Kameo: Elements of Power

"Transforming your Xbox 360, or disappointingly lackluster?"

Of all of the Xbox 360 launch titles that didn't look crappy, Kameo seemed like a safe bet. I got to play the demo, and it left me wanting a little more. When a friend acquired the game and system, amongst other things, I wanted to get my hands on it and play it. I finally got the opportunity to.

Gameplay: 6/10

Gameplay is superb, though disappointingly easy to predict. The easiest way to describe this game is 'fetch quest', as that's about what you'll be doing in between battling trolls and running odd, transformation-centered quests for extraordinarily inventive characters. While trolls, faeries, and elves are not something out of the ordinary, the other NPC's are extremely interesting to look at.

While the storyline is cliché and perhaps overdone, the game itself is relatively solid. However, the main irritations are the camera, the controls (while attacking with the L/R triggers is good, movement is not) and the difficulty. First, the camera. Depending on where you are, the camera will sometimes lock to let you see what's happening behind you/to your side, etc. While this is okay at first, it sometimes derives from the experience, and makes it difficult to move. Luckily, the camera is almost always free at all times. However, it is extremely easy to be moving the camera in battle, and wind up with a screen full of lush, descriptive grass or underbrush. This detracts from the overall gameplay, even if it's just a small thing.

The controls are also a little iffy. Transformation is relatively simple: you assign a 'transformation' to X, Y, or B, and you can transform into any of those forms on the fly. Plus, they made it so you don't have to open your book to assign transformations: merely hold down the button, and a 'wheel' appears. This allows you to transform relatively quickly in mid-battle into something you don't have assigned, as when you pick that transform, it becomes automatically assigned to that button and you immediately transform into that creature.

Speaking of creatures, many of them are, amazingly, not overused concepts. Though you may feel a bit of a Pokémon vibe from the game, I assure you this is a fleeting feeling (one that will return each time you gain a new transformation, however). From tiny ants with a huge pot of lava, to a living pile of rocks.. the transformations are rather inventive.

Oh, and have you seen the difficulty level? I think I may have lost it.. oh, that's because there is no difficulty level. It's incredibly difficult to die in this game unless you REALLY try, and later in the game, you can acquire an orb that allows you to regenerate health when you aren't taking hits. Factoring in the fact that some of the transformations are either nearly useless, or overpowered, and you see a little bit of the dark side of Kameo.

However, in order to gain these summons, you must defeat Shadow Trolls. Now, when I say this is the most tedious task I've ever had to deal with in a game, I mean it. The cut scenes have very little variety and everytime you face a Shadow Troll, gain a new transformation, or upgrade a transformation, you will find yourself watching the same cutscene.. over.. and over.. and over.. and over..

Not to mention, the game seems to derive a whole heck of a lot from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. Is this just me?

Graphics: 9/10

The game is amazingly detailed. Rare did a great job bringing the game to life. It's an experience you really have to see to believe. If you have seen it, congratulations. Expect to see more of it if you buy the game. Down to the grass, hairs on NPC's heads (or bodies), and even the tiniest things.. everything has been given incredible graphics. There really isn't much to gripe about here.

Music/Sound: 5/10

Music? You really won't notice the music. I never did, except for cut scenes. You'll be concentrating too much on the fighting or traveling in the game to notice the music. If you do, consider pumping up some of your favorite tunes while playing.

The voice acting is decent, though the voices are just as predictable as the game is. There is really no surprises here at all, good or bad. Sounds are fitting of the transformations, worlds, and characters, with some obvious exceptions.

Bells and Whistles: 9/10

There's a whole heck of a lot of this. Unlockables galore for those that play through the game efficiently. It's easy to unlock things like concept art, deleted scenes/extra scenes, new skins for transformations.. the list is endless.

Final Score: 6/10

While the game is certainly a step forward for action/adventure games, it doesn't impact the genre enough to raise the bar. While the positives certainly balance out the negatives, there are some little things that one can't help but point out. Transformations seem to be unbalanced, with many of them too powerful, not powerful enough, or having little to no place in the game. One summon is there specifically to get through one particular area and kill one particular enemy. Uh. Okay.

Despite all this, Kameo is a solid game that deserves its hard-earned six out of ten. If you're an Xbox 360 owner, you have little choice but to purchase this game, as games seem to be coming out for the console at a snail's pace.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 01/06/06