February 26th, 2008 by ffanxii4ever
Mixing two demons
Can you imagine what might happen if you were to take a chunk of Diablo, mix it with a bit of Devil May Cry, throw in a dash of Norse mythology, and season it all with a sprinkle cyberpunk flavor? You would get Too Human. This latest outing from Denis Dyack takes a unique perspective with the traditional Nordic mythos, transforming it into a unique cybernetic alternate past. It assumes that all of the gods were real and -rather than magic- there is an incredible level of technology that permeates everything. This is the backdrop for the adventures of Baldur, one of the gods of Norse mythology.
Viking meets Cyberspace
This new vision of Nordic mythology provides a familiar, yet refreshingly new setting and background for a game. Most people know at least a smidge of Norse mythology, and will be able to see its influence in game. You will surely recognize Thor and his hammer and appreciate the Valkyrie descending from above to a fallen soldier. Of course all of this is infused with the aforementioned cybernetic stylization, which makes it all very unique. Showcasing the extent that the fusion of cybernetics and Norse mythology goes is Jörmungandr. This behemoth of a monster has transformed from a world-encompassing serpent (in real mythology) to an incredibly powerful weapon that was created long ago. Grendel, from Beowulf, is the central plot point of one of the early missions in the game and has been portrayed as a blood drinking machine. You are sent to find out why he is drinking blood and -more importantly- to stop him.
The entire world of Too Human is influenced by this unique fusion of old-school Viking and Borg-esque cybernetics. The world is being torn apart by war and the onslaught is all encompassing. It has turned cold and harsh and exposed machinery can be found everywhere. To contrast the harshness of the ‘real world’ is cyberspace which is warm, inviting, and organic. This cyber-realm can be entered by staring into various pools of water. This lush, foliage-filled world is inhabited by the mystical Norn. Norn are advanced AI programs that provide you with information but will only do so when it benefits them as well. Cyberspace is also a very useful tool. Some areas are locked to you in the real world until you unlock them cyberspace.
Oh yes, there will be blood...
Too Human is best categorized as an action-RPG, and as such will have hordes of machines to carve your way through. The complexity of its combat is greater than the point-and-click mindlessness of Diablo, but less than the combo craziness of Devil May Cry. You will always have two methods of attack for removing unwanted menaces; melee and ranged combat. Melee combat is easily the more innovative of the two; to attack a foe you merely point the right analog stick in their direction and take in the slicing and dicing. For this to work Silicon Knights had to remove camera control from the player. It has been replaced with an intelligent camera that will adjust according to the surroundings and the player’s actions.
For melee combat the camera will zoom in and a blur effect will cover the background slightly to keep the focus on those that are currently being pummeled. Ranged combat is controlled by pointing the right analog stick towards those that you wish to shoot and firing with either one of the two triggers. Each of the triggers is used for a separate function, whether it is two separate guns, or a primary and a secondary fire for the larger, two-handed weapon. While wielding ranged weaponry, the camera will zoom out to a larger view, allowing you to more selectively choose your targets.
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