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At long last, Too Human has been released.   The long development cycle of the game and a seemingly endless stream of controversies have threatened to establish a mythology larger than the one presented in the game itself and eclipse the true question, "Is the game any good."   Well here's your answer, while it's not perfect it's very, very good.

Of Norse Mythology and Lasers

Taking from Norse mythology, Too Human is a retelling of Ragnorak, more or less, the end of the world. You play Baldur, who, prior to the game's beginning, has been killed and his body taken from Hel, the underworld.  Problem is, Gods aren't supposed to be tramping down into such places and taking back their own, it violates an ancient truce and drums up no end of trouble.

Thankfully, this is not a literal retelling of the Edda. Instead Silicon Knights has recast the narrative inside a cybernetic realization of the stories, technology is a product of the gods although its role would appear to have something less than a blessing for the humans they lord over and protect.  It has corrupted the eden-like world they once inhabited and turned into a cold, menacing metropolis sunk into perpetual night and at its borders live creatures that threaten humankind and are wholly machine.

The cyberpunk conceit sounds like a stretch but, on the whole, it works.  The art direction manages to seamlessly blend the grandeur we think of with this mythology and make it come alive again with a healthy dose of futurism.  In particular is Baldur himself, his face scarred with luminescent lines that could be either tattoos or battle scars.  Small touches like this make Too Human, a very compelling game to watch as well as play.  The storytelling is also strong, but those without some background in the source material may find it decidedly opaque while those well versed in it might be driven to distraction trying to establish the equivalencies.

Swing your Hammer

But the game is truly about the gameplay and this is where Too Human shines most brightly.  Taking a cue from the Diablo games this is an action RPG which takes point-and-click gameplay and uses the console to give it a wonderful visceral kick. Baldur attacks by just pointing the right thumbstick in the direction of an enemy, holding the stick in place continues Baldur's attacks, while rolling it in the direction of other creatures continues the attacks, which increases a combo meter, which, in turn, increases the damage.  When done right Too Human's combat has a balletic elegance as Baldur flies from enemy to enemy, increasing his power with each blow and wiping out stunning numbers of the creatures in short order.  The controls are tough to get your head around, as there are no camera controls and you'll wonder why you're attacking when you're just trying to get a new angle on the action.  In about a half hour, it all sinks in.

Wild Ride of the Valkyries

Combat does offer up some nice variety. Outside of melee weapons there are three different types of guns, and double taping the right stick knocks enemies up into the air.  Switching between melee and ranged takes less than a second so, juggling the baddies becomes a nice, fun pastime.  While there is no magic per se in the game devastating powers like ruiners and battle cries are acquired and affected by the weapons you hold and how you've leveled up your character.

When it comes to characters building in Too Human there's almost nothing out there like it.   With six distinct character classes, branching skill trees for each class, innumerable weapons and armor that can be modified with magical runes, the customizability is awe-inspiring.  In fact, if there's any fault to be found with so many options, it's that at certain moments you may feel paralyzed with opportunity.

Better yet, the role-playing elements in Too Human are well implemented so as not to bog down the continuous action of the game. As if learning a couple big lessons from Mass Effect it's easy to figure out what of your loot is the best, and, when your inventory is full, the low level goodies are immediately converted to currency.  Furthermore new weapons and armor actually look distinct from one another. As you become more of a badass, you will begin to see it immediately.

This ability to make a Baldur unlike anyone else's comes into play in the two player co-op which allows you to replay sections of the game with entirely different enemy and loot placement.  Playing with a character of another class and even an entirely different level was eye-opening.  The game plays very differently depending on what class and emphasis you've given your character and playing together feels decidedly complementary and satisfying.

Every Yggdrasil has its Nidhogg

Too Human does have some issues, though.  Primarily it's a lack of cohesion of the game's two elements, the story and the gameplay.  The epic narrative shows up on a regular schedule through the levels but it feels oddly disjointed from the game itself, it doesn't motivate the action.  This is an issue with Too Human because the gameplay doesn't feel as big as its narrative and the narrative doesn't manifest itself in the action.  For many games out there this wouldn't be an issue, but because Too human is aiming so high, this shortcoming is decidedly apparent and leads to a nagging feeling that there's something missing.

This issue manifests itself the most in the Boss Battles that don't live up to the denouements that the story seems to promise.  Some feel too lifted from the Diablo model where you just pile damage onto the beast hoping it dies before you.  One boss battle in particular is woefully uninspired and follows a logic more akin to Mega Man boss than the God you’re supposed to be destroying.

Ragnarök was just the Beginning

Having said that, Too Human is still an awesome game that I have not been able to put down for two and a half weeks, I have played one character almost to the level 50 cap, despite knowing that I'll be unable to transfer him to my retail 360 at the game's launch.  The game is that well constructed, and when it's firing on all cylinders there' nothing out there that can beat it for sheer satisfaction.  It's just that it doesn't become the sum of its parts, but each part rocks on its own.  The best news is that this game is the beginning of a trilogy and the foundation established here bodes so well for it's follow up that the game Too Human wanted to be is just waiting in the wings, wings that better just be two years away.

Review by: Adam Sessler