2001 Nintendo
based on PlayStation version of Too Human
It goes without saying that Too Human has sure taken its sweet time. Its certainly been a while. Heck, the concept for the game was created long before Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Eternal Darkness: Sanitys Requiem, believe it or not. Now were in for another long wait, but thats fine with us.
Lets jump right into it. Too Human is a futuristic psychological thriller which contemplates the effects of genetics, prosthetics, and the struggle of humankind to deal with the symbiosis of man and machine. Developer Silicon Knights promises cinematography like Final Fantasy that wouldnt be anything without a solid storyline as well. Beyond that, the game is a 3D cyberpunk adventure that seamlessly integrates role-playing elements and unparalleled attention to detail you won't find anywhere else. If this is your definition of a good time, then look no further. However, players should be forewarned: this story is not for the weak of heart.
Appropriately enough, Too Human is set in the year 2450 A.D. and follows the exploits of undercover police officer John Franks. It's not a pretty world to live in anymore, and in this time, androids, robots, and cyborgs alike roam the earth while ironically humans have lost their soul and identity in times of chaos. While investigating the death of a fallen comrade who was viciously killed by a cyborg, Franks is lead to a company known as Aesir Corporation and sucked into an underground world of biblical proportions. He secretly assumes the role of a security operative in this monolithic chip company and goes on a life-altering experience. Ultimately, Franks struggles with themes of symbiosis and we soon find out that this journey is of self-discovery above anything else. As the game progresses, Franks can cybernetically enhance himself by physically replacing body parts, but a few words of advice, there's no turning back.
The game begins within the training compound of Aesir Corporation and from thereon players can get right to the heat of the action, but the controls have yet to be finalized. Soon after, Franks must report back to his police lieutenant. In addition, Silicon Knights isnt afraid to talk about law enforcement far into the future either. Watch out, Steven Spielberg. But wait, thats not all:
"It was really sort of a thought on technology. One of the things that people worry about, especially today, with technology replacing everything we have in society, a lot of people are worried about being phased out because of the computer. We really address that issue in Too Human. If technology gets really, really advanced, will we be replaced?"
Someone hold me.
Much like Eternal Darkness, there are no loose ends in the storyline and everything adds up nicely. What we weren't expecting was a history build-up that includes a digital archive. "If you want to find out what happened between now and 2450, you can look it up in the history records," says Silicon Knights President Denis Dyack. This is so mine.
If you have yet to notice, Too Human borrows heavily from Metal Gear Solid, but that's perfectly fine. Players can move while flattened against a wall and sneak across nearly undetected by enemy forces. By the numbers, its also been reported that Franks has access to 15 weapons, four targeting systems and six ammunition types which should add to the action. Others will be interested to know that you can mix and match them to your liking.
Of course, youve come here to find out that the cybernetic upgrades play an important role. Lately, much has been said about Franks' optical implant, and for good reason. Reportedly, optical implants detect enemy foes and security lasers in addition to packing infrared and night-vision modes at higher levels. Otherwise, players can take the opportunity to cybernetically enhance the character for increased fighting power, strength, jumping power, damage resistance and much more. Its all in your hands.
Otherwise, players may also choose to destroy everything in their path or be proficient at not making a sound. Further, it's been made common knowledge that previously unreachable areas can open up with more powerful upgrades, and trust us, there are plenty. We cant help but think theres some backtracking involved, but we actually dont mind. As a result, the game can be approached in several ways. Actually, our guess is that the way we designed the game, people will want to play it more than once. Once people get to the end, they'll say "Oh, I get it," and then they'll want to play it again, says Dyack.
For those keeping score at home, over one hour of gameplay is promised and we stand by that. On top of that, four different endings will leave wondering what the heck just happened. Reportedly, "By the time you finish the game, you'll understand the choices you have made. There are some that are inherent, and there are some that aren't. Some are above the surface, while there are some that are subliminal."
