Too Human

They say the best things come to those who wait – and the industry has certainly been waiting for a long time for Too Human to arrive. Ben Parfitt takes a look at the hotly-anticipated Sci-Fi RPG…

Hype is a very dangerous commodity to play with. When manipulated properly it can lead to tremendous retail success, but when the hype is laid on and a game fails to deliver it can damage an IP.

Having been first unveiled way back at E3 1999, and having subsequently been in development on three different platforms, Microsoft knows that many eyes will be trained on Silicon Knights’ Too Human upon its release at the end of the month. But there’s no doubt that Microsoft has a lot of faith in what the developer is getting ready to deliver.

“Too Human is one of Silicon Knights’ most cherished properties, so they’ve taken their time to ensure that it comes out the way they want it,” Microsoft UK’s head of Gaming & Entertainment for the Entertainment & Devices Division Stephen McGill explains to MCV.

“The Xbox 360 allows Silicon Knights to make the game they had dreamed up all along. The game is progressing very well and we expect that gamers will be extremely excited with Too Human when it is released.

“Too Human goes far beyond the sword and gun combat found in other games. The game blends intense action with massive lush environments, complex enemies and a rich RPG co-op system. Intuitive combat, an unprecedented cinematic presentation, and motion capture from some of Hollywood’s most talented martial arts experts fuse together to form a unique gameplay experience that is as fun to play as it is to watch.”

The game itself promises an action-packed blend of stat-based RPG gameplay and third-person hack ‘n’ slash. Thematically it’s an unusual blend of Nordic Viking mythology and cybernetic tech combat – it may sound unusual, but it lends the title a unique feel, unlike anything else the market has seen before.

Also mixing up traditional values is the fact that Too Human combines both sword and gunplay together. The combat system may seem shallow at first glance, but those who invest time in the game will find a vast array of complex fight moves to master.

On top of this, epic battles are promised with players taking on dozens of on-screen enemies, without any sort of compromise to the high level of visual detail that Silicon Knights has squeezed out of its customary game engine. In addition, Too Human aims to be a very cinematic experience, with visually lush cut-scenes fleshing out the narrative and characters.

Also of particular interest is the fact that the game offers co-op play, a feature that has elevated many titles (including the likes of Gears of War and Halo 3) to the top of players’ most played lists.

“Co-op gameplay in Too Human allows gamers to battle through the entire game in an exciting multiplayer co-op mode, allowing for previously unattainable combat strategies and tactics,” McGill adds. “By combining different character classes, weapon types, and strategies, gamers have nearly infinite ways to play the game.”

Further demonstrating Microsoft’s faith in its latest title, the publisher also speaks of plans for future instalments in the Too Human series. McGill explains:

“Microsoft Game Studios and Silicon Knights are committed to finishing the first installment, but Too Human is an overarching epic with a rich and vast game universe that cannot be told in one instalment. This game will begin the saga of the god Baldur in the narrative tradition of classic trilogies, such as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. We will talk about the full trilogy and we are very excited about its potential.”

With Microsoft putting its full marketing weight behind Too Human at a time when the new releases roster is a little slim, it would be hard to imagine the title not storming the Xbox 360 charts. In fact, Silicon Knights’ latest could well be the first pre-Christmas big-hitter ahead of the traditionally competitive Q4 sales battle.