Mixing anachronistic elements isn't a new idea in gaming, although Too Human's blend of Viking mythology and science fiction feels fresh nonetheless. The game's story postulates a futuristic war between men and machines, although humankind has the Aesir - cybernetically enhanced Norse Gods - on their side to even things up. Naturally, you play one of the Aesir.

Too Human is best described as a 3D sci-fi Diablo. It's an action RPG with the emphasis on showers of loot and masses of combat, although there is some character building with skill points to be allocated as you level up. Where this game really differs is in the combat, which gives you more options than merely clicking and hacking at monsters, and an innovative control system.

The left analogue stick is used for movement, with the right stick being dedicated to melee attacks. You'll slash your sword in whichever direction you push the right stick, and you can rotate it to trigger a sweeping attack that hits multiple enemies. Pushing both analogue sticks in the same direction initiates a power attack, slamming an opponent for big damage.

Get the latest Dell Coupons and other computer coupons at CheapStingyBargains.com.

It's simple and intuitive, but the really interesting part is that when you aim for a monster that's out of range, a dashing attack is performed. This dynamic gives you a real sense of being a God-like warrior, as you sprint between multiple opponents like lightning, lashing or bludgeoning them with an accurate fluidity.

There is an element of cheesiness here, in so much as when you're confronted by a swarm of enemies, wiggling the right stick around randomly will pay off with some handsome combo attacks. Nevertheless, these massed battles are highly enjoyable and there's plenty of scope for tactics, particularly later in the game when the trickier beasts emerge.

Ranged guns (fired using the joypad's triggers) can be used rather than melee weapons, and indeed in some cases - when facing monsters that explode upon death - they're pretty much mandatory. Chaining attacks to build combo points (which add damage) can be an art form, so you can, for example, hit an opponent with a melee attack and knock them upwards, quickly whip out your plasma rifle and blast them before they hit the ground, juggling them in the air. Highly entertaining.

The atmosphere is dampened somewhat by a few negative factors. Death has no real sting (just some trifling levels of equipment damage), which reduces the tension of those big fights. And when you face those boss monstrosities, the 3D camera's automated swivelling can make the required running away while firing at the nasty robot unnecessarily tricky.

Too Human's levels are also channelled and linear, plus some of the bigger maps can feel repetitive as there's not much variation in the environments and you get assaulted by the same enemies over and over. The developer has tried to add some more variety by putting in diversionary "cyberspace" sections, although these are distinctly underdeveloped with rather daft simplistic puzzles that involve a lot of running around empty landscapes occasionally pushing buttons.

But don't let all this put you off. At heart, Too Human is an action RPG that's built for fun, with an interesting combat system, well executed controls and ample inventory and loot fiddling; there are many different ways to customise the multitude of swords, staves, guns and armour that drop as loot. Also worth mentioning is the multiplayer mode, which allows two friends to take on the campaign co-operatively via Xbox Live Gold.

They say that nobody's perfect, and this Microsoft action RPG is human in that respect. However, it's a more than competent take on the Diablo formula, with a surprising amount of depth to the combat and item customisation.