Too Human

Too Human is a re-imagining of Norse mythology in which the god’s powers are actually cybernetic implants which make them more than human. Thor, for example is the strongest god, and therefore he has the most enhancements. The main character, Baldur, has the least, which makes him too human. The story seems a bit confusing at times, which can be explained by the fact that it kind of starts at a midway point: a major event has just happened, and we are left to scramble for clues from the poorly told story in substandard cut-scenes. There are times when the viewer can tell that something exciting is happening, but the slow, awkward movements of the characters make the scene actually quite boring, especially when compared to  the action packed scenes in Devil May Cry 4, or the well scripted moments from GTA4. At one point, for example, Thor is trapped in a room, and to escape he heaves Mjöllnir, his magical hammer,  at a wall with all his might. This sounds awesome, but much less so when, instead of flying and crashing through the wall, Thor’s hammer just floats like a helium filled balloon released by a careless child, and the reinforced wall’s fragments glide down like leaves from an oak tree. Looking back though, the story is more interesting than it was presented, and frankly it deserved better. Like comparing the remake of Psycho starring Vince Vaughn with Hitchcock’s original, you can tell there is a good story there, just very badly told.

The cut-scenes and the story (as it was served to us) are, sadly, a throw-away. The action, and the loot collecting, which are really what this game is about, are top notch. The controls seem to be a problem for a lot of new-comers, especially when they realize they can no longer move the camera around to see what’s around the corner. This is easily fixed by using the LB button to center the camera behind Baldur, or by choosing a camera style more to your liking: choose far, and make believe you’re playing Diablo, or center it permanently behind Baldur, and make believe you’re playing a dark Kingdom Hearts (sorry, girls, no Donald Sephiroth here). Instead of the camera, the right stick now controls which direction you attack (Geometry War’s style), which can take some getting used to, but once grasped, this keeps you from getting attacked from behind by a goblin you thought was dead. It is also very exhilarating to rush into a crowd of monsters and see them fly in all directions as your right thumb guides your sword’s attacks. Each piece of armor is very beautifully crafted and, for the most part, very unique looking. The skill trees and leveling system make this game very addicting, and for those who find the control scheme’s (slight) learning curve, one that they will want to play again and again; whether it’s to experiment with a new build, to get just one more level before going to bed, to find that one perfect helmet, or the sword which will cut through enemies like butter. Another pleasing feature in the game is the way that most loading screens have been done away with. Most loading screens are hidden by short elevator rides, or even the cinemas themselves. Dying in the game brings the appearance of a Valkyrie who picks up your corpse and drops you off at the previous checkpoint, this too is another clever loading screen.

Online Multiplayer is where this game shines. There are no cut scenes, and there is tons more action and much better chances of getting awesome items. As long as you don’t get a crappy partner (I’m looking at you, people without mics), Too Human is one of the most fun online experiences you can have. Imagine knocking a monster into the air so your buddy can jump up and do a ten hit combo while you shoot it full of lead with your assault rifle. IMAGINE IT!!! It would be so much better if multiplayer were not limited to just 2 players, but I am very grateful for what is actually available. The trading system could also be better. It often seems wasteful to me that I would much rather throw away a helmet than hand it over to my online partner because I don’t want to spend 15 minutes giving it to him. Better yet, this game needs an online store, so players don’t have to resort to online forums to buy or sell their in-game loot which can only be used by a class other than their own.

I loved this game, but there are still some things I hated about it. Like the fact that there are tons of invisible walls everywhere in this game. In an age where players have been spoiled by games that let them go anywhere, it is a bit disappointing to be a god who can’t jump over a branch, and who gets stopped by grass. Although the graphics are quite acceptable, this game falls on the low side of the uncanny valley. Kinda sad when the women who are supposed to be attractive have sharp faces and odd corners. Sometimes it seems as if Baldur was the only character they took any special care with.

Too Human is actually a difficult game to review, because even though I love it, I can see how some people might not, which might explain the polar opposites to be found in the reviews for it. As a fan of Norse Mythology the game is very interesting, and the last ten seconds of the ending made me squeal like a school girl with the promise of how awesome the sequel of this game will be. The controls take some getting used to, and the story is a bit on the confusing side. Sadly these things might be enough to deter some from giving this game a chance. Lucky for you though, there is a free demo up on XBLA, so give it not one, but two tries, and if you have not decided to buy it by then, well then this game is just not for you.

+ A battle system that is very easy to grasp, yet very deep and rewarding for those who take the time to learn it.

+ Five different classes, each with two separate skill trees to choose from, a very deep charm system, and randomly generated stats on the interestingly designed items give the player a limitless amount of choices for creating and tweaking their characters to their liking.

+ Few loading screens: either a short loading screen, or cleverly hidden ones, which never take you out of the action

+ Very entertaining multiplayer, which rewards players for acting as a team. This is the main feature that will multiply the replay value of this game tenfold (I’m on my 6th play-through and going back for more after I finish this review).

+ Nothing beats the feeling of jumping into the middle of an army of undead, seeing bodies fly in all directions, and being the last left standing.

- Boring cut-scenes will not hold your interest for long. Play the game on single player ONCE so that you know what is going on, then play it on multiplayer for the rest of your life, and never look back

- Invisible walls.