Couldn't disagree more with Gamespot's review.
I have to say that my initial impression of the game was simply awed by the grandeur of the scope of what Silicon Knights have planned for the game. Touches from the mythology can be seen throughout the game, such as (I think), interpreting Baldur's death (mythological) as a span of time where he didn't remember who he was (game). The character design, when considering the cybernetic twist on the mythology, couldn't be better. Baldur comes across as a very powerful figure from the start, and NPCs like the Wolf Guard visually convey the Viking condition, if you will. Little details like the helmets shaped like the mouth of a wolf accurately reflect the mythology. For me, that is one of the main selling points of the game, the retelling of the myths. I am given to understand that a knowledge of the mythology is required to make sense of the story, but so far I have found it to be more or less untrue. More accurately, it could be said that knowledge of the mythology is required to make sense of the little details in the story, such as the substitution of amnesia for death I mentioned above.
Graphically, as I have mentioned, the characters are quite beautiful. I'm particularly fond of Freya. The characters move pretty convincingly, and I have to mention the awesome design for the Valkyrie. I do have to swallow my pride, though, and admit that the mouth animations are a bit square-jawed.
In terms of sound, I have to agree that the swoosh and cymbal crash accompanying Baldur's jumps do seem a bit out of place. Aside from that, however, my experience with the sound has been pretty solid so far, some high points being Baldur's sword ringing against metal, and laser and slug weapon sounds.
The controls do take a little getting used to, especially with the large amounts of button-mashing fighting games we've seen recently, but once you've got the hang of it, you'll be sliding around the battlefield hacking up mechanical goblins with the best of us.
Overall, the game seems to be a very positive experience so far, and I'd just like to say that many of the Gamespot review's complaints about the game seem very petty and easily overlooked to me. Not to mention that every other user who has given it a negative review presents little to no evidence for why it is a bad game. Why? Because there is little cause for complaint in the first place!
And as for needing a solid knowledge of Norse mythology to understand plot points, there's a simple solution to the so-called problem. Some of you might find this useful. If something in the game catches your eye, and you don't quite get the reference, look it up. With the internet at our disposal, and not to mention the many books and encyclopedia articles written on the subject, it should not be a difficult task to dig up some information on Norse mythology. And if that seems like homework to you, trust me, I've read the material. It is thoroughly enjoyable, and may also give you a greater appreciation for Too Human.