If to err is human, then Silicon Knights' latest action RPG may be just a little Too Human. The combat mechanic is smart, fun and intuitive, and the game offers satisfying skill and equipment management. But with the finicky targeting and cameras, a disappointingly skimpy co-op mode, and uninspired storytelling, Too Human fails to deliver on the hype that accompanies 10 years of development from a major studio.

You play as Baldur, beloved Norse warrior god. But in Too Human, the gods are transported to a dystopic science fiction setting, where Baldur and the rest of the Aesir are members of a corporation sworn to protect humanity from evil machines (most of mankind has already been killed off in a Skynet-like insurrection). There is the usual assortment of villainous betrayals, sexual tension, heroic inner turmoil, and plot twists. Overall, Too Human is set in a fascinating world with interesting characters and a compelling story.

Environments were more unique and atmospheric in Eternal Darkness - and Silcon Knights released that game six years ago.

The problem is, the game completely falls apart when it comes to actual storytelling. Too Human is the epitome of games with potential that fall flat from a lack of skilled and artful direction. In a day and age when action titles like BioShock and Half-Life are blurring the line between video game and film, it's becoming evident that a good game designer is not necessarily a good storyteller. Though there is plenty of interesting material in Too Human, relationships and characters come across as two dimensional and major events are hollow and undramatic.

Fortunately, despite the crummy narrative, the gameplay is generally solid. The greatest asset of Too Human is the combat controls, which are largely centered on the use of the right analog stick. This is your control for all melee attacks: single slashes, combos, slides, ranged fierce attacks, finishers, and even a double-tap that launches enemies into the air, where you can jump up to juggle them for a brief time.

Mapping melee combat to the control stick frees up the buttons to be used for the occasional special attack, such as the Berserker's battle cry, which speeds up ally movement, the Champion's spider turret, which fires at nearby enemies, or the Ruiner: a strong radial attack that varies from class to class. In fact, different classes and skill paths result in a wide variety of special attacks; your gameplay experience will be will be unique every time you create a new character.

Gunplay is handled differently - your primary fire is on the right trigger, while the left trigger controls either a second gun or a secondary fire. Too Human relies on an auto-lock system for guns, since there's no traditional aiming reticule anchored to the right stick. Instead, use the left stick to face in the appropriate direction and the right stick to switch between targets. This isn't a system as intuitive as the melee controls, but it works.

Overall, the combat controls are just plain fun. Sliding around to build up your combo meter or using two pistols to take down two targets will make you feel like a god, especially as you obtain more and more experience. But the system is not without its flaws. Sometimes, you'll be stringing together some wicked combos, but your momentum will slide you straight into an enemy that explodes or poisons you on contact. Meanwhile, the auto-targeting system is woefully finicky - you will often find yourself shooting at a blank wall or a dead enemy instead of the foe attacking you two meters away. These flaws would be less remarkable in a system that allows you to control your own camera, but in Too Human, you're sometimes stuck with a less-than-helpful vantage point.

Controls aside, there are a few unfortunate annoyances that diminish the experience. Since Baldur is a god, you can't really "die" in combat. Instead, you are resurrected by a Valkyrie and brought to the beginning of an area. This is an issue in itself, due to the fact that you often have to hike a very long distance to rejoin a fight - after you're already waited through a lengthy animation. This also goes for your save points. You can save at any time during the game, but doing so will only preserve your stats and equipment. When you load your game, you will start at a predetermined save location and have to fight your way through the same hordes you may have already defeated.

Targeting can be finicky, but when you combine firearms with melee, combat manages to be fun and intuitive.

There are also frustrating limitations on healing. Your inventory holds no potions or healing items and only one of the five available classes is capable of healing. Unless you're a Bio Engineer, you must rely on random health drops from fallen enemies or the occasional breakable object. However, these drops are truly random - you could be on the verge of death in the middle of a boss battle and receive only Bounty (money) from minion after minion. Too Human's randomness is especially irritating when you've cleared an entire room only to die thirty seconds later from a lingering poison effect because you didn't happen to receive health items.

Finally, the game disappoints when it comes to the friendly AI accompanying Baldur in the fight. These stereotypical foot soldiers (and the occasional fellow god) are usually not much help. When Baldur is still beleaguered by foes back in one room, why do his friends run off to fight in the next room? And if Baldur is getting shot in the back trying to tackle a mini-boss, why is the other guy halfway across the room battling some unimportant minion? The mediocre AI, combined with the same bad one-liners over and over again will make you yearn for squad-based games where friendlies know how to flank and share fire.

While the core of the gameplay consists of a few flaws in addition to the game's innovative combat system, there's a whole other world within Too Human's menu system. For friends of the role-playing genre, Too Human offers a well-designed array of options for micromanaging skills and equipment. If you typically enjoy that aspect of an RPG, you'll be pleased with the game's dual skill trees, weapons, armor, blueprints, and charm/rune system. If you are more interested in the game's action elements, the work required to wade through the options and optimize your character might wear thin, as there's no automation for equipping the strongest armor or managing charm quests and runes.