Too Human (Xbox 360)

Published by Microsoft Game Studios, TOO HUMAN is a sci-fi tale that takes place far into the future (yet peppered with nods to Norse mythology), where you play as a cybernetic god, Baldur, tasked to defend humankind from monstrous machinery bent on total destruction. With a combination of melee moves and fancy firearm work, you'll take down these threats – even dozens at the same time – to access new teleportation gateways and unlock the next cinematic sequence.

Run, gun, hack and slash through this third-person adventure by yourself, or if you prefer, play the entire single-player campaign in multiplayer co-op mode via Xbox Live.

This long-delayed game doesn't disappoint because it's been in development since the dawn of humanity itself -- it was first shown at the E3 Expo in 1999 for the original Sony PlayStation before switching to the Nintendo GameCube and was then put on ice for other projects -- but this first in a planned trilogy from Silicon Knights doesn't deliver anywhere near the awe-inspiring interactive experience found in the developer's previous games, like Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem.

Many of the game's notable attributes -- such as a cool story and role-playing game (RPG)-like upgrades -- are overshadowed by repetitive fight sequences, uninspiring level design, and nagging camera issues. Too Human is yet another example of a game that, while not terrible, doesn't live up to its hype. At best, consider this a decent weekend rental for fans of fantasy action games.

Available on: Xbox 360
Available online
Genre: Action/Adventure
Developer: Microsoft
Released on: August 19, 2008
Price: 59.99
ESRB Rating: T for Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence