Too Human (two hours)
Too Human, or as I like to call it, Diablo Moves To Norway, was released last week. Reviews have been generally unkind, but I was curious enough to take a look for myself (thanks Gamefly).
What I was most curious about was the story, which is unfortunate, because it's generally gibberish. So many disparate elements are thrown together, seemingly at random, that nothing makes sense. It could have made sense, but there is absolutely zero context given for anything that is happening.
In dramatic narrative, and particularly in games, it's not uncommon to have a big reveal at some point that pulls the rug out from under the audience. That's fine, and Too Human apparently has one of those moments at the end of the game, but right now, I don't have a rug. I have nothing.
That's a huge problem, because the rug is the only reason that a reveal has an impact. Without something to stand on, there's nothing there to be yanked.
And "having nothing" isn't just in a narrative sense, it also involves the game's mechanics. Since you're routinely dispatching hordes of enemies, there are lots and lots of treasure drops. And they have interesting names, like Professor Legerdemain And His Magical Mid-Rise Briefs.
Okay, that's not an actual item name, but it's not much of an exaggeration.
None of these items, though, seem to have any explanation attached to them, and that's seemingly true of almost everything in the game. So instead of being able to appreciate the cleverness, I feel like I'm walking around wearing a gigantic "WTF?" sweatshirt.
I'll give you an update when I reach five hours. I may not make it past that point, but I'm committed to play until then.
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