Gamernode: Previews - E3 2008: Too Human hands-on

E3 2008: Too Human hands-on

Category: Xbox 360, Posted: 07/23/2008 at 08:59PM CDT by Andy Groen, Content Contributor

Allow me to be perfectly clear; There is a lot wrong with Too Human; the camera is difficult to control, the graphics are a bit sub-par, the graphical style is way more than sub-par, the animations are of the worst level of quality, the music is generic, and the voice acting is quite bad (though in the videogame business that means it's pretty average).

However, when playing the game there is an inescapable, pervasive sense of fun that you just can't put your finger on. Why am I enjoying this so much? I think to understand this I needed to purge myself of two things: my impressions of how good Too Human was based on past previews, and also my preconceived notions of what an action game is in today's market.

I think that today's game market has become so flooded with "me too" games trying to be Devil May Cry that we've started to assume that is what action games are, and what they will be like. Essentially, Devil May Cry set up a formula, and how well a game succeeds with that formula is how it is judged. Then a game like Too Human comes along and it so completely defies that formula that we assume it has failed. Too Human hasn't failed. We've just been judging it on the wrong scale.

On the Devil May Cry scale, Too Human fails miserably. If you go into this expecting a well polished, fast-paced blood bath like Ninja Gaiden II, you are going to be horribly appalled. Maybe on the N64 this could have passed as such, but not today.

Too Human plays more like Diablo 2. This is a group dungeon crawler. I have no doubt that this game was intended from the very beginning to be played with several other people. As such, I'm basing this preview off of a lot of theory and prediction, because my short glimpse at it was only single-player. When played alone, the game is rather lacking, but I really get the feeling that Too Human has a chance to develop a decent online community based on its group dynamics.

All that really remains to be seen is whether or not Silicon Knights will have the content ready to support a community like this. If they can provide levels and dungeons that are very difficult, that can only be accomplished by a full group, and are difficult enough that even the hardcore players struggle with it, then I don't see any reason why Too Human wouldn't be able to support a large hardcore community.

However, like I said in the beginning: this game has a lot of faults. This is an era of gaming that, by a vast margin, values presentation over gameplay. Because of this, I seriously doubt if the average gamer is going to be able to enjoy this game. This isn't Gears of War, and isn't going to knock your socks off with awe-inspiring effects and technical wizardry.

So if that is what you're looking for in a game, do yourself a favor and don't go anywhere near Too Human. But if you're looking for a fun dungeon crawler to play with a couple of friends, this game should be a fantastic choice.

Posted by Kallen000 on 07/23/2008 at 11:54PM

I was just wondering if you actually were paid for what you just wrote? You may think that question is out of line but you obviously spent no real time with the game. Your article is litered with statements that actually tell me to stop reading your article because you know nothing for yourself. Please take more time and research what your writing about. This is honestly really poor.

Posted by El on 07/24/2008 at 12:20AM

^I disagree. It isn't really poor. You may disagree with the opinion, but you need to be more clear yourself before you start bashing.

Posted by Squirtuck on 07/24/2008 at 12:50AM

I'd have to agree with Kallen000. After reading the opening paragraph and having played the demo myself, i'd say you've been slightly brainwashed, by the Too human hate thats been flying around. The faults you list, seem to have been taking straight off a GAF post. Its an action RPG, the graphics are fantastic for that genre, as is the music and the camera once you pull it out and stop fighting it. You say its just plain fun to play, which is why i'd have to disagree this won't appeal to the casual gamer. Out of the twenty or so of my friends who i have talked with since the demo came out, nearly all have said they will be picking this up. Most of these guys arn't "hardcore" gamers, people just recommended that they try it out and they loved it.

Posted by Kallen000 on 07/24/2008 at 12:51AM

Ok if you read these lines.

"As such, I'm basing this preview off of a lot of theory and prediction"

This line ditches a lot of the credibility of the article. If I see a movie for 5 min can I give a fair and accurate preview?

"I needed to purge myself of two things: my impressions of how good Too Human was based on past previews, and also my preconceived notions of what an action game is in today's market."

Shouldn't this be a given? Why do I want to read something that’s just a mash up of what everyone else has said or thought prior to you playing the game? Furthermore he is only refereeing to negative comments about the game.

Note none of my bashing has anything to do on his opinion of Too Human. I would say his opinion and this article are poor because he obviously saw a glimpse of the game and not enough to give me any informed opinion.

I am also pretty sure that top screenshot isn't even from a recent build of this game. Everyone is so ready to jump on non gaming media for not doing their homework and do diligence. I'm sorry if I expect the same thing when it comes to people in the industry.

Posted by Requiem on 07/24/2008 at 02:42AM

This is a preview, perhaps when the review comes out, it will be different seeing how the reviewer would have played the bulk, if not the whole game through.

Posted by Eddie R Inzauto on 07/24/2008 at 04:41AM

I think Too Human feels great. Silicon Knights seem to have done a good job at creating something unique in terms of both combat and concept, and after my time with the game was up, I only wanted to play more.

The game's storyline and dual-world mechanic are intriguing, and the skill trees, and inventory system appear to be engaging, yet uncomplicated.

I found the graphical presentation to obviously represent something that has been in development for a very long time, showing signs of past console generations in the design choices, but the audio was more than adequate.

The only other reservation I might have about Too Human is that I'm not sure if the game's 5 classes are as diverse as one might have hoped for, but then again, I only had the opportunity to play as one class.