Publisher:
Microsoft
Developer:
Silicon Knights
Release date:
Aug 18 2008
Reviewed on:
XBOX360

When it comes to the action RPG genre, there is a simple formula for success. That formula involves many different classes with unique abilities, different types of enemies with the same, a few boss fights thrown in for good measure, and a good story to keep the player occupied. Most action RPGs follow this formula very well and as a result are usually successful. It seems, however, the Too Human team didn’t feel the need to follow this formula. As a result, we end where this is a sloppy second rate game.

All RPGs revolve around their class system. The developers need to give the player many different options. Some players want that melee in your face fighters, whereas other players are going to want to stay at a distance and destroy their enemies with magical abilities. Too Human fails miserably when it comes to the class system. Instead of having several different options to choose from, you’re presented with five character classes possessing very few unique abilities. It’s true. The Berserker does slightly more melee damage and the commando is slightly better at range, but the key problem is that they are only slightly better in their specialties. What’s most aggravating than coming across an enemy that is completely invulnerable to a certain type of damage? If you’re the king when it comes to getting in someone’s face with your swords and you find that there’s an enemy that can only be killed with ranged attacks, this presents a problem. It no longer becomes fun slashing through your enemies. Instead, it becomes a task of figuring out which ones you can kill.

Varied enemies are really what make the game memorable. When you’re with your friends and you ask them about an enemy in game, the fun is in the fact that everyone knows what you’re talking about. This is going to be a problem with Too Human. The enemies you encounter in the beginning of the game are the same enemies you fight at the end of the game. There are a few unique mobs, but for the most part you’ll fight the same three or four different types of enemies. Some of them do have status changing effects such as the ability to poison you, set you on fire, slow you, or freeze you in place. Even so, the problem is there are so many of them that it still feels like you’re fighting the same enemy.
The boss fight is a staple of any game. The problem with the boss fights in this game stems from the fact that certain enemies are invulnerable to certain types of damage. Yes, that’s right. You have a boss that is actually invulnerable to your primary method of damaging them. Spending 20 or 30 minutes firing your ranged weapons at something until it dies; even though you are an expert in melee fighting doesn’t seem very fun.

Multiplayer is the last chance this game had to shine. Even with its flaws, having a good time slaying monsters with a few of your friends could more than make up for it. Something as simple as getting a group together to explore a dungeon is impossible. Instead, you are left with having to choose one person to play with, as co-op is the only option available. Playing cooperatively with a friend is loads of fun, but it seems that the match-making service enjoys dropping you into a group with someone not even close to your level. When the difficulty of the game is based on the level of the players inside, this becomes a huge problem.
Too human had a lot of potential. It really did. Is it a bad game? No, but it’s certainly not what it could have been. It seems that in an effort to make a unique title, the developers lost sight of what’s fun in a game. Instead, we’re left with a mediocre game covered in flaws. Had the developers followed in the footsteps of other more successful action RPGs, Too Human could have been a better title.

Grade: D