Too Human

By Sam Laney Published 12 May, 2006

E3: Too easy, more like.

Microsoft is surely counting its blessings with two former Nintendo-centric developers showing at this years E3. Obviously, Silicon Knights' previous epic Eternal Darkness helped fill a void within the first year of the GameCube lineup, and SK is back again to provide a similar favour for Microsoft. Comparisons between these two games seem natural. Particle effects, colour schemes, and sweeping cinematic in-game camera are emphasised in both games, which creates an auteur atmosphere for players of Too Human and Eternal Darkness.

For most developers on the E3 floor this year, utilising the capabilities of the Xbox 360 seems to translate into creating large areas and fighting things in those areas. In Too Human, this idea is probably the most prevalent of any game here today, to unfortunate results. Wide corridors and sky-scraper ceilings leave us feeling small, and a camera so pulled back from the action makes for a lot of very small details crammed into a very large screen. While Eternal Darkness scared us with low resolution termites crawling across the tube, Too Human pulls our eyes to squinting at the detailed but distant action.

'Too Human' Screenshot 1

What sets off Too Human a bit from its peers is the colour scheme. Neon, neon everywhere, but not a drop to drink. Ramps are lit in red, enemies have blue or green lightpacks on their back, and your character changes weapons and lights that swirl and twist to create colourful tails. In other words, it's pretty. But for how pretty it is, it's equally barren. Seamlessly run from one area to the next, there'll be structures in all types of alien designs, but don't expect much interaction with those things. Players need just let the camera guide them to the next battle...

Which brings us to the combat. Gun toting and broadsword wielding, the main character is overly able to take out any baddie that comes across his path. Attacks of the melee kind are preformed with the right analog stick, which will target enemies nearest with a swift slash combination, enabling the player to easily navigate through the hordes with much ease. After a kill or a stun is preformed, the 'big guns' may be pulled out to finish any offender, and they automatically target enemies left in the immediate combat area. Unfortunately in this demo, enemies may be stunned, chillin' outside your melee reach (perhaps having a conversation with one another or mourning the loss of a comrade), and some will even be frozen in the air. Surely Silicon Knights will work out some of these kinks before too long.

'Too Human' Screenshot 2

While you can run away from conflict, the game encourages you to defeat the swarms by building up a power meter. Three types of moves are unlocked as you fight, and a slow motion sequence starts once the button is depressed. Flashy, neon, and progressively larger in range, the special attacks are cool looking, but as of yet, unnecessary to defeat any foe.

One can proceed through the gigantic areas with just the guns, or can choose to use only the melee attacks, but at this point enemies possess very little will to initiate an attack. The player must simply walk up to something and tap the joystick to get neutralise any ghoul. After one group is defeated, the trek begins to find the next bunch, and the next bunch… and the next... mind you all of the enemies, beside colour, attack in the same fashion. Cue the large boss and end scene.

This may be just an E3 demo, and the game may be only half completed, but what Silicon Knights has presented today doesn't add up to much more than a technical demonstration. At this point the game seems to be lifeless. Unfortunately it seems the most important and defining aspect of Too Human won't be shown on the floor today, and that's the story.

With a title which lends itself to expectations of dramatic humanist story telling, the removed and muted camera space was a little surprising. Alien groups spawning in large numbers and swarming towards your flailing sword give us a premise, and beautiful inscriptions that line the walls accompanied by bright, detailed environments give us the stage, but Silicon Knights had better advertise the script if it wants to set apart this game from the legions of other Xbox 360 games with the same game mechanics.

Picture of Sam.

About Sam Laney

Read more articles from Sam by visiting the Sam Laney archive page.

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Comments (31) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • JediMasterMalik #1 6 years ago

    M$ have been showing off lots of very prettu games at E3 this year. this preview shows how shallow some of it can be.

