¿Se sabe algo de Too Human?

Too Human: Proving Ground

Years ago, I was really bummed to report that Silicon Knights would no longer be making games as a Nintendo second party. I understood the reasoning behind the decision -- Nintendo wanted to keep budgets down and to make simple, easily accessible software and Silicon Knights wanted to develop games to rival Hollywood's production values -- but it still kind of sucked. As a Nintendo fan, I mean. But at the same time, I was happy for the studio because I realized that with Microsoft as a partner and with Xbox 360 as the platform, its games could really shine. And to be specific, Too Human -- a concept a decade-in-the-making -- could really flourish. This game that marries Norse mythology with a seemingly futuristic world has totally and completely intrigued me and as such I've followed it, even as it transformed into an ambitious Xbox 360 trilogy.

I'm confident that Too Human is going to be great, but -- and I think Silicon Knights would agree -- its true potential was not on display at E3 2006, a show I'll bet the developer would love to forget. Too Human follows the cybernetically-enhanced Baldur, a "god" who, I believe, sides with the human race in a war against the machines. That is a very primitive breakdown of what is undoubtedly a very complicated and thorough storyline, so forgive me. The end game blends an epic yarn with third-person action, melee and projectile-based fighting, and a wide array of RPG elements. All pretty awesome, but the E3 demo of Too Human was marred by a jumpy framerate, some stiff character animation and a camera that was oftentimes panned too far back to see and appreciate the detailed models the company had designed.

Naturally, backlash ensued and both critics and skeptics seemed to have nothing but negative remarks for the experience. I played it at the event and agree that technically speaking, it needed work, but the core gameplay mechanics seemed very promising. What Silicon Knights did not demo at E3 2006 were any story elements or any of the RPG elements.

Post-E3, the developer went into a quiet period and worked pretty much non-stop to improve engine performance, to up the art ante, and to really show the industry that Too Human would live up to the hype.



Now the developer wants to prove it. I've been invited to an exclusive hands-on of the game. In the next few weeks, Fran and I will head out to Canada to go hands on with a completely playable and totally made-over version of Too Human. Updated gameplay mechanics. Enhanced graphics. You name it. And the best part for IGN readers? We'll be able to pull back the curtain on it all, giving you an in-depth view of how it plays, from combat to exploration and to RPG mechanics. We'll be able to show you its graphic improvements in gorgeous direct-feed videos and screenshots. And we'll have interviews with the guys and gals making the proeject, too.

I'm really excited about this opportunity. Silicon Knights has always been so adamant about strong storytelling in videogames and yet we've never seen any real story aspects of Too Human. Now, we're going to see them and in turn you're going to see them. I'm psyched. On top of that, we're going to get a real sense of what the gameplay is like -- not a glimpse, as was shown it E3, but a legit play test of a massively improved build on just about every level.

If you've got any questions you want answered while we're there, post 'em to the blog now and I'll make sure to get them answered for you -- if, that is, they can be answered. Please, no rude commentary. If you're a Nintendo fan and hate SK for making Xbox 360 games, please ignore this post and go elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you are genuinely interested in the future of the franchise and have real questions or concerns, I want to hear from you.

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