Title: Too Human
Platform: Xbox 360
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Silicon Knights
ESRB Rating: T for Teen

Silicon Knights' Too Human is a rich, ambitious title that teeters on the verge of greatness many times but never quite arrives there. The Canadian game developer has created an incredibly unique and compelling world that bizarrely combines Norse mythology and hack-and-slash combat with a science fiction-themed setting and role-playing game dynamics. Try to imagine a developer combining God of War with Mass Effect and producing a game that's not nearly as good as either title, but one that still shows enormous potential and offers enticing gameplay.

In another example of a tried and true formula, humans are under attack from a menacing race of machines. But Too Human has a twist: a third race of beings known as the Gods. Yes, the gods from Norse mythology such as Odin, Thor and Loki are cybernetically enhanced humans with tremendous powers that rule over the mere mortals in the kingdom of Midgard. Mankind prays to the gods, who in turn worship Odin. As it turns out, Odin is not a man but an all-powerful artificial intelligence (ODIN stands for Organically Distributed Intelligence Network) that rules Midgard.

According to Too Human's history, an ancient war between humans and machines nearly destroyed the entire planet, leaving earth in a devastating ice age. Now the remaining human civilization is holed up behind the walls of Midgard, fearing that another attack from the dreaded machines is imminent. Luckily, humans have Baldur, the youngest and most promising member of the Aesir, an elite group of gods dedicated to protecting mankind. As Baldur, players are charged with discovering why the machines have mysteriously reappeared - and uncovering the truth behind the significant gaps in Baldur's memory.

Baldur, the mysterious hero and cybernetic "god" of Too Human.

The setup is fantastic, and the compelling world of Too Human pulled me in from the game's first moment. But I need to fast forward a bit and skip to the end of the game, because that's where Too Human failed me. Unfortunately, Silicon Knights' newest title is part of a disturbing trend lately involving games that pull the rug out from under the player with abrupt, cliffhanger endings. Where there should have been a final, thrilling act for Too Human, there were end credits instead. Watching the game's pivotal plot twist and final cut scene riveted me, and I was charged up for so much more. But then it ended, and it was like getting punched in the stomach.

The cliffhanger itself - which I won't spoil - is an excellent one and definitely left me yearning to play the sequel, whenever it arrives. However, I'm not reviewing a trilogy or a sequel. I'm reviewing the first game, and it feels like a lot of content for its unique and epic vision got left on the cutting room floor for Too Human's sequel. I cannot stress how disappointed I was when this game ended. It deserved more content and a better, more substantial conclusion to its introductory narrative.

That said, there was still plenty about Too Human that I enjoyed. The game hits the ground running with very little time wasted on introduction or plot setup. After choosing a character type, players are quickly sent out into the frozen wasteland with a team of human soldiers called Wolves. In the ruins of an ancient city, Baldur and his team soon encounter the machines, which are cleverly referred to as goblins, dark elves and trolls in the Too Human universe. In this first mission, the story and Baldur's own background are filled in with periodic flashbacks that help flesh out the plot, and it keeps the game moving at a quick pace.

Players are also introduced to another interesting mechanic: cyberspace. Located throughout each map are mysterious "wells" that allow Baldur to access a magical cyberspace realm and seek guidance from three female "spirits" known as the Norns. When you access the wells, you'll be transported into cyberspace and tasked with some very simple puzzles (if they can even be called that) to unlock the secrets of each map. You can also find obelisks, with downloadable orbs that contain health as well as weapons and armor. The health orbs are crucial, since only one class can heal itself (the BioEngineer) and early in the game, you'll take a lot of damage before leveling up and gaining better armor and weapons.

There are five classes in Too Human with various specialties. The Champion is the most well rounded class and probably best suited for beginners, but I selected the Commando to start, which is deadly with range weapons but lacks melee attack prowess. Meanwhile, the Beserker is strong with melee weapons but weak with firearms. The Defender has more health and armor than all the other classes and is proficient with a hammer and shield, while the BioEngineer has more health and the ability to heal teammates (this class in particular feels like it was built for the game's co-op mode).

When you die - and initially, you'll die a lot - you'll discover an interesting but overplayed respawn system: a golden "Valkyrie" will materialize above you and descend down to pick up your corpse and transport you to Valhalla, the afterlife realm of Norse mythology. But what exactly is Valhalla and who controls these Valkyries? Like a lot of aspects about Too Human's story, the details are absent but you're left with a feeling that something strange is going on and that there's more than meets the eye. While the Valkyrie respawn system is keen to watch the first few times, after a while it becomes tedious and time-consuming and only serves to slow down the action.

Before delving into the gameplay, Too Human's visuals should be addressed. At this point most gamers know that Silicon Knights is currently suing Epic over allegations that Epic did not properly support its Unreal Engine 3 for the developer; this led to some delays for Too Human as Silicon Knights dumped Epic's engine and started over. Legal issues aside, Too Human is excellent looking game with unique artistic designs and enticing creature models (if you can call them creatures). There were some instances of texturing popping and other glitches, but no more so than other recent titles based on the Unreal Engine 3, including Mass Effect and Turning Point: Fall of Liberty.

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