Too Human

Premise

Too Human reimagines Norse mythology in a science fiction setting where the Norse gods are cybernetically augmented warriors worshipped by non-augmented humans. Before the Dawn of the Æsir, machines called the Children of Ymir stalked Earth, bent on destroying humanity. After a war involving nuclear and anti-matter weapons left the world frozen in a thousand-year winter, humanity's population dwindled to a few million sheltered in Midgard. The sentient machines prospered, while humans prayed to the Æsir, who serve as protectors with cybernetically enhanced bodies and minds.

Development

Too Human was announced by Silicon Knights in 1999 for the PlayStation, with a teaser at E3 that year. It was planned as a four-CD-ROM release, with a plot set in 2450 AD involving human cybernetic enhancements, not the Norse mythology theme of the final game. Development moved to the GameCube in 2000 after Silicon Knights partnered with Nintendo, but staff focused on Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, with no further news until 2005.

That year, Silicon Knights partnered with Microsoft, shifting development to the Xbox 360 and planning a trilogy. The game missed its planned 2006 holiday release, continuing development for two more years. Its budget was estimated between US$60-100 million. Silicon Knights also produced a fictional documentary, The Goblin Man of Norway, in three parts: Excavation, Examination, and Exhibition, depicting the discovery of an ancient mechanical man in a glacier.

Reception

Too Human received mixed reviews, with average scores of 68.59% at GameRankings and 65/100 at Metacritic. It sold approximately 168,200 copies in North America during August 2008, making it the eighth best-selling game in the region that month; Denis Dyack stated in a Joystiq interview that it sold around 700,000 units. Critics praised the concept of mixing science fiction with Norse mythology, with X-Play noting the art direction blended the grandeur of mythology with futurism.

IGN found the audio, including music and voice acting, top-notch. GameSpot praised the environments' detail and lighting but noted settings became similar and animations stiff. The unconventional use of the right analog stick for combat drew mixed responses: GamePro found it slick, while GameTrailers called it broken and likened it to button mashing. Game Informer liked the idea but felt it worsened camera control and the projectile lock-on system. Most critics disliked the analog stick configuration for removing manual camera control.