    Gameplay>Graphics - Though I'll still be getting the PS3, MGS4 FTW ;)

  • AtomicBanana #2 6 years ago

    I'l be buying one..... to fleece someone with on ebay. :]

  • space_ace #3 6 years ago

    too much silicon

  • Yossarian #4 6 years ago

    everyone is pretty much agreed this is one of MS's most disappointing titles at the show

  • pantherboy #5 6 years ago

    I was looking forward to this one as well, seen some screenshots of crackdown also and the gameplay video though wasn't the best quality video. Any crackdown reviews coming soon from E3 EG?

  • oceanmotion #6 6 years ago

    Looks like shit at the moment.

  • Yossarian #7 6 years ago

    things from the past few days I would like to see EG cover: Gears of War multiplayer, Mass Effect, BioShock.

  • toy_brain #8 6 years ago

    Had a look at the trailer on Live! - looked pretty damn pants.
    Like a very bad take on Devil May Cry. The close-range combat in particular seemed to lack any sense of landing heavy blows - Just lots of swords/sticks 'going through' enemies.

    Some of the stuff mentioned in the IGN/Gamespot previews sounded quite promising - like how the controls work and how the cut-scenes can be altered by what the player does - but I guess if the core gameplay isnt up to scratch then it'll all be for nowt.

  • JediMasterMalik #9 6 years ago

    Now DMC4 os what this should aspire to be like, after the way they cocked up DMC2 I doubt they'd screw up another DMC.

  • TripleSeven #10 6 years ago

    I thought this one would be good judging by early screenshots. Video-footage, pre-and interviews proved me wrong.
    Btw. the more footage I watch the less I like Gears of War's strange looking human characters. They look pretty much like my refrigorator (if he had a face and some guns).
    It's vice versa with Resistance - The Fall of Man. I'm starting to think it might turn out nice. As for 360's line-up, Lost Planet looks and plays really good. Capcom have done a great job.
    Halo 3's trailer - boring imo. And Peter Moore's way too confident. There's no reason for that.
    Edited by 1 at 13/05/06 @ 13:16

  • muck_savage #11 6 years ago

    Looks a bit sterile and too much like Unreal Tournament in its visuals. Eternal Darkness was not bad, so I'd give them some slack.

    I bet this one takes awhile to come out...

  • GuiltySpark #12 6 years ago

    "Halo 3's trailer - boring imo."

    It was just a teaser trailer though.

  • morriss #13 6 years ago

    ANy more 360 hands-ons on the way? This is only the first.

  • ali-uk #14 6 years ago

    It's a shame, this game did look good. Ah well, reserve judgement, eh?

  • p_p #15 6 years ago

    I really hate the game's art direction. I'm not sure why - I think the Unreal Tournament games have always looked solid. I'm not surprised why Nintendo let Silicon Knights slip away, if this is the result of years and years of planning.

  • Teeth #16 6 years ago

    UE3 game is it?

  • manic_mouse #17 6 years ago

    I'd far rather they made a sequel to Eternal Darkness, or something a little more cerebral. I'm getting sick of these God of War/DMC "me too" games, I'd like a little variety in what I play. It seems nearly all games these days are being made with big bangs and fast action to sell to the unfortunately intellectually undemanding public. Does nobody appreciate slower, more thoughtful games as much as I do? One of the most enjoyable experiences I've had recently with a game was when I rented Farenheit and completed it in one sitting with my friend. OK, the story got a little mental towards the end, but I really appreciated the attention to detail and innovation in that title. I would sorely appreciate more titles like this.

    I'm looking forward to Alan Wake much more than Too Human and I'm a little disappointed in Silicon Knights, if I'm frank. I thought they were better than making a mindless action-shooter after the masterpiece that was Eternal Darkness (most underrated game of last gen IMO).

    EDIT: And I agree with the poster who comments about how long Too Human has been in "development". It was originally meant to be a PSone game, and has been worked on ever since according to SK. Which is why I was expecting something more than a DMC wannabe.
    Edited by 2 at 13/05/06 @ 18:20

  • 3william56 #18 6 years ago

    Wasn't this originally a PS1/2 game with Deus Ex cyborg upgrading (hence the title). The original concept art and descriptions looked excellent. Pity...

