[Official] Too Human

[Slane]

Discuss the game and anything about it. Below is a list of people who are willing to do co-op.

Gamertag - Class - Level - Epic Set

AG3NT SLANE - Berserker - 50 - 1/7

Edited September 5, 2008 by Slane

[George P Global Moderator]

I've always had an eye on this game, but I guess my main question is on how long it is gameplay wise? This might sound silly or not but length means the difference between buying it at 70Euros (I live in the EU) or waiting for it to drop lower etc.

[funkymunky]

What do you think mate??

I'm unsure, as I've seen very conflicting reviews. However I'd rather take a Neowinians review than some biased review site :)

[popisdead uk]

When is it out?

EDIT - just read it's on torrent sites now, scrap my question.

[Nightz]

I've always had an eye on this game, but I guess my main question is on how long it is gameplay wise? This might sound silly or not but length means the difference between buying it at 70Euros (I live in the EU) or waiting for it to drop lower etc.

i think i read somewhere that it'll take around 15 hours or so.

[.KICK]

When is it out?

EDIT - just read it's on torrent sites now, scrap my question.

Game is out on the 29th August in Europe. ;)

Why you looking on Torrents for release dates? :huh:

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

Why you looking on Torrents for release dates? :huh:

Because..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AzpByR3MvI.swf

That Frodo guy was right all along :laugh:

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

LOL that video is AWESOME.

Seen it before, but I always laugh my ass off.

[+BeLGaRaTh Subscriber¹]

Because..

<snip>

That Frodo guy was right all along :laugh:

What the hell was that video? And I'm sure I saw that kid with the pink wig walking around Liverpool a month or so ago, in the exact same costume with that bloke the pirate but he was dressed in a jump suit thing, there was another bloke too with a weird 'tache with them. All the kids seemed to rave over them and follow them everywhere.

[Sethos]

Is it fair to bring the thread off-topic like this?

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

Ok so back on topic Mr Grouch :p

Megacritic rating 68

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/toohuman

Gamerankings:

TeamXbox 6.5 out of 10 65.0%

IGN 7.8 out of 10 78.0%

GameSpot 5.5 out of 10 55.0%

OXM 6.5 out of 10 65.0%

Game Informer 6.75 out of 10 67.5%

GameSpy 2.5 out of 5 50.0%

Worth Playing 6 out of 10 60.0%

Eurogamer 6 out of 10 60.0%

VideoGamer 7 out of 10 70.0%

1UP C- 60.0%

http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/928546.asp

Too Human UK Review

Actually there's very little humanity to this long-delayed action-RPG. Fortunately it does have thousands of exploding robots.

by Alec Meer, IGN UK

UK, August 19, 2008 - Is it possible to recommend, in good conscience, a game that only really becomes enjoyable after around 10 hours? It'd be like forcing a first-time Star Wars viewer to sit through all six films, reassuring them as they squirmed miserably through the prequels that honestly, good stuff is coming, if they can only survive another few hours of Hayden Christiansen's single facial expression.

After nine years in development -- it was originally planned for PS1 -- it's genuinely startling that Too Human has such a fractured understanding of what is and isn't enjoyable. An action-RPG in the kill-to-loot-to kill-to-loot-to-kill (and so on) vein of Diablo, but with combat a little more akin to something like God of War, it's a game clearly built for instant gratification. You're up against hordes of robots (and, later, zombies): killing them in their droves is what you've signed up for. Yet Too Human does everything it can think of to keep you from doing this. But you will have a good time, because underneath the bewildering slew of cheerless obstacles there's a game that does fundamentally achieve its major goal, especially in co-op play.

First though, a little context, as while superficially yet another game about power-armoured future-soldiers with big guns, Too Human actually picks itself a fascinating setting. It's not, it must be noted, anything whatsoever with being too human or not human enough, as the name's a hangover from the game's original plot, about a bloke tussling with whether or not to cybernetically upgrade himself. For Too Human 2008, you're playing as Norse god Baldur, reimagined as a sci-fi warrior and with the traditional RPG foes of goblins, dark elves and trolls now towering machine-monsters. It's a great concept to play around with, and some of the game's almost comically massive architecture reflects this. The plot strives gamely to tell a number of Norse legends within this tech-fantasy context, to the point that its major twist is eminently guessable if you're relatively familiar with the tales of Thor, Loki et al.

