Fodr
09-12-2008, 03:06 PM
I have to say right up front that I regard the level of innovation in Too Human, to be unparalleled in current console gaming. It is a shame that the gaming press and in fact much of the community are so quick to dismiss it because as an avid gamer, this game represents an all too rare gaming experience.
Much has been made of right analogue stick control scheme but seems to miss the point. This is not arbitrary, not change for the sake of change. This system of control actually goes beyond simple, arbitrary button combos to the point of giving the player actions which have a visceral almost haptic connection to the actions involved. To the point that when I play other games, I miss it. The simple yet deeply intuitive and often subtle control system is something of a milestone in console gaming.
The camera, again often maligned, is also at times quite brilliant. Yes there are points in the game where it can be problematic, but this is complaining about individual strides in a marathon. Like the control system itself, the camera is obviously the product of incredible deliberation. It attempts to facilitate both play and experience, it highlights goals and contributes to mood. The camera tells us of SK's history with definite allusions to both MGS and Eternal Darkness. Though I have heard many complaints, I have heard nothing of how it could have been, or in fact who has done it better.
The gameplay itself though, is where TH really displays a kind of mastery. It can be tricky to see at first and is not without its frustrations (I physically smashed my controller at one point). But it is in these frustrating moments, that the game actually reveals its true nature. Though you can try and Dante or Ryu your way through the game, and for much of it succeed, you will become inevitably frustrated by the Valkyrie (death animation). That's because despite outward impressions, TH wants something different from the player. As important as the execution of combos is, it's not enough. In the end the player has to see enemies as what they really are, a puzzle. You are not fighting individual enemies, you are in fact fighting a group, a problem best solved by viewing it as a whole. Once you see this, it becomes apparent that sometimes the best solution doesn't have to do with who should die, but rather who should be left alive. It is at these moments that Too Human demonstrates that it is altogether, a whole different beast. This is where it becomes apparent that the combination of RPG and action game goes a great deal deeper than having a skill tree. More than once in World Serpent, I began to think about Blackrock Depths. Although there are not an incredible variety of enemy models, I don't know there is a repeated combination. This combined with the random generation of polarity and elite enemies makes for an incredibly dynamic and tactical experience.
This game is by no means perfect. Some of the control and camera choices can make the often demanding execution of certain tasks unnecessarily hard. The class balancing can sometimes feel as though it emphasizes the weakness of that class over its strengths. The narrative is, well par for the course as far as video games. Comparing video game narratives is much like comparing hockey players' teeth. Even the best isn't that good.
But these criticisms do little to change the fact that Too Human is the product of extremely detailed thinking, often elegant design and what seems like a very genuine love of innovative, smart, exciting gaming. It is more than a little frighting as a fan of gaming that this kind of innovation and intelligence is greeted with such scorn. I only hope developers such as SK find a way to continue to create such product until the community catches up.
Much has been made of right analogue stick control scheme but seems to miss the point. This is not arbitrary, not change for the sake of change. This system of control actually goes beyond simple, arbitrary button combos to the point of giving the player actions which have a visceral almost haptic connection to the actions involved. To the point that when I play other games, I miss it. The simple yet deeply intuitive and often subtle control system is something of a milestone in console gaming.
The camera, again often maligned, is also at times quite brilliant. Yes there are points in the game where it can be problematic, but this is complaining about individual strides in a marathon. Like the control system itself, the camera is obviously the product of incredible deliberation. It attempts to facilitate both play and experience, it highlights goals and contributes to mood. The camera tells us of SK's history with definite allusions to both MGS and Eternal Darkness. Though I have heard many complaints, I have heard nothing of how it could have been, or in fact who has done it better.
The gameplay itself though, is where TH really displays a kind of mastery. It can be tricky to see at first and is not without its frustrations (I physically smashed my controller at one point). But it is in these frustrating moments, that the game actually reveals its true nature. Though you can try and Dante or Ryu your way through the game, and for much of it succeed, you will become inevitably frustrated by the Valkyrie (death animation). That's because despite outward impressions, TH wants something different from the player. As important as the execution of combos is, it's not enough. In the end the player has to see enemies as what they really are, a puzzle. You are not fighting individual enemies, you are in fact fighting a group, a problem best solved by viewing it as a whole. Once you see this, it becomes apparent that sometimes the best solution doesn't have to do with who should die, but rather who should be left alive. It is at these moments that Too Human demonstrates that it is altogether, a whole different beast. This is where it becomes apparent that the combination of RPG and action game goes a great deal deeper than having a skill tree. More than once in World Serpent, I began to think about Blackrock Depths. Although there are not an incredible variety of enemy models, I don't know there is a repeated combination. This combined with the random generation of polarity and elite enemies makes for an incredibly dynamic and tactical experience.
This game is by no means perfect. Some of the control and camera choices can make the often demanding execution of certain tasks unnecessarily hard. The class balancing can sometimes feel as though it emphasizes the weakness of that class over its strengths. The narrative is, well par for the course as far as video games. Comparing video game narratives is much like comparing hockey players' teeth. Even the best isn't that good.
But these criticisms do little to change the fact that Too Human is the product of extremely detailed thinking, often elegant design and what seems like a very genuine love of innovative, smart, exciting gaming. It is more than a little frighting as a fan of gaming that this kind of innovation and intelligence is greeted with such scorn. I only hope developers such as SK find a way to continue to create such product until the community catches up.