Too Human, the long-awaited title from venerable Canadian developer Silicon Knights, is a breathless fighting game that puts players in the role of Norse god Baldur. He and the cybernetically enhanced Aesir, governed by the unseen but ever-present Odin, are the protectors of humanity. They exist in a cold wasteland that is plagued by robot goblins, elves, and trolls. Baldur has recently been revived after surviving an assassination attempt that killed his wife, and he is learning that there may be a conspiracy behind the attack.

The first in a planned trilogy to be published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360, Too Human blends role-playing elements with fighting. You choose between five classes—berserker, bioengineer, commando, champion, and defender—and decide which of Baldur's skills to improve as you play. The environments are vast and detailed. But, although impressive, the passages, corridors, and rooms of each location are too similar, so as you focus on staying alive you can get lost within the ships and fortresses. The control scheme, which uses the right thumb stick for up-close melee combat, takes a bit of retraining. After you've gotten used to it, the scheme provides for exhilarating combat as you flick the thumb stick back and forth, sending Baldur sliding from one enemy to another, wreaking bloody havoc.

There are some other clunky elements of Too Human, including the pacing of the story. At times, the number of enemies is simply overwhelming, even for the most experienced player. The game provides enough enjoyment, though, that it's worth recommending, with the hope that Part 2 of the series will bring fixes for the frustrations. Rated teen.