As mentioned before, the game is set in the year 2450 A.D. and promises incredible 3D graphics that wont disappoint. Let's not forget that Eternal Darkness is a subset of the Too Human engine. True to its vision, players have the opportunity to deal damage to different areas of an enemy's anatomy with the help of Franks optical implant. If that werent enough, Franks will also begin to limp if his leg loses health. Its safe to say that youll feel right at home if youve played Eternal Darkness, and if youre reading this, you probably have.
Its interesting to note that Too Human alludes to Norse mythology. For reference, the Norse Gods include Odin, Thor, Loki, Balder, and Frigg. By pure coincidence, Factor 5 made use of Thor in none other than Thornado. Great minds think alike indeed.
Aesir: The Norse Gods.
Odin: The Norse god of wisdom, war, art, culture, and the dead and the supreme deity and creator of the cosmos and humans.
Thor: The Norse god of thunder.
Loki: Norse god who created discord, especially among his fellow gods.
Balder: The Norse god of light.
Frigg: The Norse goddess of the heavens and wife of Odin.
Asgard: The heavenly residence of the Norse gods and slain heroes of war.
At this point, Too Human features more than 15 different worlds. However, were most excited about Asgard Tower, a geosynchronous satellite connected by an orbital string. This isnt crazy talk however, and Silicon Knights isnt taking any shortcuts either. "Another thing about Too Human as well is that it is founded on principles of hard science. We discuss orbital strings, and many other technologies. We're not going for a "space opera," we are going for science fiction that is grounded in true science." Very few developers would take the time to attempt such a thing.
Right now, it wouldn't surprise us if the game supports progressive scan mode in addition to 16x9 widescreen mode. For the uninitiated, the game was originally headed for the PlayStation. For its time, the four-disc game caused quite a bit of excitement. Needless to say, it never made it.
Graphically speaking, let's just say that it should be a few minutes before you catch your breath. As surprising as this may sound, I will go as far as to say now that our in-game work is better than those old FMA shots, says Dyack. Its natural to be a bit sceptical, but were excited nevertheless. Along with that, there are definitely some Japanese elements added in and over an hour of cinematics to keep things running. Were impressed so far. Just glance around for further proof.
It should come to no ones surprise that early reports indicate the game runs at 60 frames per second with little to no slowdown. While nothing has been confirmed, players can expect to see bump-mapping and whatever else is thrown in. Try to look surprised though.
With its dark and futuristic storyline, the game promises more than two hours of speech. As expected Franks takes up the bulk. It's very much like a Blade Runner noire ...how does he feel as he goes through the prison and sees the inmates in there? How does he feel when he's on the floating city? The players can expect the same level of detail in the voiceover as we had in Kain since the same people made it, said Dyack. Its our guess that the game will fit onto two discs given the amount of data. We certainly hope so.
Many undoubtedly heard the voice of David Hayter in Eternal Darkness. This time around roles are reversed and the same actress who played Meryl Silverburgh of Metal Gear Solid fame is included in the voices in addition to many other familiar faces. As a result, players can also expect plenty of character development to appear, something Eternal Darkness was sorely lacking. For one thing, the time setting stays the same, which should help out a bit and this time, non-playable characters also play an important role. Franks himself is also an interesting character. As a result, its safe to say that youll also want to turn the volume up in case theres Dolby Pro Logic II support.
Its unfortunate we havent heard any music yet, but players can expect orchestrated music that sends chills down your spine. Not taking itself too seriously, Too Human also includes some funny dialogue to lighten the tense mood.
We may have given you the wrong idea that Too Human is merely Eternal Darkness all over again. While thats a good thing, its not entirely true. From whats been shown, the game is much more action-oriented. For obvious reasons, the world in Too Human is also very technical, and the results show.
Lets face it. We know itll be good. Too Human is like nothing weve ever seen before. Its just a matter of waiting for it. If anything, the game is taking too long. However, perhaps this best sums it up. Trust us, the game will blow you away, says Dyack.
Okay, okay, we believe you.
N-Sider Contributor