For all the inherent silliness, it plays it perfectly straight -- which would be entirely the right decision if only it was a little more brief about it. Instead, it's exposition-heavy cutscene after poorly-characterised cutscene, so droning that it often lapses into incoherency. Some are skippable, others aren't, even when you're seeing them second or third time around. The idea is playful, but the execution depressingly clumsy. There's something of Halo 2/3 to it -- all macho posturing and oh-so-serious, but worst of all the presumption that this is the first part of a trilogy. It even says as much on the back of the box, and a result of this arrogance you don't even get to battle the game's main antagonist, instead getting fobbed off with a particularly grindy boss fight against one of his minions. All that talking, all that teasing and yet it all goes so unresolved.

Which is why what happens after the end of the 10 hour or so campaign works so much better. You can replay any section of the game in any order you wish, with a slightly different selection of baddies than before and with most of the tiresome cutscenes ripped out. With the story, such as it is, out of the way, there's so much less standing in between your giant hammer and a 20-foot robot's face. With your character at around level 30 and a ton of powerful kit equipped, by this point you'll also understand the game's (very poorly-explained) combat mechanics an awful lot better, transforming it from flustered button-mashing and routine death into an artful ballet of carnage.

Your melee attacks are activated with the right-stick, which takes some getting used to as your natural impulse will likely be to manoeuvre the camera with it. The camera's actually auto-managed, and is comically awful, often wheeling around to face you or forcing an extreme zoom-out without warning. The right-stick, meanwhile, activates slide and launch attacks depending on how you push it, and with a relatively tiny degree of mastery you can be pinballing between a dozen Goblins without taking a hit. Which, as well as feeling cool as all hell, helps you build up powerful combo powers -- specifically, the devastating area-of-effect Ruiners and a Spider ability that differs depending on your class and skill point allocation, from a meaty attack or a heal power.

The different player classes don't offer a huge amount of difference, as in any case your combat options amount to stab or shoot. The Spider powers offer group-focused bonuses, but as the co-op play was dropped a while back from four to just two players, these don't make much practical difference in terms of forming an effective party. So really the character choice is about whether you'd rather kill with strong, slow weapons or weaker, faster weapons. Some characters are, however, better with guns than at melee, and that's where the co-op system does work well -- you'll have one guy at the front thumping everything into pieces and the other hanging back and softening 'em up with his pistols, rifle or cannon. The guns work fine in that sort of situation, but less so when you're playing solo, as aiming them at a specific target is, while possible, supremely fiddly. A minute twitch of the thumbstick can suddenly have you pointing 180 degrees in the wrong direction, and while you struggle to right yourself you'll doubtless be swamped by enemies, rendering long-range combat academic.

Continues..

[+BeLGaRaTh Subscriber¹]

Apologies, I suppose I should have asked Andy in PM what the video was :)

I was going to post about Too Human too but seeing that video reminded me of seeing that kid and two blokes dressed weirdly here :)

Whilst I didnt really like the demo as such, I am willing to give it another go, as it feels a lot like Hellgate, which I loved. Once again if I can get the dosh I may give this a try. Plus as mentioned in another thread one of my mates from MS worked on the game, in an advisory capacity.

From what I am told they are going to be producing two more games in the series.

[.KICK]

I hope Too Human sells enough to green light a sequel to which they can make a much improved game. The games itself has some nice ideas, just wasn't executed right!

4 Player co-op would've been better than the current 2. It's a shame they dropped to 2!

[Slane]

I've always had an eye on this game, but I guess my main question is on how long it is gameplay wise? This might sound silly or not but length means the difference between buying it at 70Euros (I live in the EU) or waiting for it to drop lower etc.

I'm halfway through the third out of four levels, and roughly sitting at 8 and half hours.

What do you think mate??

I'm unsure, as I've seen very conflicting reviews. However I'd rather take a Neowinians review than some biased review site :)

I love it. It's very simple to understand everything about it. The combat system takes the length of the demo to learn, maybe two levels to master (all advance moves). The item system is pretty self-explantory and really easy to use (easiest i've used in awhile). It's really short, though the levels are long (roughly 2 hours and some change for each). It's defiently a grinding game, which I personally enjoy. Story is so-so, awkard at times and nothing OMG like, but I enjoy it.