  • rinoaMW #19 6 years ago

    "I'd far rather they made a sequel to Eternal Darkness, or something a little more cerebral. I'm getting sick of these God of War/DMC "me too" games, I'd like a little variety in what I play. It seems nearly all games these days are being made with big bangs and fast action to sell to the unfortunately intellectually undemanding public. Does nobody appreciate slower, more thoughtful games as much as I do? One of the most enjoyable experiences I've had recently with a game was when I rented Farenheit and completed it in one sitting with my friend. OK, the story got a little mental towards the end, but I really appreciated the attention to detail and innovation in that title. I would sorely appreciate more titles like this."

    kinda muted your own point there - People buy "big bangs and fast action" games like GoW and DmC... but rent games like Fahrenheit.

    If you want Devs to make more "slower, more thoughtful" games - go out and buy them! ;)

  • manic_mouse #20 6 years ago

    "kinda muted your own point there - People buy "big bangs and fast action" games like GoW and DmC... but rent games like Fahrenheit.

    If you want Devs to make more "slower, more thoughtful" games - go out and buy them! ;)"

    The reason I rented Fahrenheit was simply because as a game it's far too short. The problem with asking people to pay £40 (or £50 in the case of next gen games) and then giving them 6 hours worth of gameplay is that it simply isn't good value for money. Action games can equally be at fault for being short, of course. I only buy the games that I wouldn't be able to get full enjoyment out of if I rented them. I saw pretty much everything Fahrenheit had to offer in one day and didn't feel any reason to re-play it. This cost me £3. Why would/should I pay £40 for the same experience? Short games are a pet hate of mine, but for as long as Fahrenheit lasted it was excelent which is why I would like more games like it (but longer obviously).

  • reality_cheque #21 6 years ago

    Looks like one to get from Screen Select - which is a shame as I was hoping for this to be awesome :(

  • rinoaMW #22 6 years ago

    "The reason I rented Fahrenheit was simply because as a game it's far too short. The problem with asking people to pay £40 (or £50 in the case of next gen games) and then giving them 6 hours worth of gameplay is that it simply isn't good value for money. Action games can equally be at fault for being short, of course. I only buy the games that I wouldn't be able to get full enjoyment out of if I rented them. I saw pretty much everything Fahrenheit had to offer in one day and didn't feel any reason to re-play it. This cost me £3. Why would/should I pay £40 for the same experience? Short games are a pet hate of mine, but for as long as Fahrenheit lasted it was excelent which is why I would like more games like it (but longer obviously). "

    You're still not helping your point ;)

    While i agree with you, it still doesn't make sense for Devs to make games that people only rent. If you look at your no brainer action game like GoW for example, People will buy it because it gives instant gratification within the first 10 minutes, and more importantly fun to replay. Theres also new stuff you can learn every play through making it even cooler the more you play.

    Games like Fahrenheit, are great, but unlike the first example, you play it through once, and its shows you all its cards and once done, has nothing really new to bring to the table. I bought both GoW and Fahrenheit, and i admit to playing them both lots. But i have to admit to playing GoW more now, as i feel like ive seen and done everthing in the other.

    You talk of longevity, but if you think about both titles, they are both of similar length, and with both examples, devs draw a fine line of overstaying their welcome. I personally think that both were perfect length, as i have a really short attention span. Like a fish. :p

    At the end of the day, i guess its down to personal tastes. I'm not trying to change your mind, just mearly offering my opinion about it. I stand by what i said on an earlier post, if you want games like Fahrenheit to exist, buy them! The Dev's that make them are sick of living on dog food while trying to create original, non-cookie cutter genres! :p

    Dreamfall is out soon, get it off Play.com for the PC if you can! :D

    Edited by 3 at 15/05/06 @ 09:14

  • manic_mouse #23 6 years ago

    I'm just not prepared to spend money on games I don't feel are good value for money, compared to a rental. £40-50 is a lot of money for six hours entertainment when I could buy Oblivion and get at least ten times the amount of play time, and still not see everything it has to offer, for the same entrance fee. Or rent it and get the same experience. I generally refuse to buy any game (be it action, adventure or whatever) unless it's at least 12 hours long because I can simply rent it otherwise and see everything it has to show me. As I said, why should I pay far more for the same experience?

