Kameo: Elements of Power

"I hate platformers."

Hello and welcome to my third review. Before you read any further, no, the tagline is not a mistake. Before playing this game I hated platformers. I hated the need to collect little things across levels and all the frustrations that came with them (coughcoughstupidannoyingbossbattlescoughcough). Not only does Kameo take these ideas and eat them, but it regurgitates a much easier, fun and overall enjoyable experience. This game is fantastic.

Introduction:
Kameo started out as a Gamecube game. It looked promising but had a more 'Pokemon'ish atmosphere. This was because Rare planned it as a monster collecting game. Then, of course, Rare was bought by Microsoft. So, they started the game again, in development for the Xbox. But then for some reason, it was delayed again, but I can tell you that it is well worth the wait. Kameo:Elements of Power is now a launch title for Microsoft's Xbox 360, and by all means, go ahead, buy it. But how about I tell you why?

Story: 7/10
Let's get the worst things out of the way first shall we? Kameo, being a family friendly game, does a pretty decent job of achieving a story line that can appeal to most audiences. The game starts with a small cutscene, describing how Kameo, daughter of Elf Queen Theena and Elf King Solos (I think that's his name), was given the gift of the Elemental Spirit. This spirit is a family gift, which allows the receiver to transform into the famous 'Elemental Warriors'. Now, of course, Kameos sister 'Kalus' is expected to receive the spirit, because she is older. But, in a strange turn of events, Kameo receives the gift. This makes Kalus angry and evil. By angry and evil I mean she summons the king of the trolls (trolls being the race which the elves are currently at war with) known as Thorn and kidnaps all the family members. Kameo, in a hurried attempt to rescue them, loses all her Elemental Warriors and is barely saved by 'The Mystic'. From here it's the basic platformer premise, meaning you have to save your family members, get the Elemental Warriors back and defeat Kalus and Thorn. All in all I think it's a decent storyline but it's definately not the main focus of the game. I still however deem it worthy of a 7.... out of 10

Graphics: 10/10
Now this may just be the reaction of a person who has just bought an Xbox 360, and people from the year 2010 may look back at this review and laugh at me, but still, I must say OMGBBQZOIDBERGFEET!. This graphics are amazing, and I don't even have a HD TV! Excellent detail is displayed in just about every part of the game. Character models are fantastic (even upgradeable), magic effects are incredible (such as Ash's Fire Blaze), the grass is beautiful, moving and swaying as you fly through it. Just about every part of this game screams at you (a scream of delight of course). One of the best parts of the game is playing as Kameo and flying through enchanted landscapes of grass, trees and exotic plants and buildings. Sadly there are a few minor flaws, such as certain objects moving through others but it's not very noticable. The graphics in this game, compared to todays standards, definitely deserve a 10....out of 10.

Gameplay: 9/10
As videogame adepts would say, the gameplay is the meat and potatoes of the game. This saying definately applies for Kameo. Basically, as the storyline mentions, you are Kameo and you are in charge of ten Elemental Warriors. These are definately varied in gameplay styles, and could easily have a videogame of their own. Major Ruin for example, is a weird rock animal thing, who luckily can roll into a ball. In this ball form he plays alot like Samus' Morph Ball in Metroid Prime. However......wait. There is no however. He does play alot like Samus' Morph Ball. Then you have the character named Pummelweed, who specializes in melee combat. Sadly, you also have the incredibly annoying character called Deep Blue, who specializes in underwater levels. Hopefully those examples show how not only are the characters varied, but also the range of puzzles and levels. Each Warrior is used for their own unique type of puzzle, and each has a unique ability to make it useful. Kameo also includes a co-op mode, which is sadly limited to only the more 'dramatic' parts of the game, which are split into levels. These levels are short and easy, and must have been completed during the single player game to become playable. But single player is a joy to play through, with unique puzzles, cool level designs and unique enemies. The boss battles, while sometimes frustrating, offer a unique twist to the games usual gameplay, and believe me, they definately require some thinking. The reason this section receives a 9 is because sadly, the game can become greatly frustrating, not only in boss battles. Times when you cannot reach a certain ledge (and must swim back ever so slowly to try again) or when you cannot defeat an enemy, really slow down the game pace and tempt you to eat your controller. The frustrating yet fun gameplay of Kameo has been rated by me. :). i give it a 9....out of 10.

Sound: 8/10
Hooray for music, where would we be without it! This game has a nice soundtrack, which enchants you with it's beauty. The songs easily match the given environment, or mood (such as boss battles), although the loops do become annoying if you are stuck in the same place for an extended period of time. The voice acting is... not so good. Kameos uncle Hallis is practically reading his script, Aunt Lenya is annoying and all together the voice of Kameos is not really trying. I'm unsure whether this is an example of poor dialogue, or voice acting, but there is a time when a plot twist is revealed. This may not suprise or interest the gamer, but Kameo should be shocked and devasted. However, neither the voice actor or the script shows any form of despair, as Kameo immediately continues with the conversation. Moving on, the game has very nice sound effects. The booming of Deep Blues underwater missiles, the sounds of the quick contact of Pummelweeds fists and the screams of the innocent townsfolk under attack (by me) are only small examples of the games pleasant sound effects. All is clear and easy to hear. While the music and sound effects may be fantastic, the score is brought down by the horrible voice acting. I give the sound happy Kameo pony pretty forest land, an 8.... out of 10

Conclusion (Rent/Buy)
This game is truly amazing, with great visuals, a decent storyline, pleasant sound and fantastic gameplay. While it may not be for everyone, I reccomend you save your rent money, and immediately buy Kameo. It's a great game, which AT LEAST deserves a rent. Hooray for Kameo!

9....out of 10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/03/06