Here's the low down on the upcoming 360 exclusive Too Human
Story
In the ancient past the Norse Gods truly existed, although only in the form of cybernetically enhanced humans. Baldur, son of Odin is one of these gods and it is his charge to protect the human race from an onslaught of an advancing machine presence determined to eradicate all human life.
In Too Human, the story chronicles the ongoing struggle between cybernetic Norse gods, the invading machine presence and mortal men through an epic story. The story features many Norse gods and character from Norse mythology including Thor, Loki, Odin, Heimdall, Freyja, and Mimir. Norse mythology is entirely rooted and integral to every element in the storyline. The story features Yggdrasil, the tree of life, as a gateway to an alternate world known as Cyberspace that is accessed through the advanced technology of the Norse gods.
The machine presence in Too Human has a sinister purpose that is ironic when considered against the actions of the Norse gods. The human gods are using cybernetic implants to supplement their own abilities, thus becoming more machine. Conversely, the advancing machine army is harvesting human blood and limbs in an attempt to become more human.
One of the major themes of Too Human is the extent of cybernetic upgrades that the gods use. In their battles against the approaching mechanical armies, the gods must continually enhance themselves through upgrading their cybernetics to keep up with their opponents, thus they become increasingly similar to their machine adversaries. Baldur, the title character is viewed by the other Norse gods in Too Human as being insufficiently enhanced, thus "too human"
On an interesting note, Baldur is literally a "Silicon Knight".
Description from Xbox.com
Step into the world of Too Human, the epic action-game for Xbox 360™ from famed developer Silicon Knights®. As the Cybernetic God Baldur, you get thrust into the midst of an ongoing battle that threatens the existence of mankind.
An ancient machine presence has forced the God’s hand. In the first of a three part trilogy, Baldur is charged with defending mankind from an onslaught of monstrous war machines bent on eradication of human life.
- Synergy of melee and firearms combat: It takes more than brawn and raw strength to supplant the machine hordes. Utilize a sophisticated blend of seamless melee and firearms combat to vanquish foes close and far. Feel each punishing blow through advanced visual effects .
- Advanced cinematic presentation: Characters and environments come to life with unparalleled visual fidelity. Experience the full excitement of combat through a dynamically driven presentation system that portrays the combat with cinematic quality. A sweeping orchestral score sets the mood for heartbreak, anger and bloodlust as each tune encapsulates you within the immersive gaming environment.
- Intuitive combat provides new level of accessibility: Perform Baldur’s elaborate and complex combat maneuvers through the press of a button and chain together rapid-fire combos with ease. Through the use of an intuitive combat system, Too Human provides gameplay that is easy to learn and rewarding to master and introduces combinations of weapons combat on a level that exceeds the bar previously set by some fighting games.
- Modern take on a classic story: The story chronicles the ongoing struggle between Cybernetic gods, machine giants and mortal men on a massive scale never before seen. Play the role of a cybernetic god charged with protecting the human race against a relentless onslaught of machines.
Opening CG - Also from Xbox.com
Next-Gen.com Preview - Silicon Knights’ console answer to Diablo finally shows it’s a man.
Designed as an action-RPG, Too Human offers players a choice of five character classes for Baldur. Clearly influenced by MMORPGs, they range from the damage-soaking Tank to the healing Bio Mechanic, with Dyack hinting that Too Human’s DLC could include new classes.
Each class can grow to level 50, each with unique skill trees and the choice to stay human or progressively augment themselves with cybernetic implants (intended to have major ramifications in the over-arching plot), with powers including group buffs or the ability to aggro enemies.
Silicon Knights has promised a near-infinite amount of customization for characters, with hundreds of different weapon and armor sets ranging in rarity from common all the way up to World Of WarCraft-style epic loot sets. Weapons and armor can be further customized by engraving runes or performing ‘charm quests’ (Achievement-like tasks such as killing a set number of enemies) to endow them with unique powers
During battles, the player simply points the right stick in the direction of the foe they’d like to attack, locking on to enemies and allowing Baldur to dash forward and attack with his melee weapon as soon as they’re in range.
Although this initially seems simplistic and unsatisfying, the inclusion of projectile weapons (such as dual-wield pistols and grenade-launching rifles) on the triggers that similarly target enemies using the right stick adds a tactical depth, as does the pressure of the enemy swarms and mini-bosses that require skill to target the correct area for attack. Too Human has notably not turned button-mashing into stick-waggling, despite a design decision fraught with that danger.
Classes
There are 5 classes available in Too Human with more to be added in downloadable content. Each of these classes have their own direction in the skill tree although this can be changed by the player to produce unique classes. Similar to the skill trees of Diablo 2, a player cannot max out all the stats of their character. This means that to experience all the variations of all the classes, multiple playthroughs will be required.
- BiomechanicThe first of these classes is the Bioengineer which focuses on cybernetics and combat. The Bioengineer acts similarly to a medic repairing damage sustained on the battlefield, while also providing health bonuses for himself and allies, allowing them to fight deep into enemy territory. The Bioengineer prefers to fight with his dual sidearms.- CommandoThe second class is the Commando who fights using technological gadgetry and uncommon methods of warfare. The Commando focuses on long range combat using rifles although when attacked at short ranges, he is more than proficient at using mines, countermeasures and demolitions. The Commando focuses on harrying tactics, while still remaining a force in his own right due to the fact that when forced into melee combat the Commando will draw his hammer instilling fear in his opponents.
- ChampionThe third class is the Champion, Odin's representative on the battlefield dealing out divine retribution. The Champion is a warrior class focusing on caustic force field and anti-gravity based attacks who also increases the combat effectiveness of his allies. In melee combat, one-handed swords are the Champion's choice.
- DefenderThe fourth class is the Defender, the stereotypical tank. Blessed by Odin and protected by ancient runes the Defender is the core of the Aesir's defensive strategies. Defenders wear heavy armor to absorb damage so that their allies can deal out Odin's retribution. Defenders wade out to battle armed with mighty staffs.
- BerserkerThe final starting class is the Berserker who is the master of close combat, delighting in its fury. The Berserker focuses on all-out offense, ignoring its own defensive needs. Berserkers fight with a twin-blade fighting style and are supported through the spirit of the bear. All Berserkers will willingly charge into battle for the glory of Odin.
Online Co-op Play
Too Human will feature online play similar to Phantasy Star Online which will allow up to four players to connect over Xbox Live for cooperative play. This includes a drop in/out system so people can join you no matter where you or they are up to in the game. The cooperative mode will have players utilizing different character classes in a team structure.
Dennis Dyack (Silicon Knights President) says, "With Too Human, we're trying to seamlessly integrate multiplayer with the single-player. If you're really going to do that, you should be able to jump in any time, anywhere and go on a 15-minute mission with friends or play five or six hours straight if you want to. In order to do that, the world has to be pretty open and hub-based so you can jump anywhere and come back very much like Diablo."
Dyack also says the single-player campaign is balanced differently from cooperative to keep players on an even playing field.
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