[RubberJohnny]

I did a search for "Too Human" and got nothing. Wired has a pretty comprehensive preview up on their blog. He's positive about some aspects and negative about others, so everyone will be pleased.

http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/06/...-hum.html#more

Now, those who have enjoyed their time in the world of Too Human up through the story's conclusion will have plenty to do if they want to keep building Baldur. By the time you finish the campaign, Baldur will likely only be at level 25 of what I believe is a maximum of 50. He'll have some decent armor and weapons, but there will be lots more out there. You can begin a new campaign with the same character you finished it with, and the enemies will scale up accordingly so the challenge can continue. You can even jump into alternate versions of each level with more and different enemies and drops. You could also, of course, pick a different character class for even more replay value. And there's the two-player online cooperative mode, which I haven't tried because there is only one of me. But for that sort of player who enjoys playing through a game once to see the story and get the experience, Too Human will end long before its time and with not nearly enough payoff for all the story exposition. And it's an uneven ten hours, at best: Sometimes I had a great time mowing down enemies and racking up combos, but sometimes it just felt frustrating and/or repetitive. Too Human will be available August 29. I expect that it will garner a very wide range of review scores.

Stephen Totilo has a preview on his MTV Multiplayer Blog

Also new videos on GameVideos:

http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/19689

http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/19690

http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/19691

http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/19692

[Mamesj]

it's an uneven ten hours, at best

Against

[Cromulent_Word]

zoinks.

[Moray]

I'm sitting down.

[Clinton514]

I expect that it will garner a very wide range of review scores.

Well that's not very optimistic. Is that they're way of saying something else nicely?

[AugustDivision]

Against

:lol

I'm excited to play it.

[~Devil Trigger~]

Too Human will be available August 29. I expect that it will garner a very wide range of review scores.

Against

[industrian]

Against

First reply wins.

[Dabanton]

Sounding pretty good.

I'll still be getting this.

[Kydd BlaZe]

I thought it was due out on the 12th.

[Hellraizer]

In before 20 pages of trolling.

Sounds ok, will get it.

[PhatSaqs]

Nice write up. Sounds like it's enjoyable enough in SP.

[Beysus]

So the game is very short?

Pretty understandable, they only had 20 years of development time...

[Y2Kev]

1) Kohler has proven through Retronauts that he is a demigod and is to be trusted
2) 10 hours? WTF?

[Dabanton]

So the game is very short? Pretty understandable, they only had 20 years of development time...

Well don't we already know that the game will be a trilogy.

[Nolan.]

1) Kohler has proven through Retronauts that he is a demigod and is to be trusted 2) 10 hours? WTF?

One hour for every year of development.

[kaching]

Which side of the digital line are they on?

[eznark]

Sadly, one of the game's main story hooks -- the fact that Baldur is torn between keeping his human characteristics or cybernetically enhancing himself -- doesn't get a whole lot of screen time. In fact, the choice between human and cybernetic is presented to the player as a very clear choice between two different character-customization options quite early in the game. If you choose the Human path, your fighting styles will be more combo-focused rather than just doing more damage in battle, which is the Cybernetic path. That's the extent of the choice you make -- as far as I can tell, it doesn't affect the story one bit.

That is disappointing news

[Kabuki Waq]

In before 20 pages of trolling. Sounds ok, will get it.

wow ppl buy games that just sound OK now?


standards seem to be lowered this gen.

[Cdammen]

10 hours? WTF?

How long was say... Diablo II, Titan Quest or Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance? It's a hack'n slash dungeon crawler with great replay value because of the items/skills/classes. 10h is enough and DLC could easily extend it.

If I buy it I'll play it through at least twice to try out differenct classes.

[sky]

Owned by the GAF

[Woo-Fu]

Shame he didn't get to play any of the co-op. That is the bit that kept Diablo and Diablo II entertaining for me, I would not be shocked to find out it is the same for Too Human.

[eznark]

wow ppl buy games that just sound OK now? standards seem to be lowered this gen.

shit, people give tens to games that are just okay.

[McBradders]

10 hours to clock the story is fine, the game is really about the loots and retreading of familiar territory to grab at it.

Is anyone surprised?

[Y2Kev]

How long was say... Diablo II, Titan Quest or Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance? It's a hack'n slash dungeon crawler with great replay value because of the items. 10h is enough and DLC could easily extend it. If I buy it I'll play it through at least twice to try out differenct classes.

Diablo 2 took me a pretty long time on my first run through. There are the four acts, of course....each is pretty meaty, though you can definitely blitz through them if you know what you are doing. After I did the first playthrough, I went online with a friend and then I started playing more closed battle.net stuff.

10 hours is pretty short IMO.

[rhino4evr]

that write up has just really lowered my expectations. Looks to be a rental at best.

10 hours? After all this development time and hype? 10 hours? If Too Human is supposed to be this great epic trilogy they better release Part 2 in 09.

The worst part of that preview, is Chris (who i admire and trust) stating that the story never gets started.

Im sure this game will be ok, but there has been too much written and discussed about this game to warrant only a 10 hour game. I expected 20-30.

Kind of reminds me of Fable. The shortest "epic" RPG ever.

[PhatSaqs]

shit, people give tens to games that are just okay.

:lol

[Clinton514]

Which side of the digital line are they on?

This side:

[Vyer]

Good preview, Kohler.

I'm guessing the reviews for this game will be Assassin's Creed all over again.

