Kameo: Elements of Power – 360 – Review

A wise bard once
sang: The waiting is the hardest part. If you followed the lengthy delay of a
little game called Kameo for Microsoft’s black box, it seemed like it
would never see the light of day despite the various screenshots that promised a
gorgeous-looking adventure game worthy of the Xbox. We also waited patiently for
the Xbox 360, which has finally reached store shelves. So imagine the delight to
find Kameo: Elements of Power among the launch titles for Microsoft’s
next generation console. At last we get to see the game the way it was meant to
be released.

 

Kameo
tells the tale of an elfin princess named Kameo that, when we first meet her,
morphs into a Yeti-like creature named Chilla. In fact, she can also turn into a
giant plant named Pummel Weed that can give Mohammed Ali a run for his money in
the boxing department as well as an armadillo creature called Major Ruin. As
these powerful Elemental Warriors, Kameo attempts to rescue her family from the
clutches of her power-hungry sister named Kalus, who also manages to free a
troll king named Thorn. Serving as a tutorial and a prologue, we witness how the
power to morph into the Elemental Warriors is stripped from her. This, however,
is just the beginning of a much bigger picture. What a great way to begin a
game, right?

While the
beginning serves as an introduction to the controls, the ability to morph and
the type of puzzles you‘ll be solving, it just barely scratches the surface of
the game’s overall feel. After the events of the game’s prologue Kameo finds
herself in her familiar home in the Enchanted Kingdom where you can explore and
learn from a Warrior Trainer as well receive the handy Wotnot Book (keeps a
record of your journey as well as stores your Elemental Warriors in a Warriors
Wheel that allows you to select and assign your warrior to a specific button).
From there your quests really begins as you attempt to reclaim your Elemental
Warriors by traveling across her world where there’s plenty to see and do.

Kameo herself
isn’t exactly helpless since she has a mean flip kick that can do the enemy some
damage and she can even hover above the ground with her wings. While she might
be a slender wisp of a girl, her bravery makes her such an endearing character.
She even gets to mount a horse and join in a massive battle between the elfin
forces and those of the nasty trolls. Yet one of the game main attractions is
the use of the Elemental Warriors. There are ten in total that range from the
three I mentioned above to a rock monster named Rubble and a little termite
named Thermite that chucks huge lava bombs at enemies. Not only do these
warriors have their own unique abilities you can use during combat but they are
also needed to solve the game’s puzzles.

 

Puzzles in
Kameo
are actually quite inventive. At one point you use Chilla to throw an
ice at a jewel in the front of the game to open the gate just a crack. The
trouble is that the crack is too small for Kameo to fit through but then again
Pummel Weed can burrow its way down low enough to fit right through. Mixing and
matching each Elemental Warrior’s abilities are just many of the ways you solve
the game’s various puzzles.

Variety is spice
of life, they say, and the game certainly tosses a lot of variety throughout the
game so even though combat can begin to be a bit repetitive at points there’s
always something that occurs in the game that has you guessing what to do next.
The sad part is that the game is short. You’ll zip right through the game in a
single weekend and that’s even with the game’s co-op multiplayer mode. Still,
it’s a good ride while it lasts.

On the graphics
front, Kameo looks amazing on the Xbox 360. The game’s environments are
just so beautifully rendered and filled with detail that you’ll stop in the
middle of the action just to admire the setting. From the dark yet incredibly
detailed castle in the beginning to the lush Forgotten Forest Glad, you won’t
help but stop to admire even the littlest details like the long stalks of grass
or the expression on a troll’s face when you hurt them. Even more impressive are
the effects, especially when it comes to the morphing of the various Elemental
Warriors. They, much like every character in the game, are rendered marvelously
so expect to be pleased by the game’s great looks.

 

If you think the
game’s graphics are stellar wait until you get an earful of the game’s excellent
sound. First off the game’s score is wonderfully cinematic, building up just
right when things get a bit hairy then changing to a soft tempo during cutscenes
or exploration. Then comes the game’s sound effects that are every bit as
detailed as the game’s visuals. You’ll know trolls are around because you’ll
hear their grunts from a distance and smacking an armored-clad enemy result in
the sound of individual armor pieces hitting the ground with a distinct clank.
The voice acting is also a highlight and performed nicely enough.

Genuinely
enjoyable from start to finish, Kameo: Elements of Power is beautifully
designed game that’s not only innovative but also fun enough to be one of those
games you should really consider buying. It might not be in the same league as
the Zelda games but with its own interesting concepts and grand battles
this is a game worth playing if you like a good adventure game. 


Review Scoring
Details for Kameo: Elements of Power

Gameplay: 9.0
Control-wise
the game is pretty darn good and you’ll get pretty comfortable with the game’s
control scheme quickly. You can assign an Elemental Warrior to the B, X and Y
buttons so you can morph on the fly and pulling off their special attacks isn’t
hard either. The combat can get a wee bit repetitive but with good puzzles and
lots to see it’s hard to really complain about these things.

Graphics: 9.2

Exquisitely
gorgeous in every sense of the way, Kameo is a game that looks amazing
even without a high-definition television. While not pushing the Xbox 360’s
graphics to its fullest, just staring at the lush environments and the shiny
reflective surfaces of metal will warm your heart and make you want to kiss your
console. The character models are just so well detailed.

Sound: 9.5
The soundtrack
is one of the game’s many highlights and it’s even more enjoyable than the
game’s great voice acting. The sound effects are just as well detailed as the
graphics so play this one with a good sound system and crank the volume.

Difficulty:
Medium
Aside from a
number of nasty enemies and tough boss battles, it’s the game’s various (and
clever) puzzles that will give you quite a nice cerebral workout. While not
frustrating difficult, the puzzles will keep you busy but it’s the multiple
enemies that will pose more of a threat.

Concept: 8.5
Original and
nicely innovative, the game uses the Elemental Warriors for other useful things
other than just combat. The game adds plenty of variety and each Elemental
Warriors brings something different to the game’s engaging combat. There’s also
co-op multiplayer and downloadable content planned for the near future.

Multiplayer:
7.0
A friend can
join you in a split-screen co-op mode that basically allows you to replay six of
the best action sequences from Solo mode. The good news is that you’re able to
share a nice big segment of the game with a friend. The bad news, on the other
hand, is that your friend will also play as Kameo and can’t be distinguished
with Player 1’s Kameo.

Overall: 8.9
Kameo
is one of those unforgettable gems that is the perfect way to break in a new
console like the Xbox 360 and while it’s a bit on the short side it won’t fail
to please the adventure fans in all of us. With inventive puzzles, dazzling
visuals and a wonderful game world just ripe for exploration, this is a launch
title worth buying.