Too Human GDC Previews

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Written by BuckGB on February 23rd, 2008

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For starters, Too Human will be very much story-driven, and without wishing to give too much away, those of you who dig Norse mythology (albeit with a sci-fi twist) are in for a real treat. Those of you who enjoy role-playing games with an emphasis on loot collection should also find plenty that appeals in Too Human because based on what we saw of the game's loot system, it's going to be every bit as robust as those found in many massively multiplayer online games, including World of Warcraft. Furthermore, Too Human will support cooperative play, and although we're not certain how many players can team up to play through the campaign, we can confirm that there will be five different character classes from which to choose.

If you've been following our previous coverage of Too Human, you'll know that the game's protagonist is Baldur, an acrobatic warrior who's every bit as skilled with his sword as he is with firearms. However, the Baldur featured in trailers and such isn't necessarily the same Baldur that you'll be playing as--that's just what you might look like if you choose to play as a champion. The champion class is a jack-of-all-trades whose only specialization is aerial combat--the ability to "juggle" enemies and keep them up in the air using repeated attacks. Other character classes on offer will include the commando, who specializes in ranged weapons and explosives; the berserker, who can dual-wield melee weapons and dole out massive damage; the defender, who can carry a shield with a one-handed melee weapon and "tank" in group situations by drawing agro away from other players; and the bio-engineer, who's a healer, as well as a fighter.

Each class has attributes stacked in its favor to define its role but also possesses certain abilities, such as more critical strikes. Ultimately, no matter which class you choose, you'll step into the shoes of Baldur, a cybernetic god who must battle robotic forces hell-bent on eradicating humanity. As the game progresses, you'll have the choice to take on more cyber-enhancements, which, as Dyack has pointed out, will make you more powerful, but could ultimately come at the cost of your humanity.

After picking the Champion class, the player -- we're not sure if it was a member of Microsoft Game Studios or Silicon Knights-- kicked off the action. After another cut-scene, Dyack started explaining the gameplay mechanics. The first thing you'll likely notice about Too Human is its minimal HUD. Everything you need to see, from your life meter to your experience points, is in a corner of the screen.

We didn't learn any new details on what that story would entail, though we did see some later level combat and a couple of new areas. The first new locale we were shown was the Aesir hub. The area was nothing out of the ordinary in the extraordinary world of Too Human, but its significance was felt nonetheless. This is the place where you can buy new weapons and enhancements and other related commercial activities.

The art style in Too Human is top notch.The hub is also where Dyack talked about the inventory system Too Human offers. Like other games where loot is important, epic sets can be found that add powerful enhancements if completed and equipped. We saw one such and it looked mighty impressive (not too surprising as the game runs in true 720p with 4x anti-aliasing and can still handle 50-70 enemies on screen at once). Collecting the set won't be as cumbersome as you might think. Too Human will automatically analyze new pickups and determine whether it is better than what you currently possess -- a handy tool when your inventory maxes out and it decides for you what to keep and what to toss or sell.

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