Too Human has been legally dead for years now, but that doesn't mean we can't remember our dead. Now that the dust of this games troubled history has long since settled, I think it is time to show this game some love, for there is some things to like about it I found, when I finally played the game about 2 years ago.
The praises of this game seems to have gone mostly unsung and I would like to bring up some of it's better qualities.I'm not here to completely sugarcoat and make excuses for the game either, I mean the game has some flaws. Perhaps this just my own eccentric view, but I have several times in my gaming life experienced that a flawed game can sometimes be the most fun you will ever have.
Now keep in mind that I say this as someone who is not overly familiar with the hack'n'slash/loot'em'all genre, I have only briefly played some games like Champions(of Norath), Diablo, Sacred and Borderlands. I have played some hours of Phantasy Star Online and maybe Marvel Heroes count?
The one of a kind combat; like anything that you are not used to it takes time to get accustomed to it and master it, but I feel like the twin-stick combat of Too Human is a fun and rewarding experience. As I got better at it I somehow came to really love how the combat of the game feels, yet on the other hand it is also still somewhat awkward no matter how long I play it. It is simultaneously awkward and delicious, also quite addictive which I believe is a good quality for a game in this genre.
What class you choose can alter the experience somewhat, I first played Defender in an effort to try to avoid having to die too much which the game was infamous for, that seems to have worked out as I ended up liking the game. The second class I played was Berserker, this is the class I highly recommend once you have a good grasp on how the combat works, it's a very fun class as you get to fly all over the place and you rapidly build up your combo count, you have not played the game until you have played this class, but it is a bad starter class as your defenses are weak and you will die a lot by playing "badly".
The design of the world; it's something about the world that draws me in when I play it. It's epic backdrops and huge hallways, towering ruins and abandoned lost history, to me it just looks great even to this day and makes me invested in the world I'm essentially dungeon raiding.I might have a somewhat eccentric view on this as well, as I am less impressed with technology level then I am with game design, for example, look at late X360/PS3 games like id's Rage, Hitman Absolution, Crysis2&3 and GTA V. I have not seen any current console/PC games that noticeably surpass these. I think that is due to good game design and not hardware power. I have not yet seen 4k gaming in action, but I doubt it's gonna be that revolutionary. Another example I like to use is Metroid Prime on the gamecube, 2 console generations ago and it is still one of the most beautiful worlds I have seen in video games, good game design stand the test of time and technical advancements.
To a somewhat lesser degree then the latter example I would say the same is true for Too Human.
This is just things I personally like, but I like this cyberpunk retelling of Norse-mythalogy, they seem to have successfully adopted the stories from the mythos in a clever way, where it serves both world building, loot, plot, characters and being educational about what it takes inspiration from. It captures the somber atmosphere of the place where the Æsiers(aesir) dwell, not unlike Darksouls which is probably also based on the same themes. If there is anyone here who liked Loki in the Avengers/Thor movies then raise your hand, guess what, he is somehow just as entertaining here, he does some creepy messed up things tho. This might be an odd point but I also really like the games bizarrely rich language options, the whole game is voice recorded in both English, French, Itallian, German and even Japanese which is awesome if your into Japanese stuff, they seem to have a facination with Norse-mythos those Japanese, again an odd connection for Darksouls.
Now the other aspects of the game is what you commonly find in the hack'n'slash/loot'em'all genre, so with those elements I might need some help. They seem functional to me. You got several classes and branching skill trees and things to focus on in your combat. You got dubious amounts of items to loot, crafting systems and collectible effects you can spend forever to complete. I would spend long times looking through all my loot after each raid. I think the game achieves what it needs with these mechanics, as acquiring new loot feels rewarding because the game is quite tough at times. Getting better weapons, gear, levels, abilities, effects and your own skill all goes towards doing better in combat as well as having more fun too.
As for the flaws of the game there is the infamous dragged out death sequences, Commander Shep... I mean Baldur's blandness, confusing stickmovement, misplaced "John Woo" cinematics and the things that get left on a cliffhanger, we want more Loki!
If you don't know what the game looks like or how it plays, I made a video about it:
Too Human(A.K.A. Frozen Hell of the Æsiers! and protectors of the realm.) might be legally dead, but we can still remember it, as well as pick up a copy in bargain bins and flee markets.
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