You either love it or hate it. That’s what people say, isn’t it? Usually in association with yeast extract, or as a mediating salve for internet discussion threads about to go supernova – blind faith forgiving a multitude of sins on the one hand and an opposing party doggedly refusing to acknowledge any sign of merit on the other. Regardless, Marmite is insufficient ointment to soothe Too Human’s ills. It’s nothing terminal, however. ‘Sickly’ is more appropriate here – though for reasons that aren’t immediately apparent.

For most, the compulsion to move the camera with the right stick will provide the initial annoyance. Though it could be argued that a manual camera is not entirely necessary, the fact remains that the player’s constant desire to move it themselves is an itch that can never be scratched. It’s made worse by the fact that, because we’re so used to the right analogue shifting the view of our virtual worlds, you end up constantly attacking by accident as, under duress, you unconsciously attempt to get a better view of your surroundings or battle against a camera which stubbornly insists it knows best.



There’s a valid reason why it’s been implemented in this way, of course. Silicon Knights, rather than assigning attacking duties to the face buttons, has opted for the right stick. A combination of sliding, holding and pressing it in the direction of your target sees Baldur executing automated combos to dispatch his quarry. It’s an unusual system that works excellently, alleviating the tiresome dial-up combos and repetitive button stabs we’ve come to accept, and will be a welcome reprieve for those of us easily hypnotised by Diablo’s woodpecker mouse clicks or PSO’s rhythmic sabre swipes.

It takes a while to get used to, but by the time you enter the final phases of the single-player campaign (empowered by a well-stocked skill tree and weapon set) you really begin to appreciate what Silicon Knights has achieved. Combat has a grace and dynamism that few dungeon crawlers can match, and though it might not point a way forward for the genre, it certainly suggests an alternative route. It should be applauded for its bravery, no doubt about that, and those with the desire and patience to explore its subtleties, will, understandably, hold it aloft as an example of why Too Human is more than the sum of its parts.