Too Human

Written by Joe Comunale  on March 01, 2006

New Impressions: We all feel a little too human at times.

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Exclusive to the Xbox 360, Too Human is the first of three planned entries from Silicon Knights. Efforts from the development team have paid off early, and although the game isn't near completion just yet, the extensive epic is coming along at full stride.

Players are thrown into a perilous battle between man, machine, and irascible gods. Set in the past, cybernetic monsters from distant places emerge to threaten humanity. Not to mention, the human race has already suffered greatly from a long-lasting ice age. Luckily, they have help from Baldur Ц a god who's popular among humans because of his similar mortal traits (hence the title УToo HumanФ). The onus is on him to single-handedly save the world. His supernatural abilities are useful, but the story is heavily influenced by Norse mythology, where gods aren't exactly immortal.

Silicon Knights is bent on immersing players in a unique way of play. Since Baldur cannot restore order by a simple snap of the fingers, he'll use a combination of firearms and melee to smite any foes. The game is a fast-paced adventure that allows players to easily and effectively utilize both methods of attack, and the exploration is virtually open-ended.

The frenetic pace won't be for the faint of heart, as fighting off hordes of enemies seems to be the crux of the action. As players dig deeper, they'll have many opportunities to upgrade Baldur's skills and weaponry. Like Devil May Cry's Dante, Baldur can dual wield hand guns. He's also savvy with his stylish sword Ц yet another trait he shares with Capcom's protagonist. A host of additional melee attacks can also be performed. The hand-to-hand combat was choreographed with the help of Japanese martial arts experts. Also, there are a few individuals from big name action movies such as The Matrix that are lending a hand.

Too Human's story will escalate through numerous movie scenes, a facet of the game Silicon Knights is attempting to liken to a Hollywood movie. They've implemented rich textures that take players from sylvan splendors to more hellacious settings. The dynamic camera system is one of the title's strong points, an aspect they insist will complement the outlandish play.

They've also stressed that the storyline will entail more than its core plot. It seems as though Baldur may have some skeletons in his closet. The story in its entirety is actually quite extensive. It will take the developers three full games to, more or less, divide the narrative into subunits. Each game will have a clear-cut beginning and climax, but all three will intertwine into one complete epic.

The Unreal Engine 3 is being used to structure the game. While Too Human was originally thought out for the PlayStation and then Gamecube consoles, Silicon Knights has crafted the Xbox 360 version from scratch. The two analogue sticks and the trigger buttons are the main controls. And though details are sparse, an online portion is being carefully thought out.