Kameo: Elements of Power

Written by Glenn Wigmore  on November 30, 2005

Review: Combine one part Zelda, one part Banjo Kazooie, and one part Lord of the RingsЕ what do you get? A great game.

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Each temple or village you explore will also have various side quests and tasks that you can undertake at your leisure Ц even after the story portion has been completed. Admittedly, none of these side bits are overly creative or original, as most just degenerate into using your elementals for various menial tasks (lighting torches, dragging rocks, knocking things down from high places). Still, there is a decent amount of side material and it is hard to criticize this aspect of the game, as it only adds to the overall package.

While collecting elementals, you will often consult with Ortho, a wizard who dwells in the УWotnot,Ф a book that houses the elementals and your quest information. For everything you do in the game, Ortho will have various suggestions and hints that he gives, if you ask him for them. This can make certain sequences go by smoothly that might not have otherwise, but some might view this as taking the challenge out of the game. Either way, consult Ortho at your own pace and don't hesitate to try things before checking to see what he has to say. He'll never tell you exactly what to do, but it's often pretty darn close. Again, use him at your discretion.

Controlling characters in Kameo takes a bit of getting used to, and when you understand that the triggers will be doing a good amount of the game's leg work, you should be good to go. Switching between elementals is fairly easy, as you'll have three of them constantly mapped to the X, Y, and B buttons, and the rest will be accessible from the Wotnot or by holding down one of the face buttons (which brings up a wheel to select from your pool of elementals). The underwater sequences with Deep Blue, an octopus-like creature, are fairly unwieldy, and they lead to some frustrating turnarounds, camera problems, and general disorientation. I was able to eventually get the hang of it, but this aspect of the control could've been simplified. Some of the other characters have secondary aiming УmodesФ to hurl the various projectiles they possess, and while these shooting moments don't dominate the gameplay, the snapping camera angle for focusing their shots could've been smoothed out, as certain sequences require quick shots that the game doesn't always allow you to achieve cleanly. On the whole, though, you will find that each character's attacks work very well as mapped to the triggers, and certain characters, like Rubble or Thermite, feel completely natural in all of their actions, especially when chained together.

While the gameplay is very strong, the real standout performer in Kameo is the visuals. The game's color palette and art style are both vibrant and interesting, if not a little overwhelming at times. You will be hard pressed to find something in this game that doesn't impress visually, whether it's the grand temples that house even grander bosses, the dynamic and intense Badlands, or the quiet tranquility of the Enchanted Kingdom. Each of the characters, as said before, animates beautifully and breathes a whole new level of life into platform characters. Each of the elemental warriors behaves and reacts differently during battles, and this all adds to the illusion that everything is alive. The water physics in the game look dramatic and beautiful, plus the haze of heat provided by fire or the sun really feels like next-gen effects. Don't be surprised if you find yourself staring at the bump-mapped textures on a wall or mountainside, as they really do create the illusion of weight and reality. The only minor quibble that could be levied against some of the environments is that they could've been a bit bigger, as some locales seem like they are just opening up when you realize that's all there is to them. Still, the Badlands itself is quite large, and all of the other locations, while not massive, contain an awful lot of detail and energy.

Playing on an HD TV versus a standard definition TV isn't as wide of a gap in Kameo as in some other Xbox 360 titles, but to play this game on a 720p set is quite a treat. The crispness in all of the textures, character models, water, and grass greatly helps with the immersion into the world, and the absence of jagged edges and blurry objects further enhances the suspension of disbelief. While this game isn't striving for realism, the HD factor really helps demonstrate what this system is capable of doing straight out of the box, but also when amplified by an HD set.

The audio package for Kameo is strong, but nothing groundbreaking. The best aspect is most definitely the choral-chanting and orchestral-fuelled soundtrack, which really brings an epic feel to the game. While the soundtrack does borrow heavily from some other films and games, it manages to find its own stride and pull you in Ц the theme on the Badlands is particularly good. Effects for the various characters sound fine, whether it's the clank of metal, the explosion of mortars, or the magical sounds that accompany transformations. The Badlands once again shines in this area, as the pitched battles are full of grunting trolls, bellowing ogres, war-crying elves, screeching dragons, and loud explosions. Voice acting is featured extensively in this game, which is a first for developer Rare (remember Banjo Kazooie and the odd beeps and burps?). The acting isn't bad, by any stretch of the imagination, but it doesn't help you feel too much towards anyone in the game. The writing is definitely mediocre and attempts at humor often fall flat, but there is still a charm to the characters themselves, so the voice acting is passable and helps to flesh out complete personas for the game's inhabitants.

The real standout aspects of Kameo are definitely the gameplay and visuals. The game compels you to play on because it looks so good and plays well. The story is standard-fare for this sort of game, and the groundwork definitely seems laid for a sequel and beyond. The entire story portion of the game takes about 10-12 hours to complete, but there is at least another 6 hours of collecting, side questing, and character upgrading to be done. In this regard, it's helpful to view Kameo as more of an experience, as you can really take the game at your own pace and explore all aspects of the world or just go out and start fighting trolls in the Badlands. The game does like to keep you moving from point to point, but don't be pushed along too much, as the world is there to explore. This being said, Kameo definitely could've done with a few more hours of story-related gameplay. Certain characters get featured more than others, and because you get some of the elementals so late in the game, their journey doesn't feel quite as complete. The game definitely lends itself to a replay or two, to be sure, but again, it could've really helped the overall appeal of the game had it been just a little longer (as was promised by Rare).

Aside from the single-player quest, there are a few extra modes that need mentioning. For starters, there is a co-op mode that can be played in split-screen with a buddy. Unfortunately, you do only get to play the УactionФ stages in the game cooperatively, but these sequences are still fun and co-op Kameo adds some value onto the title. Additionally, Rare has stated that a download will arrive soon that will enable cooperative play via system link and Xbox Live. The УactionФ stages can also be played again in a single-player fashion in the Time Attack mode. In playing the stages this way, you can try and beat them quickly and efficiently in order to place high on the leaderboards which are available via Xbox Live. Downloadable content is also slated to come out for the game, with some of it already available as of this review.

Rare took a great deal of time to release Kameo: Elements of Power to the public, but it has finally arrived on the Xbox 360 as one of its strongest launch titles. The presentation and gameplay are of a high quality, and it is always good to see a throwback game take center stage (or part of the stage, anyway) at a console's launch. It's safe to say the story won't blow you away, and the game could've been a tad longer overall, but what you have with Kameo is still a quality title that delivers a next-gen experience that truly feels like it comes from the next generation.