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Kameo: Elements of Power - Hands On Mini Preview
Chris Leyton
11/10/2005
Kameo is Rare back to their best; an early must-have title for the Xbox 360...
Since the rather large sum that Microsoft paid for the services of Rare, the once untouchable UK developer has come under a battering with titles like Grabbed by the Ghoulies and the return of a certain bad-mouthed squirrel failing to set cash registers and gamers mindās alight.
Coming late to the Xbox scene was always going to put pressure on Rare to deliver immediate results, however with the current generation slowly being squeezed to death the Xbox 360 presents a new canvas for Rare to strut itās stuff and if Perfect Dark Zero and Kameo: Elements of Power are anything to go by then the good times at Twycross may be just around the corner.
Kameoās development as a GameCube, Xbox and finally 360 title have been well documented, it would be easy for the game to have fallen apart throughout such tumultuous times, however Rare have maintained their confidence in the concept and having finally got our mitts on it we can safely say this is Rare back to their best!
Set amidst the timeless battle between the elves and trolls, Kameo features an incredible dollop of Rareās trademark qualities; characters overdosed with charisma, humour by the toilet load and more importantly a thoroughly entertaining experience that puts a smile on your face. Players take the role of the titular Kameo, an elf with the ability to employ the unique powers of 10 elemental warriors from the five Elements of Power (Plant, Water, Rock, Ice and Fire) transforming into such at the touch of a face button. The brief X05 demonstration provided us with the opportunity to get to grips with Major Ruin the Armadillo, Chilla the ice-cold Yeti and Pummel Weed the pugilistic plant ā“ possibly the greatest videogame character weāve seen in a long, long time.
Although we only got to sample a small section of the various characters available it provided the opportunity to understand just how great the concept is. Each of the characters have up to eight distinctly different moves and attacks, whether itās rolling around in a ball - ala Metroid Prime ā“ with Major Ruin or launching into a flurry of fists with Pummel Weed. Each of the characters are mapped to a face button allowing players to seamlessly shift between each of them, however the real touch of genius is how Rare have incorporated this concept into the various puzzles throughout the game. Comboāing characters is the solution to many puzzles such as rolling down a hill with Major Ruin, up the ramp to leap across a giant chasm and quickly switching to Chilla to grab hold of the wall at the other end. Itās something so brilliantly simple yet deceptively thought-provoking; ultimately itās Rare being Rare, itās just simply brilliant.
Combat in the game utilises the two shoulder triggers for a wealth of different moves based on the character, however each feels extremely satisfying and highly enjoyable; Pummel Weed literally launches into a barrage of fists which builds up a combo bar and activates an effective ābullet-timeā effect ideal for building up those combos! The level of variety to be found in Kameo keeps you coming back for more, weāre just hoping that the lengthy development period has provided the scope for Rare to squeeze as much into Kameo as possible.
Of course luscious next-generation visuals also helps and having seen Kameo in many guises since its GameCube conception itās good to see the game looking so good. Vividly detailed textures combine with a host of visual special effects to create a style that is simply out of this world. Not only that but the power of the Xbox 360 has afforded the team the ability to create all-new sections that simply werenāt possible on the GameCube or Xbox; one such example is the frantic battlefield featuring thousands of characters acting independently and providing some real fodder for Kameo to get stuck in whether it be atop a horse or rolling down the hill as Major Ruin just like a ten-pin alley!
An enjoyable balance between thought-provoking puzzles, highly enjoyable action and defining style and presentation isnāt enough for Rare it seems however, with confirmation that a two-player Co-Op mode is also available via splitscreen or Xbox Live.
Out of the many games on display at X05 this is one of the few that we could have sat and played all day long. It truly is Rare doing what they know best with gameplay to put a smile on your face and a cast of captivating characters to match.
Donāt be put off by the somewhat childish style, much like any Rare title this is just a deceptive mask that hides whatās shaping up to be one of the most enjoyable games for launch ā“ if youāve pre-ordered an Xbox 360 then make sure to add this one to the list.
tommof14h
Date Added:Sat 6th Oct 2007 23:35
euphoria
Date Added:Wed 19th Sep 2007 02:41