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Kameo: Elements of Power Review

Chris Leyton

01/12/2005

Five years in the making Kameo finally makes her long-awaited appearance in a worthwhile contender to Zelda's throne...

Given the close ties between Rare and Nintendo during the seven years itâs perhaps inevitable that a little of the Japanese giant has worn off on the illustrious UK developer. Rareâs landmark platformer, Banjo-Kazooie, contained more then a few nods towards Mario 64 and itâs fair to say their latest title, Kameo: Elements of Power, draws its influence from the Zelda series with a few further nods towards other classic Nintendo franchises.

The convoluted story between Rare, Nintendo and Microsoft has been well documented and needs no going over, however as a result Kameo and her chums have found themselves on no less then three different formats, effectively starting from scratch on numerous occasions; can the game overcome such difficulties and bring worthwhile competition to The Legend of Zelda for the 360âs launch â“ in most cases itâs a resounding yes.

Long ago, Trolls and Elves lived together in near harmony. However a Troll known as Thorn, by far the strongest of his generation, rose quickly through the ranks to become the Trollâs king. Whilst King Solon was away on the traditional quest of the Elfin Royal line â“ the search for Elemental Warriors â“ Thorn took advantage to begin conquering the other tribes. In time Solon returned to his Kingdom, where he discovered Thornâs actions and used the power of the Elemental Warriors to vanquish the Troll King, sending his treacherous race into exile along with him. The day however brought curses and blessings in equal measure, as King Solon himself disappeared in the wake of battle.

History moved on, and Solonâs wife Theena was left to rule the Kingdom. Eventually attentions turned towards Kameo and Kalus, blossoming daughters of the Elfin Royal Family. All in the kingdom knew that when they reached adulthood, one of the two princesses would claim the throne, the Kingdom and the element of Power.

Kameo: Elements of Power begins with the titular heroâs attempts to rescue her ancestors from the clutches of Thorn and her jealous sister Kalus. Without all of the Elemental Warriors in the Wotnot book however, Kameo comes close to death and must ensure she firstly collects all of the Warriors before mounting a challenge. What entails is essentially a carbon copy of the Zelda template; each Warrior takes Kameo to a new temple (one of which is imaginatively titled the Water Temple), engaging in dialogue with the rich characters she comes across and a good blend of action and puzzles along the way.

Kameoâs most prevalent feature is through the Warriors, which when collected bring a new set of techniques to her disposal; from Pummel Weedâs ability to bury below the ground and pass impenetrable objects to Major Ruinâs homage to the Metroid series by rolling up into a ball and whizzing around the environment. Each of the Warriors has access to up to eight different techniques, which can be unlocked throughout the game by collecting Elemental Fruits. Although thereâs some disappointment from the samey nature of several of the characters, Rare have certainly managed to incorporate their trademark level of personality to each of the characters over-inflated egoâs â“ a nice touch given the somewhat detached style in other 360 titles.

To a certain extent Rare have managed to work their brilliance when it comes to comboâing these techniques to solve certain puzzles, such as rolling up a ramp and across a chasm with Major Ruin, only to transform into Chilla and climb up the adjacent ice wall. Sadly despite showing this concept at an early stage within the game it never really develops into anything more then the above mentioned example. Changing between the 10 different Warriors is also a somewhat clunky system during the latter stages of the game, with three characters mapped to the face buttons and those left out needing a wheel to be brought up firstly. The end result is perhaps a concept that feels as though it should give more; perhaps Rare should have focussed on less Warriors and smarter interchanges between them then relying on the over-used Major Ruin/Chilla dynamic.

When Elemental Warriors are separated from the Wotnot Book they become cute vulnerable Elemental Sprites. The Trolls have taken full advantage of this with each of the Sprites held captive by a Shadow Troll. Each stage firstly requires players to rescue a Sprite, return it to the Wotnot Book to revert it back to its Warrior manifestation and then ultimately rescue an ancestor from the accompanying temple with the skills of the new found Warrior â“ as stated before those whoâve enjoyed the Zelda series will know exactly what to expect.

Fighting against the Shadow Trolls to rescue the Elemental Sprite provides a nice diversion at first; Kameo is transported to the Tolkien inspired Shadow Realm, where she must first defeat the Shadow Trollâs minions, take control of their bodies to launch an attack at the Shadow Troll. The scene utilises an impressive invert visual technique whilst the swarm of bats and flowing lava creates a memorable experience, however the repetition of reusing the same technique soon begins to get a little thin and monotonous after the umpteenth time.

Although the puzzle nature of the temples doesnât really come close to touching the strengths of the Zelda series, Kameo does have plenty of âeurekaâ moments where the solution becomes all-too clear after painstakingly searching. One cause of frustration is the constant solutions offered by Ortho in the Wotnot book, although thankfully you can shut him up in the options menu.

Because of the large cast of characters, combat within Kameo: Elements of Power rarely suffers from the problems of repetition whether itâs Pummel Weed launching into a brutal flurry of fists or Thermiteâs firecrackers. Rare have attempted to develop the concept with the inclusion of different types of takedowns to further multiply Battle Points; itâs a classic example of that Rare touch that hides a level of depth beyond the highly accessible nature of the game. In addition a Focus meter fills whenever a successful blow lands with a Troll, building up until eventually Warrior Focus is activated, which yes youâve guessed it slows down time to allow players to rack up the points. Itâs a shame that the concept couldnât have been developed a little further to accommodate the warrior transformations, perhaps an additional multiplier based on the number of transformations in a combo could have worked nicely and developed the concept a little further.

Amidst the temples, side quests and other challenges Kameo: Elements of Power sports a new stage made possible by the gameâs move to the 360. An epic battle between the Trolls and Elves is ongoing throughout the game in the Badlands, itâs obvious that the guys took one look at Peter Jacksonâs Lord of the Rings trilogy for inspiration with the many hundreds of units caught up in conflict. Throughout the game youâll be given updates on the state of the war and asked to assist during certain sections, such as repelling a naval bombardment by defending Elfish soldiers trying to launch their own cannons. The Badlands provide some much needed respite from the core puzzle/combat running throughout the game, whilst also presenting the chance for another nod towards the Zelda series with the ability to mount a horse and rush through the hordes of Trolls.

Despite its many platform changes and years spent in development, Kameo: Elements of Power still manages to impress from a visual perspective and comes across as sufficiently next-gen for the time being. Character models may look a little simple (despite the abundance of Rareâs fur) however they certainly pack plenty of personality. The overall world that Kameo takes place within however is nothing short of breathtaking; an abundance of special effects such as depth-filtering, blades of grass moving in the wind and hundreds of dragons flying in the skies above, creates a startling title that can at times leave you breathless.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment with Kameo: Element of Power is the fact thereâs simply not enough of it. The main story can be whizzed through in about eight hours, although the game does offer a lot to keep you coming back; searching through the side-quests will almost double the figure along with the plenty of goodies to unlock such as alternative costumes. Rare have also included Co-Op support, taking place on handpicked stages from the main campaign although its lasting appeal is slightly questionable.