Metareview: Too Human (Xbox 360)

by Ross Miller { Aug 18th 2008 at 10:15PM }

It's been almost ten years since we first saw Too Human at E3 1999, at that point reportedly a 4-disc action adventure for the original PlayStation. In that time, the game has jumped to GameCube and then to Xbox 360, re-emerged as a slideshow, became overshadowed by a lawsuit, and later became the most downloaded action demo on Xbox Live in its first week.

So, after all the hype and controversy, how does the final game fare? Judging by the reviews, it's certainly not a knockout title, with the general consensus being that it aims for the stars and misses the mark. One thing is for sure: If you like seeking out loot, then Too Human is definitely for you.

GamePro (4/5) "Here's an Xbox 360 exclusive that proudly wears its lofty ambitions on its sleeves, and yet sometimes seems bent on self-sabotage. That it's so relentlessly addictive despite its aggravations is something of a minor miracle."
IGN (78/100) "What's been delivered in the end is a good game that ultimately falls just short of its promise due to a few questionable design decisions. One thing is for sure, though. If you love collecting random loot drops, you'll find a lot to like here."
Giant Bomb (3/5) "If you have an insatiable lust for items with higher stats than the ones you're currently using, or if you get giddy at the mere thought of Diablo-style rare item naming conventions, you'll probably be able to look past the game's issues and have a good time. But even at its best, it's hard to ignore Too Human's monotonous combat and dated approach to cooperative play."
GameSpot (55/100): "Too Human is a game of false starts and unrealized potential that infiltrate almost every aspect of the game, from story, to combat, to balance. Its elements feel stitched together, making for a patchwork quilt of a game that's fraying at the seams."
1UP (C-) "At the very least, the cyber-Norse concept of Too Human is a good one that's worth exploring further, just not in this context. The game is simply schizophrenic; it attempts to be all things to all people and never succeeds in executing any of them well. The end result is in dire need of polish and focus, and that doesn't solely apply to gameplay mechanics. There's absolutely no reason why a game released in 2008 should have a bug where characters can fall through solid ground and into some pseudoabyss."

Tags: denis-dyack, metarview, silicon-knights, too-human

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

Cody @ Aug 18th 2008 10:19PM

Gee what a surprise...

el serpiente @ Aug 18th 2008 11:11PM

Finally, a game that makes HAZE look good...

Saeth @ Aug 18th 2008 11:27PM

A game that makes HAZE look good? You must be a PS fanboy or just plain ignorant.

el serpiente @ Aug 18th 2008 11:34PM

No, YOU are.

Jeremy White @ Aug 18th 2008 11:54PM

I think had this game come out during the Playstation or Gamecube area we all would have been blown away by what it offers but it's a little too late.

Anticrawl @ Aug 19th 2008 12:09AM

el serpentine is a Joystiq troll along with Ken and name 123.

Immortal Technique PSN: johnnynumber5 @ Aug 19th 2008 12:22PM

I am sure this game sucks but probably fun to play ... much like Haze which was not as bad as the hype

el serpiente @ Aug 19th 2008 12:40AM

Anticrawl, opinions that differ from your own are not "trolling".

I'm sorry that Too Human sucks. Unfortunately, calling me a troll won't magically make it a better game. If so, I would expect to see a mile-long line of developers lined up in front of my house waiting to call me a troll, to ensure the success of their product.

But, don't despair, anticrawl, maybe one day HAZE will be ported to the xbox 360 and you'll be able to experience a game that doesn't suck as much as Too Human does.

Raikage (GOLDEN Gun Of The Patriots) @ Aug 19th 2008 2:12AM

Hmmm... Haze... 4.5

Too Human... 5.5...

H4.5E LOL

Don't be a DB kid.

BananaBoat @ Aug 19th 2008 7:25AM

It's hilarious to see which magazines/sites are willing to throw logic and reason to the wind, and give a game a much higher score than it deserves. I'm not saying money was involved, but that 4/5 is awfully suspicious =p

I've got massive respect for 1up, since it's quite obvious now that their interactions (all million of them) with Dennis Dyack caused no bias in their score.

