Too Human: The Myth Behind the Game

We take a quick look into some of the myths behind the up-coming game

On first glance of Too Human, many people will assume it to be a standard sci-fi third-person shooter. However, the creators of the game, Silicon Knights, have based a large amount of the game around mythological stories and legends that have been told for centuries.

The incredibly epic settings and central characters of the game are heavily inspired by Norse myth. In Too Human you play as Baldur, the saviour of mankind and the lesser known of the Gods, often overshadowed by the famous likes of Loki and Thor. Despite this though, Baldur was selected to be the main character due to his human characteristics that players will be able to sympathise with and relate to.

In the myths, he is also known as Baldr and is the Norse god of light, joy, purity, beauty, innocence and reconciliation. He is the Son of Odin and Frigg and was equally loved by both gods and men for his friendly, wise and eloquent nature. Baldur was also known for possessing little power when compared to his God-like colleagues. After a haunting vision of his own death, Baldur became fearful of mortality and just like any loving mother, Frigg tried to reassure his concerns. She took an oath from every creature, object and force in nature that they would never harm her son Balder, thus making him practically invincible. Sadly however, the other Gods took this opportunity to use Balder as a human-shaped target for knife-throwing and archery for their own enjoyment.

The tragic legends of Baldur are usually retold through the malicious trickster God, Loki. Although Loki was partially jealous of Balder, he was also just looking to stir up some mad sh*t. He changed his appearance and asked Frigg if there was anything that could harm the seemingly immortal God of light. Poor Frigg, suspecting nothing, answered that there was just one thing: a small tree in the west that was called mistletoe. At the time, she had thought it too small and insignificant to ask for an oath. Loki, being a right bastard, immediately ran off to the west and returned with the said mistletoe. When he returned, he approached Balder's blind twin brother Hod who was currently playing the God's new favourite game, 'let's chuck stuff at Baldur'. Loki placed a mistletoe fig (or dart) in Hod's hand and helped guide his aim, causing the dart to pierce Baldur’s heart, killing him instantly. Poor Hod had unknowingly murdered his own brother.

In the game Too Human, Baldur is a different character but with similar attributes. He is a champion amongst the humans. He leads his troops from the forefront of his battle lines, charging the enemy and laying them low with his courage. It is hopefully the start to a happier ending to Baldur’s legend and one that you can control. Too Human also features numerous other Gods in the game, including the mischievous Loki and the all powerful Thor - not to mention stunning environments all inspired by Norse myth. However Silicon Knights have added their own twists and modern-day elements, including cybernetics and sci-fi weaponry to the epic game. Because of this, playing Too Human unfortunately won’t count as research for your Classics paper.