    I'm a consumer so, as much as I'd like to buy games like Fahrenheit out of "principle", it just doesn't make financial sense to do so when I could just rent it and see everything it has to offer. I had no problem buying Eternal Darkness, conversely, because it offered a little more play-time for my money along with a great storyline. The onus isn't on me to buy games I don't have to to support developers of games like Fahrenheit, the onus is on the developers to make the game worth the full £40-50 asking price.

    For people like yourself who enjoy shorter games I suppose it's good to have such short games, but being a relatively poor student at the moment I need as much bang for my buck as possible. Which is why my housemates and I just bought Guild Wars for £20 each. That is value for money.

    I'll look into Dreamfall, however. :)

  • rinoaMW #24 6 years ago

    thats great, and maybe i'll see you on GW's sometime :)

  • miiiguel #25 6 years ago

    EG continues with its bias against MS in general and 360 in particular. Everyone jumps EG wagon anyway, so they succede. Please take a look at EG's article "PS3 the real next-gen", where they sustain the title with the features that we now know that PS3 wont have.
    But it does sound that Sony fanboyz are worried, they start talking about the non-existant yet machine, in a 360 hands-on game - I find this most amusing, and I'm not a brand supporter, I just support my football team.

    About renting, I don't do it, I love games, I love to own them. I don't believe the reviews that state for instance that CoD2 has 10-12 hours of gameplay - I allways try to do the 1000 GS score, it amuses me oh so much!, and then, there's the "collection thing", there are people who collects stamps (sorry if this disturbed any one, really...), I collect my favourite hobby. I love my VG collection.
    And again, I think I wouldn't like to have many games like Oblivion (in size, that is), because as I said I like to play to the last line of code, and man!, I played Oblivion for 140 hours now, and I've seen (note: seen, not played, as there are many caves, forts, camps, gates and such that I've don't even fought through, just passed by) probably < 60% of its world, I guess I would gettoo bored with much of these.

    Halo 3 teaser: I found it to be quite fancy/hip, quite vague, as a teaser's supposed to be, preluded however some real epic ludic moments, in size and quality.
    Edited by 2 at 15/05/06 @ 12:31

  • bladeaku #26 6 years ago

    This is dumb,you cant comment on a half finished game, anyone remember when halo was first shown?
    Judge the finished version not some buggy demo,silicon knights are a great studio and I have total faith they will get this right,this could be the 360s version of god of war if they pull it off.

  • Netfreak #27 6 years ago

    Well this article pretty much confirms EG stance on being a $ony dog. I notice a lot more negative X360 coverage than the PS3!

    Thanks for validating my claim, EG!

  • miiiguel #28 6 years ago

    bladeaku: yeah! I've got Halo 2's special edition with the "making of" DVD, Halo, until its half-through development, was a 3rd person shooter. It was pretty funny to see some videos of Bungie's devs playing it in 3d person!
    :)

  • p_p #29 6 years ago

    "This is dumb,you cant comment on a half finished game, anyone remember when halo was first shown?
    Judge the finished version not some buggy demo,silicon knights are a great studio and I have total faith they will get this right,this could be the 360s version of god of war if they pull it off."

    Your post is utterly dumb. Eurogamer has every right to post comments on a game that was displayed in public. Perhaps Silicon Knights shouldn't have flaunted their half finished game in the first place.
    I'd hardly call them a great developer either. They've spent years and years developing this title, and all they have to show is a shitty hack'n'slash game that's been universally panned.

    The three posters above me have small, small penises. So small.

  • tengu #30 6 years ago

    This criticism of a game that doesn't look good clearly shows EG's biazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

  • Mr_Whacker #31 6 years ago

    I loved Eternal Darkness. For me it was like everything I'd always wanted Res Evil to be like. Puzzles that made sense, decent character movement, a plot that wasn't a joke. Changing characters and weapons ruled as well.

    As for this game I reckon this sums it up - "enabling the player to easily navigate through the hordes with much ease". I want to feel like I worked for it otherwise its a glorified cutscene to impress people with.