Dissenting Opinion: Too Human
Some days it just doesn't seem to pay to be a Norse god. After spending nearly a decade in development hell, Silicon Knights finally released the first part in its sci-fi action/RPG trilogy, Too Human. Taking a look around at what the media has had to say about the game ? well, to say opinions are mixed would be an understatement. I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a game where reviews have so completely run the gamut of opinions and issues. Even here at good ol' Crispy Gamer, Too Human got the dreaded "Fry It" rating. Seeing that and reading the review, I had to chime in with the latest Dissenting Opinion.
alt="Reflection"/>Mirror mirror on the wall, which game is the most misunderstood of all?
Okay, before I jump into why I disagree with Erin Bell's review of Too Human, let me clarify a few things right up front. For starters, yes ? the game has issues and is far from perfect. While I think it's a lot of fun, I don't think it'll make my Game of the Year short list this time around. The in-game menus could use a major overhaul, the cut scenes are nowhere near as sharp and smooth as other games on the market, and the story doesn't really seem to gel until the final act when things finally come together enough to set up the second game. Other flaws include some rare technical glitches, a stubborn camera, and a targeting system that leaves something to be desired. Having said that, there's one very simple and essential thing Too Human still has going for it: It's a hell of a lot of fun.
alt="Gunfight"/>In the Crispy Gamer review of Too Human, a lot of criticism was put towards the game's unique combat system. On one hand, it's praised for its originality, calling it "a straightforward and, in its most basic form, elegant, approach to combat." On the other hand, it supposedly "takes a nosedive" when facing off against stronger enemies and bosses, leading to the much-maligned 26-second death scene. Now, I'll admit that early on in the game, I too started to get to know the death-scene valkyrie on a first-name basis (her name is "Michele," by the way ? one L, not two. We had a thing.). Then, I got smart and actually read the instructions, learning that there was a whole lot more to the combat than I had initially thought.
alt="Creature"/>I've noticed in most criticisms of Too Human's combat system that people describe melee combat as a simple matter of pointing the right thumbstick at an enemy and holding it down. Sure, that'll get you through a few waves of cannon fodder, but to make any real progress, you'll need to learn the nuances of the game's combat system. In reality, it's NOT just a matter of pointing at an enemy with the right thumbstick. True effectiveness in melee combat requires skilled use of both thumbsticks. For example, if you push both thumbsticks in the direction of an enemy outside of your normal melee range, Baldur will throw his weapon out, arcing around like a boomerang and taking out foes from a safe distance. Do the same thing while up close and personal, and Baldur pulls off a nasty multi-hit Finisher, smacking foes with his weapon before tossing it in the air, catching it, and driving it into the enemies with massive power. Once you get the hang of things, you'll be amazed by just how fluid Too Human's melee system really is.
alt="Enemies everywhere"/>Overwhelmed by enemies? Baldur wouldn't have it any other way.
As good as the melee combat is, I'll admit that the ranged combat could stand a little extra work. Trying to hit specific targets, like incoming rocket fire, while getting swarmed by enemies proves to be virtually impossible due to Too Human's twitchy auto-aiming system. Still, ranged combat works fine when you're far enough from the action. Lob a grenade into a horde of oncoming goblins, and they'll fly far and wide from the explosion. When those enemies get too close, though, you'll back off your trigger finger in favor of a good old-fashioned beat-down. Of course, that's not to say the ranged weapon is completely useless up close. In fact, you can't help but get a visceral thrill out of whacking a baddie high up in the air and then keeping him airborne by unloading a clip and properly ventilating him, or microwaving him with sustained laser fire.
alt="Clear the room."/>One surprising omission from the Crispy review is any discussion of Too Human's online co-op play. Talking about Too Human without talking about the co-op play is like cooking up some macaroni and cheese, but forgetting about the cheese. Simply put, co-op is a blast to play. In a lot of ways, the co-op experience is at least as strong as, if not stronger than, the whole of the single-player experience. At times, it even feels like co-op is how Too Human was meant to be played.
alt="Alien"/>Just one of hundreds of possible fashion choices for Baldur in Too Human
Hey, I learned a long, long time ago not to count on most artificial intelligence-controlled teammates in videogames. When I play a game like Too Human solo, I don't even bother hoping for help from my squad. In co-op play though, with a flesh-and-blood buddy covering my back, it's a whole different story. Together we work like a well-oiled machine, flanking bosses for maximum damage, teaming up to juggle enemies with one player smacking 'em up and the other shooting 'em down. The one drawback here is that the game's cinematics don't play during co-op play, meaning that you'll miss out on the bulk of the story if you don't at least play around in single-player mode.
Too Human won't be going down in history as the "Citizen Kane" masterpiece of the gaming world, but it might just be the "Die Hard," instead. You know, the guilty-pleasure popcorn movie that you know will never win an Academy Award but love to watch, anyway. It's true that Too Human doesn't necessarily live up to the hype that's been building up to the game's release. But then again, after nine years, what really could? I mean, it took nine years for the last Indiana Jones flick to hit theaters and we all saw how that turned out. At least Too Human makes sense, which is more than I can say for the "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." Plus, Too Human actually left me eager to see the sequel ? unlike Indy's last crack of the whip.
If you're still on the fence after this, do what you'd do with any movie in the same circumstance: rent it. Ignore the hype on both sides of the equation and just play it for the fun of playing it. Odds are, for every one of you that hates it, there'll probably be at least a couple of others of you that'll love it. And for that last group of people? I'll be more than happy to swing a cybernetic hammer alongside you any day.
