When Too Human first appeared on the gaming radar back in 1999, it was destined to debut on the humble PSone. A few years later, a thrilling preview video was leaked for a GameCube edition, but this quietly slipped off the release schedule once Nintendos purple box hit stores. Now the game has finally arrived on the Xbox 360 but while the developers pride in their work is evident in every scene, the experience is undercut by a raft of problems that sabotage its ambitions of becoming a modern classic.
A ferocious blend of combat and RPG-style character development, Too Human sees players taking control of a biomechanical badass and working through a futuristic tale inspired by Norse mythology. But while the characters are beautifully designed and the games driven by an epic narrative that adds gravitas to every skirmish, the intuitive yet simplistic hand-to-hand combat where you point a controller stick towards the enemy you want to attack removes the visceral thrill of pounding buttons to unleash kicks. Occasionally jerky visuals also undermine the thrill of battling 50 enemies simultaneously, and a computer-controlled camera that automatically frames the action makes the experience feel oddly old-fashioned.