over-hyping of said game, but in this case I believe the incredibly long development time as well as the multiple platform changes for the title attributed to this game's hyper-hyping. The game simply sat too long in the imaginations of gamers worldwide.

I personally cannot blame those who wanted this title to be great; the game has some really interesting concepts. The dual-analog melee combat has incredible potential for those willing to take time to learn its particulars. Once well-equipped and versed in the particulars of the game's combat system, a player can truly begin to feel godly while facing his foes. Though at first unsure of the depth of combat I found in the game's opening, this gamer was soon sliding gracefully from enemy to enemy swords-a-blur. Few things about this title are as satisfying as wading confidently into a group of twenty enemies and emerging practically untouched with some cool new items to check out.

The game offers some reasonably fun character progression featuring a wealth of class and spec combinations which lead to many different play styles. The loot drops are frequent and satisfying, and despite the fact that you will pick up some items that you cannot use on your character, they can always be traded to a friend for something you want in the game's online co-op multiplayer. Furthermore, you are given the option of breaking down items that you do not need anywhere in the game into hard currency which you will then use to buy or craft new items. The gear is really quite satisfying to collect and craft, and this is one of the game's strong points.

The game is, of course, not without its problems. As earlier stated, the game was originally planned for development on the Playstation, and in some ways it shows. The character models are somewhat blocky-looking (especially the faces), and some of the game's environments are somewhat bland. The story attempts an interesting mixture of futuristic technology (including cybernetics), and Norse mythology. While this may sound cool to some, the theme seems somewhat forced. While the story itself is thankfully fairly simple, some of the ideas and statements made me cringe, such as AI-controlled human allies saying things like "where in the Helheim are we?" The game is also sadly somewhat short, but despite playing through the main story twice in my four days with the game, I was eager to play again.

There are a few other small compliments and gripes which could be bestowed upon this title, but I think we all get the picture: What we have here is a fun game that is more than adequate entertainment. It has issues, yes, but what game doesn't? My recommendation is to give this game a fair shake. Even the most remote areas of the country have access to game rentals these days, so you need not invest a full $60 just to find out if the game suits you. Who knows? You may really enjoy it.

My score: 7.5/10

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