GDC 08: Too Human Preview

February 20, 2008 03:53

The last time Silicon Knights showed off its forthcoming science fiction epic Too Human, the results were less than spectacular. The Canadian game developer's showing at E3 2006 was marred by technical issues with the game, which were later attributed to Epic's Unreal Engine 3 (Silicon Knights is currently suing Epic over issues with the engine). The game got postponed to 2008, and many wondered about the future of Silicon Knights' newest title - as well as the company itself.

Silicon Knights put those fears to rest by returning to GDC this year with another version of Too Human. At a special preview event for the game hosted by Microsoft and Silicon Knights president Denis Dyack, members of the press were treated to a lengthy tour of Too Human, from early cut scenes that set up the epic story to a variety of combat and RPG gameplay. So after the disappointing preview nearly two years ago, how does Too Human look now?

Quite good, actually. I suppose the best way to describe Too Human is that the title looks like Mass Effect but sounds and plays more like God of War. It sounds bizarre, doesn't it? Well, here's Too Human in a nutshell: the game involves an ancient conflict between man and machines (sound familiar?) with a race of cybernetically enhanced humans known as "Gods." One such God is Baldur, who is sworn to protect mankind from the machines. On its surface, Too Human's story sounds like a redundant yarn that's been done before by everything from "Terminator" to, well, Mass Effect.

But Too Human offers a couple of interesting twists on the man vs. machine archetype. First, the cybernetic "Gods" are actually based on Norse mythology - hence Too Human's similarity to God of War - and the game's visuals blends futuristic sci-fi with sword-and-sorcery fantasy. And second, Gods like Baldur are actually using technology to become more like the machines they fight, while the machines have begun harvesting people to become more human. "I thought it would be a great idea to make a game about technology's effect on society," Dyack told the audience. "We also did a lot of research into Norse mythology."

Silicon Knights president Denis Dyack at Tuesday's preview event for Too Human.

The third-person combat gameplay is also interesting. Baldur wields both range weapons that resemble futuristic pulse rifles, but the more entertaining action comes from the character's melee weapons such as swords, hammers and other items. It's in this respect that Too Human resembles the elaborate combat of God of War and, more recently, Heavenly Sword. Along with the deep combat gameplay, Too Human also has an RPG side, with five different character classes - Champion, Commando, Bioengineer, Beserker, and Defender - with unique abilities. Players can acquire weapons, armors, cybernetic implants and skills while customizing their characters. The game's character skill sheet and inventory screen are similar in fashion to BioWare's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which is a good thing.

Finally, Too Human will also have online and co-op multiplayer modes. Dyack didn't comment about any multiplayer specifics, unfortunately. Still, the game's showing Tuesday night was impressive. The game's animation was smooth, and the camera control system - which allows players to move the perspective or simply let the game to intelligently follow the action itself - worked like a charm. Another bonus was the fact that the game's demo had barely any loading screens, which Dyack emphasized as a major selling point for Too Human's immersive environment. While there were times that the game's enemy machines looked a little too much like the Geth from Mass Effect, the action and graphics were outstanding and vastly improved from the E3 2006 version of the game.

Silicon Knights is best known for its work on the Nintendo GameCube, specifically the cult survival horror hit Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem and the Metal Gear Solid reboot Twin Snakes. The company also has a few PC titles under its belt, including Fantasy Empires and Dark Legions. Too Human is Silicon Knights' first title for the Xbox platform (the developer is a planning a Too Human trilogy for the 360) and the game certainly proved it has enormous potential.

Dyack said an official release date for Too Human, currently slated for sometime this year, will be coming "soon." RPG fans should take note.