In the end, this was never about Dennis Dyack, or Too Human, but rather about how they switched engines at the home stretch, and expected people to swallow a game that was basically slapped together at warp speed. Had this game been made with the same engine for the past 2-3 years like most titles, it may have been much better than it is today. It reminds me a lot of Call of Duty 3, which was created in a year and then ultimately sucked hard. Does anyone remember that it was made in a year? No. But you'd better believe we remember that it was freaking terrible.

Better luck next time D.D (if there is a next time after this O_O better hope the sales are good)

Misfit Toy @ Aug 19th 2008 9:47AM

All right...Call of Duty 3 wasn't as good as Call of Duty 2, but it wasn't THAT bad. It was a well enough put together game, but it certainly didn't have the same vibe that Infinity Ward was/is able to bring.

I'm one of the few people that isn't instantly writing COD 5 off. We'll wait and see if Treyarch didn't pay attention to all the criticisms and make some adjustments.

Vcize @ Aug 19th 2008 9:48AM

"Anticrawl, opinions that differ from your own are not "trolling"."

Doesn't change the fact that you're a grade A troll.

Who are you trying to kid anyway? Everyone knows it.

The_Punisher @ Aug 19th 2008 10:35AM

I really liked COD3 :(

Duke @ Aug 19th 2008 11:35AM

el serpiente, people call you a troll because you never say anything beyond attacks on the 360. You also make comments that you, like Ken & Name, believe to be the ultimate truth - though there is no experience involved.

"But, don't despair, anticrawl, maybe one day HAZE will be ported to the xbox 360 and you'll be able to experience a game that doesn't suck as much as Too Human does."

Does that make sense to you? The 360, like the PS3, has many titles that don't "suck" as bad as Too Human already. Of course, there is also the flaw that you are talking shit about a game you have never played.

I don't read a site's game review because it will be all unfounded bs without them having touched the product, so why would your rants be of any value? People with insight can give a valued opinion. Give us your wisdom when there is some - after you use the products you talk against.

(This is where you launch a bs attack on me because I don't support your PS3 only lifestyle right? yay.)

dark_inchworm @ Aug 19th 2008 11:43AM

@ BananaBoat:

"I'm not saying money was involved, but that 4/5 is awfully suspicious =p"

To be fair, Lamepro overscores everything.

el serpiente @ Aug 19th 2008 10:58PM

Heh, PS3 only lifestyle.

IT'S NOT A CHOICE MAAAAN, IT'S THE WAY I WAS BORN!

Vegnagun bwf @ Aug 20th 2008 12:21PM

El serpiente: stfu, it's annoying just reading your comments.

Microswirl (MKWii:1676- 4270-3674) @ Aug 18th 2008 10:21PM

Hehehe... 10 years... damn hehehehe....

Envoy @ Aug 18th 2008 10:30PM

What a steaming pile of fail...a decade worth of failure into one disc.

eldee @ Aug 19th 2008 12:48AM

I dunno.. the reviews are all over the place. I'd say it caters to a niche market, but it's not a 'great mainstream game'.

JayVe @ Aug 19th 2008 8:36AM

Yeah, the reviews seem varied. I know I loved the demo on Xbox Live, and can't wait for more... no matter what the review scores say. I have FUN in the demo, and that's the most important part of any game to me.

Mike918 @ Aug 18th 2008 10:24PM

When you spend 10 years on a game and you get around a 7/10...you kinda failed..but nice try i mean at least it was released.

wickedpheonix @ Aug 18th 2008 10:29PM

yeah Half-Life 2 is the benchmark here for this sort of thing.

Ihavepants @ Aug 18th 2008 10:53PM

Half-Life 2 didn't take anywhere near 10 years, I think you're meaning Team Fortress 2.

Saeth @ Aug 18th 2008 11:30PM

Because they obviously were working on Too Human day in day out for 10 years straight. Sigh... This Too Human we see has only been in development for a few years...

The concept has only been around for 10.. It has been dropped several times for other projects, went threw 2 or 3 different generations of consoles, and probably was each genre for some period of time

umm....hello??? @ Aug 19th 2008 12:13AM

half-life2? I think you're thinking of DukeNukem.....

Obie @ Aug 18th 2008 10:26PM

Poor Dennis, NeoGaf is gonna have a field day with him.

AlterEgo @ Aug 18th 2008 11:23PM

They're currently in the process.

Jerk Face @ Aug 18th 2008 10:58PM

Oh God, they're going to make him their bitch!

DangerMouse @ Aug 18th 2008 11:28PM

Well he asked for it. Most sensible people would ignore it, but he retaliated, and in the end they proved to be right. What a dumbass.

Obie @ Aug 18th 2008 11:30PM

"They're currently in the process."

Teh link? It will be like a car accident, I should look away...but I can't!

GreyFox @ Aug 19th 2008 2:52AM

I am also interested in the train wreck that will be the NG forums now that the game has not received a 100% FROM EVERY GAMING PUBLICATION & EVERY FORUM POSTER ON EVERY CONTINENT ON THIS GREAT BLUE EARTH.

t_m @ Aug 19th 2008 6:54AM

if he cares what people on web forums say then he's got a lot more problems than just having an average game.

Highcharity @ Aug 18th 2008 10:27PM

I live in ST Catharines (The town that is the home of Silicon Knight) and they have a special release tomorrow here, reviews bumped it down but I am still picking it up and I get to meet Denis Dyack and get signed copy so I ain't complaining. Played the demo and liked it, still have high hopes.

Faith @ Aug 19th 2008 1:33AM

@ Highcharity

Where's that event going to be and what time?

Hoffer @ Aug 18th 2008 10:29PM

It really is too bad. I loved Eternal Darkness. I played through the game 3 times. (one for each color)

I tried the demo finally just yesterday. I didn't even finish the demo. I really didn't care for it. I might check out the full game someday, but only as a rental or when I can get the game for under $20.

lionp696 @ Aug 18th 2008 10:29PM

Isn't this kinda of like the review scores for Haze

arrrgh @ Aug 19th 2008 10:14AM

i dont see any 4.5s

nutman @ Aug 18th 2008 10:29PM

Sounds about right. I expected average reviews. You can't blame siliconknights. That game switched platforms and engines so many times. Most recently was last year with the switch from UE3 to whatever they use now.

Well anyway, I liked the demo a lot, and Im definitely picking it up.

Also, you guys know it wasn't actually being developed for 10 years right? The idea and the concepts have been on the board for 10 years. This game was probably in development for 2 years, 3 max.

Kodros @ Aug 18th 2008 10:43PM

You absolutely have to blame Silicon Knights. It doesn't matter how many different engines and consoles it went through, the gameplay failed and that is solely Silicon Knight's fault.

nutman @ Aug 18th 2008 11:33PM

A lot of the problems were out of their hands. It gets to the point where the game has been damaged from the constant switching, and with this game you couldn't push it back anymore. It would take too long to fix it all.

theturtle363 @ Aug 18th 2008 11:40PM

such a shame, I went to gamestop to cancel my preorder. I told the guy I must have preordered it at least 3 years ago, he laughed and said i couldnt have, but he hadn't worked there three years because I certainly did. I stayed in my car outside the store for around 5 minutes to decided if I really should cancel it, i thought and thought, and i switched my 60 bucks to Far Cry 2.

Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Aug 19th 2008 8:30AM

Sorry nutman...

Game Engine =/= Game Design.

The Unreal Engine has already been used in a wide variety of games and is even featured in upcoming titles like Last Remnant and American McGee's Grimm.

An engine is basically telling the system how to handle the information you're giving it, nothing more, nothing less. This GAME design is flawed and lacks polish. Game Engine swapping has dick all to do with that.

atrimus @ Aug 18th 2008 10:32PM

based on the demo, my opinion is somewhere between IGN's and 1up's. in any event this is $60 i'll gladly put towards a more worthwhile game, like Rock Band 2, Infinite Undiscovery, Resistance 2, Force Unleashed or LBP (already got Gears of War 2 and Fable 2 paid off).