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PreviousGDC: Too Human First Impressions
Xbox 360 First Impressions by Ellie Gibson
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Denis Dyack says he's surprised there's been such a big turnout for his pre-GDC presentation. Indeed, every seat in the room is taken and there are plenty more journalists standing at the back. But is that really so surprising? After all, Too Human is high up on the list of the most interesting titles coming exclusively to Xbox 360 this year - and it's not a long list.
There's also the fact that anticipation for the game has had nearly nine years to build. It was first unveiled at E3 '99 as a PSone game that would come on four discs. Obviously much has changed since then. However, Too Human is still an action RPG and its basic theme is still the relationship between humankind and machines.
"If you want to know about Too Human and its history, you have to go back thousands of years - before the Roman Empire, before Ancient Egypt, before the time of Atlantis and its war with Ancient India, before the Ice Ages," Dyack tells the audience. Before the game was announced, even?
"It's a time when mankind is at a peak of technology. A giant empire is waging war with machines against another group called the Azaire. Instead of machines, the Azaire use technology and cybernetics to enhance human beings to help fight this menace."
But as the war rages on the Azaire realise they need more firepower and start using atomic, nuclear and anti-matter weapons. The planet's climate is affected and a new ice age kicks off. "This is where Too Human begins."
Scene it
And this is where Dyack's demo of the game begins - with the first cut-scene. Without wishing to spoil it, let's just say the first bit involves a burly man on a mission to retrieve a body, a woman with ridiculous breasts and a severe skin problem and a lot of robots. Then the message "Nine months later" flashes up and a Bladerunner-style cityscape of towering black buildings, glittering lights and holographs appears. We see a different man on a different mission and another robot. There's a dramatic fight with an interesting ending.
Of all the character classes, the Beserker is probably the hardest.
The cut-scene is cryptic and doesn't actually reveal a great deal of the storyline. However, it does show off the game's visual style. It's science-fiction meets Norse mythology; vikings in space, if you will. There are plenty of holograms and neon lights and futuristic weapons, but also swords and runes and tankards. It's a fusion of ideas and genres - much like Too Human's gameplay.
"One of the things that is not well-known about Too Human is the deep role-playing elements of the game," Dyack says as the character-creation menu appears on the screen. He explains that you can design many characters and share them between the single-player and online game.
There are six character classes to choose from. First up is the Champion, and once again fusion is the theme as Dyack reveals he can handle firearms, excels in melee and air combat and is good at pulling off critical strikes too. "A lot of games like Diablo or Phantasy Star Online are statistically-based, they're not done in real time," says Dyack. "This game is all real time, it's all fast-paced combat, and by fusing those things we feel we're really bringing a different experience."
On to the Commando. "He's essentially your nuker," excelling in firearms combat, explosive techniques and using a spider-like robot called, ah, a Spider to explore new areas. The Bioengineer is the healer, using nanotech to both repair damage and engage in combat. "One of the interesting things about Too Human is there's no mana," says Dyack. "We have a concept called nanofuel, and the more enemies you kill the more you can heal and use your various different powers."
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Comments: 1-36 of 36 in total
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nickthegun
21/02/08 @ 10:26
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"Denis Dyack says he's surprised there's been such a big turnout for his pre-GDC presentation. Indeed, every seat in the room is taken and there are plenty more journalists standing at the back."
Everyone just wanted a soundbite about Epic, you vultures! |
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NegativeZero
21/02/08 @ 10:37
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I really think the success or failure of this game is going to hinge on there being a really good demo out before it releases.
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seasidebaz
21/02/08 @ 11:03
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He can zip across the floor without even lifting his feet
sounds like an animation glitch to me :) |
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0
The game looks okay in screenshots but it seems half-done and amateurish in motion. The way the opponents move when you hit them seems arbitrary. There is no connection between the strike of the main character and the being-hit-animation. When the main character stands on the giant's shoulders you see his feet actually floating over his shoulders for several seconds. The whole thing lasts too long and has been done better in every game that has something similar (Prince of Persia, God of War)
The absence of anything exciting happening in the in-game videos is so pronounced that I can literally feel it as if it was a presence. |
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The Bodybuilder
21/02/08 @ 14:35
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I keep hoping they improve the animation as it still looks bad imo.
But it's an rpg, with 4-player co-op. People need to think more phanstasy star online that DMC. Besides Ninja Gaiden 2 is coming in june (probably befre this). |
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The Bodybuilder
21/02/08 @ 18:03
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>"I thought this was going to be a RPG! What happened? "
It still is. Quite extensively. |
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0
This screams Warhammer 40k rip.
And I wish it was a little more 40k actually, technically the graphics are nice, but design wise it's quite bland. Gameplay looks nice for a console hack& slash rpg. Classes seem weird for what is first a single player game without an NPC party. What use is the tank and healer class' skills without a group? Or a demo type class without support? Have they shown anything that's actually new though? Anything that is innovative and not something where it's easy to spot the game it's borrowed from? |
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The Bodybuilder
21/02/08 @ 22:30
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@ mkreku
You know, it's probably best to judge the rpg elements based on previews (current and previous ones), rather than just 2 action vidoes. And is an rpg not an rpg because it has action elements? |
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The Bodybuilder
21/02/08 @ 22:31
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@ disc
Disc said it best, it's diablo. No matter what is said, it's diablo. |
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Diablo didn't invent hack and slash.
It did, at least the action/endless loot/skilltrees combination. The term hack and slash is used for such a wide variety of games ranging from P&P, to Diablo, to games like Devil May Cry, that it's pretty much useless, anyway. Diablo and its clones are in a genre of its own - which is why the comparisons to more or less pure action games based on skill like DMC and "real" RPGs are a bit useless, but the genre always seems to attract people who expect something different. These games don't have, and shouldn't have, combat that's based on skill, nor a big story that gets in the way of the flow. I can understand why many people don't like the genre, but complaining that it's no DMC or a real RPG is a bit like complaining about Burnout not being Gran Turismo or Gran Theft Auto, just because it looks a bit similar. ;)
Edited 2 times,
most recently on 22/02/08 @ 00:33
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Comments: 1-36 of 36 in total
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