Is it fair to bring the thread off-topic like this?

I only asked that flames be kept out or you would be warned. It's up to the staff at Neowin to determine if off-topic posts are spam and/or unwarranted in the said thread.

4 Player co-op would've been better than the current 2. It's a shame they dropped to 2!

Haven't had a chance to do Co-op, want to finish it SP first, but the way it's set-up with levels scaling with your level, I think 4 would have made it to easy. Now if they had modes like Kingdon Under Fire: Circle of Doom, that'd be different. But I can't deny getting four people together does sound helluva fun.

[DR3AMxCATCHER]

I'm very in between. I really want it, I liked the demo. I want to hear some words from Neowin members though.

[TheFlusher]

Just got this game. Will post my opinion in next few days..

Right now being busy with galaga legions.

[Slane]

My only gripe with it is targetting. I like the combat system and using the right analog stick, just wish you would use one of the triggers to switch between targets or something. It's hard trying to pick up a goblin, when there's a huge ass troll in your face.

And for that matter, goblins are so easy it's not even funny. Seriously these guys die in one to two hits no matter what weapon you have.

Dark Elves are pains in the asses. Maybe it's because I'm playing a pure melee class, but these guys are insane at ranged dps, and when you get in close they deal just as much if not more damage than they do at ranged (did I mention they fire nearly non-stop). Maybe with a class built to be better at ranged, or maybe when I get better at the game, these guys won't cause much trouble. But as it stands there annoying, and are the most popular enemy you have to fight.

Trolls are easy, shoot/melee there armor off (I find shooting easier, longer, but easier) then once you can jump on there back and stab them through the head. :)

All the bosses involve some sort of challenge. First one was avoiding his minions, second one was destroying the platforms while he shoot grenades at ya, and so far the third one is a heavily armoed troll, that i've been fighting for 10 minutes now.

And one last thing, either I suck really, really, really, bad or this game was built to have dying a regular thing. I'm at like 60 deaths and the end of third level. :(

[jcmulli]

the demo was awesome! played it a few times in a row because it was so SEXY

[Reacon]

I've always had an eye on this game, but I guess my main question is on how long it is gameplay wise? This might sound silly or not but length means the difference between buying it at 70Euros (I live in the EU) or waiting for it to drop lower etc.

Ebay.

[Slane]

Got the die 100 times achievement. Last level is helluva hard/long. Damn undead don't stay dead. Good ending, but we all knew it was a cliffhanger, so meh, was expecting it. Now to continue on to 50.

[popisdead uk]

Because..

That Frodo guy was right all along :laugh:

No, I looked on a 360 site and it said the game had seen a release on torrent sites.

I am that Frodo guy. I suggest you stop making assumptions.

[PiracyX]

Because..

<snip>

That Frodo guy was right all along :laugh:

That was hilarious!

I will take a chance on buying this game next week after the opinions from Slane.

[popisdead uk]

That was hilarious!

Not really...

[what]

Got the die 100 times achievement. Last level is helluva hard/long. Damn undead don't stay dead. Good ending, but we all knew it was a cliffhanger, so meh, was expecting it. Now to continue on to 50.

You've completed it already? o.o

[Slane]

You've completed it already? o.o

Ya, seems Berserker isn't meant to fight ranged very well. Those damn Dark Elves messed me up pretty bad. And in the last level, it seems like your squad members die they come back as undead, so you have to fight them also. Well I died with 6 squad members and a big floating elite dude, so instead of 20 guys plus an elite I had 26 plus and elite. Died about 20 times until I can clear that out, since everytime I died my squad members would die, turning undead and upping the anty. Though once I killed the big elite, they stopped, so maybe that guy brought back the dead? I dunno, there's no source of health in the game over than sparcly dropped health orbs and leveling. No passive regen when in/not-in combat. And if your posion, HA! just let it kill you or take out as many as you can before it ticks your life away.

Just realized you were asking about the game. Yes, 14 and half hours to complete it all. Only 4 levels, all very long.