Silicon Knights’ Norse Epic Arrives With Rough Edges After Eighteen Years

Too Human is a shooter built around a Norse myth that never quite gets out of its own way. Developed by Silicon Knights, the game asks players to fight as Baldur, a Norse god who is less cybernetic than the other gods and therefore “too human.” That premise sounds promising. The execution stumbles often.

The game mixes shooter, role-playing and hack-and-slash combat across a third-person perspective. Players choose from five classes at the start: berserker, champion, defender, commando and bio engineer. Each has a distinct advantage, and the choice shapes how battles play out. Combos, Ruiner attacks and projectile weapon juggling are all part of the mix.

Baldur’s Story

Baldur leads the Æsir, a group of cybernetically enhanced warriors who protect humanity from Loki’s army of machines. The premise is a science-fiction retelling of Norse mythology, with the Æsir acting as gods worshipped by mortals. The Children of Ymir, great machines, once roamed Earth, bent on destroying humanity. Nuclear and anti-matter weapons left the planet frozen in a thousand-year winter.

Earth’s population is reduced to a few million people living in the walled enclave of Midgard. The Æsir, with their enhanced bodies and minds, are properly revered as gods. The story is ambitious, and the writing occasionally leans into it. Whether it lands is another matter.

Control Scheme and Combat

The camera is adjustable, even during cinematics, letting players swing the view as Baldur moves. The right analog stick controls melee combat, not camera movement. Attacks and combos are triggered by pushing the stick in the direction of the target, with follow-up movements adding more damage. Projectile attacks use an auto-lock system instead.

This arrangement means the control scheme splits attention between combat and aiming. Melee attacks require precise stick movements, while ranged attacks lean on auto-lock. The result is a system that works in theory but feels awkward in practice.

Classes and Customization

The five classes offer real variety. The berserker focuses on melee, the commando on ranged, the bio engineer on healing, the defender on armor, and the champion on balance. Progression is tied to experience points earned through combat, and players can build their characters toward different strengths.

This is where Too Human shows its best thinking. Character building gives players a reason to experiment beyond the bare minimum of combat.

Graphics and Technical Issues

The game’s visual style draws heavily on Norse iconography. Battlefields are icy and desolate, fitting the thousand-year winter setting. The character models hold up reasonably well, though the animation can feel stiff in close combat.

Where the game falls apart is in the technical details. Long respawn times frustrate players caught in fights they cannot win. Cliffhanger endings leave missions feeling unfinished rather than resolved. These are not minor gripes. They cut directly into the experience.

The Long Road to Release

Too Human spent nearly ten years in development hell. It was originally announced in 1999 for the PlayStation, then abandoned. In 2000, development switched to the GameCube after Silicon Knights and Nintendo announced an exclusivity partnership. Microsoft bought the rights in 2005, and the game finally reached the Xbox 360 in August 2008.

That history explains some of the rough edges. A game this troubled deserves credit for reaching completion at all.

The Lawsuit

Too Human was involved in a lawsuit from 2007 to 2012 between developer Silicon Knights and Epic Games, the creators of the Unreal Engine. The dispute centered on the Unreal Engine 3 engine used in the game. Epic Games was awarded $4.45 million in that case.

Verdict on Too Human

Too Human is a mixed bag. Its premise is clever, its combat systems are varied, and its character building offers real depth. But the control scheme, graphics and technical issues hold it back. The cliffhanger endings and long respawn times are particularly frustrating.

The game is not a failure, but it is not a triumph either. It is a product of a troubled development process that shows in its final form.

Key Facts

• Developer: Silicon Knights
• Publisher: Microsoft
• Platforms: Xbox 360 (final release); previously announced for PlayStation and GameCube
• Release date: August 2008
• Classes: berserker, champion, defender, commando, bio engineer
• Engine: Unreal Engine 3
• Legal settlement: Epic Games awarded $4.45 million

Schedule

Too Human is a game worth playing for its ideas and its ambition. It is a flawed work from a studio that struggled to deliver.

game review · Silicon Knights · Too Human · Unreal Engine 3 · Xbox 360