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Preview  Too Human
- By Ryan Eid [Senior Editor]


Nintendo's recently acquired second party, Silicon Knights, creators of Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen for the PSX and Eternal Darkness, originally for the N64, had a few huge projects in the works for Playstation; namely, a 4-disc adventure-RPG entitled Too Human. Well, since they are now Nintendo's second party, that nixed any chance of the game coming to the PSX. And since the size of the game was so great, there's no way the N64 could handle it. SK wasn't about to just put it on the shelf though. It had to go somewhere. And, as speculated, it landed squarely on Nintendo's GameCube. Of course, expect more amazing graphics, FMV cutscenes, and added gameplay over the defunct PSX version.

The year is 2430 AD. The world is run by cyborgs, androids, and robots. You're a half-human cop, John Franks, whose partner has just been brutally murdered by cyborgs. You seek vengeance, and take a job as a security operative in a monolithic chip corporation to figure out what happened.

As you travel along this huge, 80+ hour quest, you can upgrade and enhance your character with cybernetic features. It depends on what attributes you want your character to attain that will alter the path in which the game goes, as there are many possible scenarios (much like Eternal Darkness).

If a player wishes to gain speed and stealth, they would build up on the character's legs. However, if one prefers brute strength, enhancing the upper torso and arms will certainly help John carry heavier objects and weaponry. Also, while combat is a key part of the game, battles occur in realtime, and are not random.

The main aspect that was touted in the PSX version was its graphical presence. The lead developer, Dennis Dyack, was quoted as saying "It looks as good as Final Fantasy VIII. In fact, it looks so good it has a lot of people watering at the mouth." Now, obviously with the tremendous power backing the GameCube, those mouth watering graphics will become much, much more enhanced. Speedy framerates and animation, high resolution, unparalleled detail, and over an hour of jaw dropping FMV could prove to make this the best looking game for the GameCube in it's early months.

It has the makeup to be a true classic in the first generation of GameCube software, with an interesting storyline, tons of customization, and a dark, psychological undertone. If the game plays as good as it looks, Nintendo fans are in for a real treat when it launches with the GameCube this October.

- 5.2.2001