[WrikaWrek]

I'm caught in the middle -- I enjoy Silicon Knights' storytelling, but although some well-done narrative is certainly part of Too Human's overall package, that's not where the focus lies. The role-playing gameplay is the star here, and it took a little while to grow on me. There were some frustrating moments as I learned the ins and outs of how to control and manage the growth of the main character Baldur. But just as I came to grips with the gameplay, and just as the story seemed as if it was starting to ramp up into overdrive -- the game ended. If you're so inclined, you can slam through Too Human's campaign in a little over ten hours, and the story of cybernetically-enhanced Norse gods ends with a cliffhanger.

So much talk about "the game with the most amount of content we've have ever created", "epic", "story driven", "cinema" etc etc

And the game doesn't even focus that much on story, ends on a cliffhanger when Silicon Knights had said before that each entry would stand on its own, and the game is little over 10 hours.

:lol :lol :lol :lol

Was i fooled, oh was i fooled.

[Son of Godzilla]

This years Crackdown confirmed. That was like four hours of the exact same thing over and over again that everyone loved because of it's boring co-op. I mean because of it's co-op.

[Reilly]

A 10 hour game that will get a wide range of reviews?

[IMG]http://i30.************/2yzd4dx.jpg[/IMG]

[pn18]

Sometimes I had a great time mowing down enemies and racking up combos, but sometimes it just felt frustrating and/or repetitive.

I'm against now. Seriously, I don't like repetitive games.

[evilromero]

I don't mind the short game length at all- in fact I prefer it. My only concern is the issue of monotony brought up in the initial impressions. Eternal Darkness was such a tight game that every hour and scenario never felted tired.

[yoopoo]

Has this game changed the gaming industry yet?

[Tieno]

10 hours to clock the story is fine, the game is really about the loots and retreading of familiar territory to grab at it. Is anyone surprised?

I don't know how long a game in this genre is supposed to take.

[Kabuki Waq]

shit, people give tens to games that are just okay.

damn so if Too human gets below a 10 that would make it.......

[stephentotilo]

I'm sure Kohler meant to say that the game comes out on Aug. 19.

I just posted my preview on the MTV blog, based on 3 hours of play: http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/...human-preview/

[Nolan.]

So much talk about "the game with the most amount of content we've have ever created", "epic", "story driven", "cinema" etc etc And the game doesn't even focus that much on story, ends on a cliffhanger when Silicon Knights had said before that each entry would stand on its own, and the game is little over 10 hours. :lol :lol :lol :lol Was i fooled, oh was i fooled.

Haha... so for or against -_-.?

[Beysus]

Well don't we already know that the game will be a trilogy.

So what? That isn't a good excuse.

I don't mind 10 hour games though, it's just that Too Human has been in development since the Ps1. I was expecting some more flesh.

[Son of Godzilla]

Diablo 2 took me a pretty long time on my first run through. There are the four acts, of course....each is pretty meaty, though you can definitely blitz through them if you know what you are doing. After I did the first playthrough, I went online with a friend and then I started playing more closed battle.net stuff. 10 hours is pretty short IMO.

The only reason Diablo 2 was any length at all was because every level was an unnavigable mess and you had to spend an eternity to discover you weren't even going in the right direction or the cave you were exploring was completely extraneous. Not counting how hard it would be to beat without the xp padding plodding around completely lost gets you, the game would be over really shortly if it weren't such a chore.

[xbhaskarx]

10 hours? WTF?

bummer...

This years Crackdown confirmed.

hype returns!

[eznark]

I'm sure Kohler meant to say that the game comes out on Aug. 19. I just posted my preview on the MTV blog, based on 3 hours of play: http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/...human-preview/

damn it, when did your blog get blocked at my office. Stop posting porn!!

[stephentotilo]

damn it, when did your blog get blocked at my office. Stop posting porn!!

are you serious? is it just that post or my whole blog?

[Nolan.]

This years Crackdown confirmed. That was like four hours of the exact same thing over and over again that everyone loved because of it's boring co-op. I mean because of it's co-op.

Well if it's this years crackdown i'm expecting to have a lot of fun.

[WrikaWrek]

Haha so for or against.?

My hype basically died when i was finished with that article. Not with thunderous disappointment, but with a whiff of indifference.

Count me out.

[RubberJohnny]

I'm sure Kohler meant to say that the game comes out on Aug. 19. I just posted my preview on the MTV blog, based on 3 hours of play:http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/...human-preview/

That's a nice preview, seems like you echo a lot of the sentiments about the controls and story. I don't know if it was my browser, but the middle paragraph seemed to be repeated twice:

I received a preview build of “Too Human” early last week. It was accompanied with a letter that cautioned me that the game, though still set for its August date, is not yet complete. Yet I must state it for myself: the game, which has been preceded some exciting hype from its creators, still has rough edges. It is both a story game and a gameplay game, neither aspect completely satisfying yet. It’s story: distinct yet less ambitiously told than that of “Metal Gear” from what I’ve seen so far. It’s gameplay: more pure than that of “Metal Gear.”

[GashPrex]

oh its Kohler? nevermind

[bud]

1) Kohler has proven through Retronauts that he is a demigod and is to be trusted 2) 10 hours? WTF?

well, it's only been in development for 10 years.

[Mithos Yggdrasill]

I cannot believe that with 120 people and with 4 years of development, Denis Dyack's team didn't manage to make this game a AAA title. Holy crap.