Gameplay

Summary of Gameplay[]

- The game structure of Too Human is centered around that of a typical MMORPG, with influences evident; ranging from icons like World of Warcraft and DAoC. This is shown through the class (archetype) system, inventory system, and random instance quests. The game play of Too Human is meant to mix the (RPG elements i.e.) thrill of adventuring, questing, item gathering, etc... with the twitch reaction, high adrenaline, fast paced road that many action games travel down.

As it has been revealed there will be a total of 5 playable classes, each with their own varying set of baseline stats, much like any typical MMORPG. Where it follows this further is the skill system, where there are branching trees each leading to a different type of avatar along with game play experience. Item gathering will work much like any RPG. You have an inventory, which can be filled with a number of items, ranging from armor to weapon upgrades. Which is another highlight of the game- The item system has many different levels of rarity, ranging from the average common weapons to Epic Weapons.

Too Human is a third-person action adventure role-playing game mixing elements of games like Devil May Cry and Diablo. It features twitch gameplay in the form of fast paced melee and ranged combat while also maintaining deep RPG elements including skill tree progression and dungeon crawling.

As a third-person action adventure game, Too Human features two innovations which are melee combat being controlled dynamically off the right analogue stick and a camera system that is controlled by AI. The right analogue stick controlled combat removes the issues of three dimensional depth perception during combat while the AI controlled camera system allows for a truly cinematic experience while also being an aide to the story telling.

The RPG elements of Too Human include its deep yet linear story, different selectable classes, customizable weapons, armor and cybernetics, skill tree progression and item hunting. Too Human has 15 weapon classes, including two-handed swords, hammers, polearms, pistols, rifles, lasers, dual wielded one-handed swords and staves. The character is able to customize their armor in terms of color and its effectiveness against certain forms of attacks while also being able to swap armor sets. This game features skill trees unique to all the various classes that can be customized to the player's liking, this combined with the fact that it also includes item hunting like Diablo greatly increases the replayability of Too Human. As part of a trilogy this game features a unique leveling system which allows the player to progress from level 1 to 50 in the first game then while in the second game the character progresses from level 50-100 and in the third the character levels from 100-150.

In Too Human, Baldur and all the other so called "gods" use cybernetics to make them more than human. These cybernetics can increase the strength, speed and abilities of the characters using them. One of these upgrades includes the ability to have a spider as part of your armor that can separate from you and fight for you. A major theme of the game is Baldur's reluctance to use the cybernetic implants to their full extent and as such is "Too Human".

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.[2] This includes a drop in/out system so people can join you no matter where you or they are up to in the game. It is expected that co-op players will be able to take advantage of class combinations to defeat difficult enemies and gather rare items. The media releases of gameplay footage have shown an increasing emphasis on teamwork and cooperative gameplay.

Story Line[]

The player takes on the role of Baldur, one of the Aesir. 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 duty 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 characters 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.

Silicon Knights is reluctant to reveal the story details due to the game's high budget and story driven gameplay. Despite this, a message is contained in the runes on the officially released box art for the game, reading 'Machine Of God Of Man Of Machine'.

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 as being insufficiently enhanced, thus "too human".

Development History[]

Too Human was originally in development for the PlayStation as a 5-disc action-adventure game. It was shown at E3 1999,[3] but shortly before its completion Nintendo announced an exclusive partnership with Silicon Knights, and the game was moved to the Nintendo GameCube in 2000. A teaser trailer was shown at SpaceWorld 2000 showing what appeared to be a re-building of the PlayStation game. The game never surfaced though, and the partnership between the two companies was ended. After this, the title was still thought to be in development for the GameCube, but those plans have since been canceled.

In the May 2005 issue of EGM, Silicon Knights announced a partnership with publisher Microsoft to develop a trilogy revolving around the Too Human universe exclusively for the Xbox 360. The game was originally being developed using Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3, but is now being developed using an internal engine based on Unreal 3. On July 19, 2007, it was announced that Silicon Knights was suing Epic Games due to "breach of contract", including "inadequacies" of Epic’s support, service, and cooperation with Silicon Knights concerning Unreal Engine 3.[4][5] On August 9, 2007, Epic Games countersued Silicon Knights, claiming that they were using their engine as they pleased without any cost. If Epic wins the case, Silicon Knights would be forced to pay in excess of $650,000.

References[]

  1. ^ http://forums.xbox-scene.com/lofiversion/index.php/t499063.html
  2. ^ YouTube - New Too Human Footage
  3. ^ Sam Kennedy (May 5, 1999). New Too Human Screens and Info. Retrieved on April 20, 2007.
  4. ^ Video Game Features, PC Game Features
  5. ^ Gamasutra - Breaking: Silicon Knights Files Lawsuit Against Epic
  6. Wikipedia

FYI[]

For more information on Silicon Knights motivation behind Too Human, gameplay and the way they make games download their developer diaries from the Xbox Live marketplace, or they will likely be available on any site streaming videos.