Kameo: Elements of Power
Posted December 2, 2005
Expectations were hovering somewhere high in the stratosphere when Microsoft acquired Rare several years ago, 
but even many of the Scottish developer's most ardent fans were underwhelmed by their first two outings on the Xbox: the fine but forgettable Grabbed by the Ghoulies and the pretty but warmed-over gameplay of Conker: Live and Reloaded. The third-person action/adventure Kameo: Elements of Power is a return to what gamers had come to expect from Rare, boasting arguably the most impressive visuals of the Xbox 360's launch titles and certainly some of the most distinctive gameplay.
The premise is standard-issue for the genre: an elf princess named Kameo has to duke it out against her wicked older sister Kalus and troll king Thorn's armies to rescue her family and restore balance to her kingdom. Kameo's not a mighty warrior herself, armed with just a flip-kick and a set of wings that allow her to swiftly hover out of harm's way. She's hardly helpless, though -- with the power of the mystical book known as the Wotnot, Kameo can acquire various elemental forms to help her on her quest, allowing her to transform into a sentient pile of rocks, a fire-breathing dragon, an ice-spear-chucking gorilla, and an oversized ant that totes around an explosive organic cannon, among others. These powers allow Kameo to brave frozen wastelands, enchanted forests, and wartorn Badlands as she seeks to put an end to the trolls' reign of terror and live happily ever after.
Graphics:
Kameo has been percolating at Rare for years now, and although the game has migrated to the Xbox 360 from a variety of different platforms, I'd never have guessed its previous generation origins by looking at it. While most of the 360's launch titles have tried to emphasize realism, Rare went in a completely different direction with these heavily stylized fantasy visuals. The result is by far the most impressive of the launch titles I've had a chance to play, and as great as the other games look, Kameo is the first to make me feel as if I'm genuinely playing a next-generation title.
Kameo has to be seen on a big-screen HDTV to be fully appreciated; the game is bright, colorful, and immaculately detailed, and, at least from a normal viewing distance, there's hardly a trace of aliasing to be found. Its expressive characters look like something straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon, and the gorgeously rendered environments are so brimming with detail that they almost seem alive. The expansive draw-distance contributes to the scope and otherworldly feel of the game, and the sprawling battles in the Badlands between the hundreds of knights of the Enchanted Kingdom and Thorn's troll armies feel like a page torn from one of the
Lord of the Rings movies. Its shortcomings are all tolerable: the camera can be a little troublesome, particularly in tight quarters, and some textures in the environments can be a bit repetitive. Still, the graphics truly are astonishing, even if an HDTV is required to get the most from them, and it boggles the mind to think that this is a launch title and that things will only get better over the next four or five years on the 360.
Audio:
Kameo's Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is nearly as impressive as the game's visuals. The orchestral score and haunting choir would be a seamless fit in a big-budget Hollywood epic, and although I didn't find the story engaging enough to care to listen to each individual line of dialogue, the voice acting is also considerably above-average. Kameo's elemental forms don't speak as such, but the sounds they mutter as they wobble around contribute to their surprisingly strong sense of personality, and the design of the sound effects as a whole is remarkable. The surround sound setup works remarkably well too, lending the game a more immersive feel and adding a good deal of directionality to Kameo's quest. Exceptional all around.
but even many of the Scottish developer's most ardent fans were underwhelmed by their first two outings on the Xbox: the fine but forgettable Grabbed by the Ghoulies and the pretty but warmed-over gameplay of Conker: Live and Reloaded. The third-person action/adventure Kameo: Elements of Power is a return to what gamers had come to expect from Rare, boasting arguably the most impressive visuals of the Xbox 360's launch titles and certainly some of the most distinctive gameplay.The premise is standard-issue for the genre: an elf princess named Kameo has to duke it out against her wicked older sister Kalus and troll king Thorn's armies to rescue her family and restore balance to her kingdom. Kameo's not a mighty warrior herself, armed with just a flip-kick and a set of wings that allow her to swiftly hover out of harm's way. She's hardly helpless, though -- with the power of the mystical book known as the Wotnot, Kameo can acquire various elemental forms to help her on her quest, allowing her to transform into a sentient pile of rocks, a fire-breathing dragon, an ice-spear-chucking gorilla, and an oversized ant that totes around an explosive organic cannon, among others. These powers allow Kameo to brave frozen wastelands, enchanted forests, and wartorn Badlands as she seeks to put an end to the trolls' reign of terror and live happily ever after.
Graphics:
Kameo has been percolating at Rare for years now, and although the game has migrated to the Xbox 360 from a variety of different platforms, I'd never have guessed its previous generation origins by looking at it. While most of the 360's launch titles have tried to emphasize realism, Rare went in a completely different direction with these heavily stylized fantasy visuals. The result is by far the most impressive of the launch titles I've had a chance to play, and as great as the other games look, Kameo is the first to make me feel as if I'm genuinely playing a next-generation title.
Kameo has to be seen on a big-screen HDTV to be fully appreciated; the game is bright, colorful, and immaculately detailed, and, at least from a normal viewing distance, there's hardly a trace of aliasing to be found. Its expressive characters look like something straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon, and the gorgeously rendered environments are so brimming with detail that they almost seem alive. The expansive draw-distance contributes to the scope and otherworldly feel of the game, and the sprawling battles in the Badlands between the hundreds of knights of the Enchanted Kingdom and Thorn's troll armies feel like a page torn from one of the
Lord of the Rings movies. Its shortcomings are all tolerable: the camera can be a little troublesome, particularly in tight quarters, and some textures in the environments can be a bit repetitive. Still, the graphics truly are astonishing, even if an HDTV is required to get the most from them, and it boggles the mind to think that this is a launch title and that things will only get better over the next four or five years on the 360.Audio:
Kameo's Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is nearly as impressive as the game's visuals. The orchestral score and haunting choir would be a seamless fit in a big-budget Hollywood epic, and although I didn't find the story engaging enough to care to listen to each individual line of dialogue, the voice acting is also considerably above-average. Kameo's elemental forms don't speak as such, but the sounds they mutter as they wobble around contribute to their surprisingly strong sense of personality, and the design of the sound effects as a whole is remarkable. The surround sound setup works remarkably well too, lending the game a more immersive feel and adding a good deal of directionality to Kameo's quest. Exceptional all around.