Too Human (Microsoft)

First announced for the original Playstation, moved to the GameCube and ultimately finding a home on the Xbox 360, Too Human has been a lightening rod for criticism and controversy. But, as the old saying goes, the proof is in the pudding, and while it's not perfect, Too Human definitely has enough going for it to silence its critics.

It may look like a straightforward action game with an RPG twist, but the truth about the opening chapter of Silicon Knight's planned trilogy is much stranger. Here's an Xbox 360 exclusive that proudly wears its lofty ambitions on its sleeves, and yet sometimes seems bent on self-sabotage. That it's so relentlessly addictive despite its aggravations is something of a minor miracle.

Gods and Monsters

Too Human takes the rich world of Norse mythology and catapults it into a distant future where bloodthirsty machines stalk humanity, and even cybernetically enhanced gods like the Aesir struggle to keep the ravenous flesh shredders at bay. Why are the machines so intent on harvesting our meaty bits? As the youngest and least augmented member of the clan, Baldur might seem like an odd choice to lead an expeditionary force to the ancient Hall of Heroes to investigate, but between his amnesia and the death of his wife, the guy's got a drive that self-important thugs like Thor lack.

Baldur maybe a little bland and walks around like he's got something pointy in his boots but put a crowd of enemies in front of him and he suddenly turns into an Olympic speed-skater. With simple rotations of the analog sticks, you can send Baldur flying across the screen like an angry hornet, doling out punishment with bright sparks and the satisfying clank of metal on metal. The combat system is pretty slick, letting you launch guys into the air and then juggle them with gunfire to rack up combo points for devastating "ruiner" attacks, or leap up to get out of the fray and bash them silly. I personally loved every minute of it. The targeting system is less helpful when using guns because it stubbornly "sticks" to one particular enemy when you're frantically trying to target another, but the action is intense and enjoyable nonetheless.