Can a game that a blogger was so adamant against getting because of low “professionally reviewed” scores be any good?
Surprisingly, the reviewers got it all wrong. However, most “professional” reviewers compared it to what they thought it should be (i.e. what was promised) and they did not review it for how it stood as a final product. However, this game can be summed up in two words: lost potential. Is it still fun?
DO: Cut down anything that moves using the left thumbstick to move and the right thumbstick to attack. Gamepad buttons confer bonuses and a dodge.
TYPE: Third-person action.
PLATFORM: 360
PRICE: $59.99
MEAT: You play as Baldur, a semi-god, who with his brothers protects the human race in the future. The plot loosley follows Norse mythology. Actually, the plot is convoluted unless you know a little bit of the mythology. Even then, don’t try to understand it. There is a surprising twist at the end that does make some sense in the narrative. However, unintentionally, this is a game for just playing. (Did Pac Man need a story to be fun?) Your character progresses by loot grinding through four worlds. (There’s an alternate world that basically offers nothing called Cyberspace–an exploration map that nets you armor perks but is probably there just to frustrate you by getting you lost.) Every item has its own look, perks, and can be color customized. This is a game for weapon and armor customization nuts. This is also a game for those who like to RPG farm. There’s a wonderful co-op mode that blends well with the core gameplay and skips the narrative altogether. It only supports two players, but four may be coming via update. There may be some new classes added to the included five (Berserker, Defender, Champion, Commando, and Bioengineer). The classes don’t change the style of play that much because the enemies pretty much all attack the same way.
PERKS: excellent visuals; satisfying combat (sliding especially); loads of items; replayable for grind nuts; wonderful finishing moves
SCREAMS: to use it’s potential: story, combat, enemy variety; better class distinction; change a couple of boss battles to be fun and not grinds; eliminate enemy ranged attacks for the sake of difficulty–maybe actually code some enemey AI other than “mob the player”; add a defensive move other than dodge; it wants to be epic and there’s glimpses of that, but the potential is lost
VERDICT: Rent. Buy it when it’s a budget title.
Proof being in the pudding. Here’s my gamercard to show I beat the thing.
You’re absolutely right. The game is a great $30 bargain bin find. For $60, it’s hard to justify.
It does indeed scream potential. If the story had had any kind of context, it would have been a lot more enjoyable to everyone instead of just Norse Nerd #409.
The targeting of the guns/cannons was ok until the final level where you had to try to get a fix on the fat floating guys in a sea of zombies, which was one of the only really broken elements of game design.
And here I am, the guy who kept haranguing you to get the game, thinking about trading it in now that I’ve polished off the SP side of things. I know I could play it more with a friend in co-op or just work through it to find more of the funky armour and weapons, but when I look at the stack of games I have with a definate beginning and ending and then back at the flawed gem that was Too Human, I’m having a hard time justifying holding onto TH… at least until I can buy it again in a year for dirt cheap.
I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s definately nowhere near the steaming turd that the ‘real’ reviewers deemed it. It’s a fun, brain-dead game with lots and lots of pretty trinkets to find for your Baldur.
Oh, have you seen the Zero Punctuation about Too Human? While he hated the game and I enjoyed it, I have a hard time really finding fault with most of the things he complained about. I just was able to have fun enough to get past them.
The Zero Punctuation review is probably the best negative review of the game I’ve come across. He did cover one thing I forgot to mention that did irk me:
When you kill some enemies and they give you a status ailment THAT YOU CANNOT HEAL.
It things like this that make me think the game was an afterthought or it seemed to be rushed. There are these gameplay “responses” to various things that just don’t exist: the story, lack of healing (oh, let’s create a class for it!), the stupid death scene (which doesn’t really bother me), and the lack of intuitive gameplay explanation.
However, the more I play it, the more I see the right-stick decision as being the games single stroke of genius. Moving the stick in a 360 degree proximity for a melee attack just works. I never once had a problem using it and finding my target.
The gun gameplay, however, which wen traditional with the controls had targeting issues in the endgame.
Actually, you CAN heal them… if you are a Bioengineer or have one with the proper skill in your party.
But that’s it.
I do like the right-stick combat though. It took a tiny bit of getting used to but as far as melee attacks went, it was great.
I wish there was a bit more feedback when you actually struck enemies, be it with a melee weapon or gun, so you knew you were really doing damage aside from watching their health bar dwindle… which wasn’t always the easiest thing to see.
Nice review. I’m pretty sure I’ll be waiting for the bargain bin on this one. The fact that people had fun is usually enough for me to give it a try.
Definately a good idea. I actually just traded mine in so I could get some decent credit before it drops. EB was only giving $20 but the local video store gave me $25, so that means I basically paid $30 to play it for a few weeks… Which was worth it.
I just can’t see myself going back any time soon. If I REALLY feel the urge to play it again before the sequel, I’ll rent it or buy a used copy, but I’ve got too many good, long games to work on.
I think I’ll play until my champion is at level 50 and has elite equipment.
It’s funny. I don’t like grinding, but I enjoy the combat in this game–as flawed as it is.
I liked it too. I just couldn’t justify playing the game any more than I did once I polished off the story when I have so many other games to work on.
I know I can always get it dirt cheap in a few months if I really must play it more than I have.
I haven’t heard, but is there a plan to be able to play your character through all 3 games of the trilogy? That would be incentive enough to max out your character’s level.
@Tony – Yes, your character(s) will transfer over to the sequels (if they’re made)
The thing is, if the sequels have the enemies level up along with Baldur, it wouldn’t matter if you start Too Human 2 (2H2?) with a level 25 or level 50 character… M I RYT?
@Brock – it matters with what equipment and armor you have. However, I’ll bet they’ll nerf it somehow.
The Too Human forums are full of people finding new rares everyday.
@Nat – the items are randomly generated, right? Like I couldn’t find the same rares you find?
@Tony – Yes and no. Some are in-game I think (ultra-rare) and some are generated.
Finally a good review. Yeah jsut by reading comment i realised those effects like poison were probably made to make u want to make or have a healer with you.