When I originally set out to tackle Too Human, I figured I’d discuss the game within the framework of a traditional review. But it didn’t take long before I realized there wasn’t a whole lot that could be said in Too Human’s defense; instead, I ended up with a litany of grievances that painted the game as a catastrophe.

But that’s not how I think of Too Human. After all, would a game so ostensibly terrible be fun enough to warrant a subsequent replay immediately after I reached the end?

So I began to piece together what it was that made the game so compelling to me. Was it the frantic combat? The uninspired weapon customization and almost fetishistic loot-acquiring? The broken, haphazard script with half-baked characters? No. Everything Too Human tried to accomplish had been done much better by many games before it.

But I couldn’t ignore the fact that I loved suspending my disbelief way up in the rafters, pretending I was some fugly man-god and mowing down thousands of enemies in a display of raw destruction. That simplistic joy shines through the mess to make Too Human an essential case study in gaming and — somewhat ironically — a perfect example of why games have value as a medium.

It’s stunning proof that, even when absolutely nothing comes together right, games can still be a joy to experience.

Bland, uninspired enemies populate the Too Human universe.

Of course, I’m not exactly representative of the majority of gamers here. Upon its release, Too Human received tepid reviews and sold only marginally well for a game that had been in development for so long. In chatting with some friends, I found their reactions ranged from lukewarm to unbridled hatred.

My perspective isn’t typical. I bought the game on a whim from GameFly for a whopping $9.99 — with free shipping to boot — and began playing more than a year after the game was released. Similarly, my expectations were low: I didn’t expect a high-quality game, and as a result I was better prepared for the game.

And frankly, it’s not that bad of a game. Sure, it reeks of inconsistent design choices, practically crying out for another year of focused development, and the script is terrible, even by gaming standards, but that doesn’t change the fact that the absolute core of the game — fighting off hordes of enemies to grow more powerful — is actually pulled off admirably. Essentially, Silicon Knights melded the Diablo “kill-loot-upgrade” tradition with the control scheme of a twin-stick shooter like Geometry Wars, and it works really well.

Upgrading equipment is relatively painless and gratifying, just as it should be in a light role-playing experience, which lets the frantic combat take center stage. Although it at first looks more similar to a Dynasty Warriors game, Too Human has the unmistakable feel of a dual-stick shooter. The left stick moves and the right stick attacks; it’s simple, but that’s why it works. Once the small packs of enemies become tidal waves of machinery, your hero’s survival hinges on quick reactions and choosing intelligent paths through crowds. And thanks to the added challenge of replayable levels, the combat only becomes more enjoyable as the player progresses through the game.

It’s not perfect, and its presentation does a whole lot more harm than good for the game, but Too Human was an inspiring experience for me. It reaffirmed just how valuable and enjoyable games can be, even when the odds are stacked against them. More than anything, it proves just how far a good, simple gameplay concept can carry even the most terrible of narratives.

My gCal for this week: The green arrow represents the days without posts on Silicon Sasquatch. Everyone likes an effective graphic!

Unfortunately for you, dear reader, our goal of posting fresh, thirst-quenching content at least once a day didn’t occur this week. We apologize for that; It’s a busy season for those of us in graduate school and those of us looking for jobs. But you’re not here for excuses! You’re here to about read what videogames we’ve been playing — the most important segment of our daily lives, of course.

Nick’s been hoarding mad “lewt”, I’ve been rekindling my passion for zombie killing and Doug’s been using his DS to hone his prowess with the Japanese language.

Wait…is that even a game?

Despite the obvious similarities, this is not an homage to The Secret of Monkey Island. This disembodied head is just irritating.

Nick:

You’d think that I’d be knee-deep into Titan Quest, having picked it up for a mere five bucks last weekend. Or maybe you’d assume I’m relentlessly improving my Firefight scores in Halo 3: ODST. At the very least, you’d be absolutely certain that most of my free time has been spent feeding my fetishistic love for the Rock Band Network beta.

The truth is, I barely touched any of them. I’ve got two reasons for that, and neither of them is gonna make any sense.

The first reason is the oft-maligned Too Human, Silicon Knights’ biggest gamble and most controversial release. Critics and gamers alike expressed almost universal disdain for the game, and I can see why: The plot is baffling, the voice acting is pathetic, the art and enemy design are painfully uninspired and the game is incredibly short.

It is, by most accounts, a colossal failure. So why can’t I stop playing it — even after I already beat it?

Between the ludicrous amounts of loot to gather, the relatively replayable dungeons and the adrenaline rush from taking down hundreds of enemies in mere seconds, Too Human has brought me closer to the euphoric destruction of games like Diablo II than anything else has in recent years. It’s a very uneven package, and though I’m a little ashamed to admit it, I’ve gotten way more than my money’s worth out of it.

The second reason why I’ve avoided the mainstream in gaming is the officially licensed Skee-Ball game for iPhone. Developed by Freeverse, the 99-cent app delivers a surprisingly deep physics-based game with hilarious bonuses redeemable with tickets won in the game. Glittery pencils, fake mustaches, little cheap plastic dinosaurs, Peruvian Flute Band CDs — all the crap you coveted as a child at Chuck E. Cheese is lovingly reproduced. The game also features clever integration with ngmoco’s Plus+ network, a sort of Xbox Live for various iPhone games.

Aaron:

As I mentioned last week, I acquired Titan Quest for $5. I have to say it’s much more fun than I expected. Nick may be satisfying his craving for Diablo-like gameplay through Too Human, but I’d wager Titan Quest is a better companion for those loot-oriented needs. It’s a shame that the title faded from most gamers’ memories.

It’s been another slow week for me otherwise — most of my time has gone to reading, being social and looking for work. But I’ve surprised myself with a new-found appreciation for Left 4 Dead. The game wowed me when I first played it, but the honeymoon was incredibly short. Since January I’ve rarely touched it, instead turning to Team Fortress 2 for online FPS fun. But with the release of the Crash Course DLC this week I’m reminded how clever and sustainable the L4D concept is. Thanks to L4Dmods.com and its collection of well-made community campaigns like Death Aboard and Heaven Can Wait, I’m actually anticipating the upcoming sequel.

Next week, Halo 3: ODST will be arriving from Amazon. Thanks to a 10% Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) discount and an Amazon sale that took $10 off the game, I feel much more comfortable spending $44 on what I largely feel is an expansion to the core Halo 3 game. Debate that point with me all you want, but I’ll at least be able to enjoy co-op and Firefight with my friends now.

Doug:

In an ironic turn, the most time I’ve spent playing games this week has actually been for class! Along with an online marketing simulation game for my marketing class, I’ve been taking advantage of one of the most useful games I have — DS Rakubiki Jiten — in my Japanese classes.

Anybody who’s studied a foreign language knows how essential dictionaries are. Especially with Japanese and Chinese, having access to an electronic dictionary that can provide both meanings and how to write words in both languages is an extremely useful tool. DS Rakubiki Jiten, then, turns your average humble Nintendo DS into a Japanese-English electronic dictionary. At the relatively good price of $50, I bought my copy of DS Rakubiki Jiten through an import shop a couple of years ago and have found it vital to my study of Japanese ever since.

Considering that most electronic Japanese dictionaries cost at least $200 — and that, unlike those entry-level models, the DS Rakubiki Jiten allows you to use the bottom touch screen to write in kanji that you don’t recognize — it’s highly suggested as a valuable way to improve one’s study of Japanese.

I’ve also gotten a bit more seat time with Madden NFL 10 — that game suffers from terrible rubber-band AI trying to keep games close — and Peggle on iPhone. I also got the chance to go to Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade in Portland on Wednesday; it was a night where a $5 cover charge got you into the arcade and from there, all the games were set to free play. I spent some time with my friends on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons, a little bit of Street Fighter II, DDR, and Bubble Bobble.