With the release of the XBOX 360 comes the first RPG from Rare. These are the guys that created games like R/C PROAM, Marble Madness, Battle toads, and Donkey Kong Country. Oh yeah, and Perfect Dark Zero. This time they’ve gone back to their roots and created Zelda meets Donkey Kong Country with elemental powers.
If your die hard RPG and fell in love with The Lord of The Rings, Neverwinter Nights, Baldur’s Gate… don’t expect to get your fix with Kameo. Kameo seems like it would be more of a Game Cube “platformer” then an XBOX 360 release party title. This does not take away from its fun, its graphic artistry or game challenge. It simply puts it all into perspective: You’re a cute chick with powers of the elements and it plays more like Zelda or Donkey Kong Country (DKC).
So what exactly is this game all about? You’re a little druidic girl that is trying to save your family from a big evil meanie. In order to be good enough to beat the evilness you must acquire all the elemental warriors and “absorb” them into yourself thus allowing you to call upon there powers and morph into them. As the game progresses you’ll need many of there powers to defeat many powerful boss type figures. So simply put: hunt down all ten of your elemental warriors and then use them to save your family.
There are many things to love about this game and a few to hate. I’ll start with the good stuff, and let you in on some of my frustrations as we go. First lets go right to the obvious…
Graphics: A+
This game is stunning. I believe it’s probably one of the first titles because of its sheer beauty on the screen. Oh yeah, and because it was probably finished earlier then other games. Your character (Kameo) is a cute little girl in a mini-skirt that can morph her forms into elementals warriors that you absorb into your inner being. Each one of these wonders is greatly detailed and realistically rendered. Each monster’s special abilities are a wonder to behold be it fire balls, oil splashes, water spittle’s, or simple ass whooping.
The game world itself is amazingly detailed with high quality textures and reflection. Remember, this is a fantasy game with more “cartoony” graphics then a game like… DOOM III. So you’re getting great cartoon graphics not realism graphics (although if cartoons were real they would look like Kameo).
Sounds: C
There is nothing in the game sound that blew me off my feet. The sound track fits the game, and many music breakdowns (near leaders or after you beat one) sound like something from The Lord of The Rings films by Peter Jackson. However, the sound effects are typical to those in any RPG. Nice, but does not measure up against the graphics.
Game Play and Camera: C
If you have played Zelda for the N64 or Game Cube and liked the style of movement and responsiveness this game is going to drive you nuts. The camera is controlled by the secondary analog stick and usually follows Kameo around from her back. However when battling big leaders I’ve found that I’m usually facing the completely wrong direction and need to use the secondary analog stick to see them…then they move from my direction and are somewhere entirely different. This occurs almost all the time when battling spirit trolls for your elemental powers. I would feel better had it stuck to my back and let me walk around with more ease and 'targeted' enemies of great power rather then facing walls and making me run around in circles like a mad man.
When you walk (with the primary analog stick) all is well but some elemental forms have awkward movements or after you finish letting go of the analog stick they find the need to take one or two extra steps. This throws off accuracy when trying to hit a mark on a wall with a throwing item or beam of water (also assists in dropping off cliffs when least expecting it). It takes getting used to, but is one of the more frustrating aspects of the game play. If I let off the controls I expect you to STOP immediately not play out the entire animation for the walk.
Lastly, there is a lot of hopping. Jump from cliff to cliff or fall off and do it again. There are some aspects that are similar to sonic the hedgehog in this regard (as one of your elemental forms is a ball that spins fast and charges up and takes off). No huge loops and tracks, but many hallways or ramps that you’ll be navigating.
Challenge, Replay ability, and Fun: A
There are areas in this game that are just tough to beat while other areas are cake. Each level has its puzzles and such that you must figure out (or buy the handy dandy guide from Prima). So you may be battling one moment and puzzling out a doorway the next moment. So there is a mix of a challenge for those hard core hack/slashers and those cerebral types.
The replay value comes into play when you wish to get “points” to score high XBOX 360 achievements. You have to beat a level with no deaths, with speed, and with high kill rates. Doing this earns you more points which can be built to make achievements or unlock special achievements or hidden in-game stuff (like skins for your elementals, and other such stuff).
There are also many side quests to go down that are not directly part of completing the game but offer treasures and fruit to push up your elemental powers. So if you are the type of person that wants to play a game through AND beat all there is to beat then this game will be a good fit for you. The initial achievements are easy to hit by just playing the game and finding new elemental warriors to morph into.
Many evil beasts cannot be killed without the help of a few of your elemental warriors. Some things may require your stone elemental warrior (rubble) to toss a rock at the enemy to stun them, then your plant elemental warrior (pummel weed) to beat them senseless. It’s cute, it requires some thinking and tactics, and can be a challenge.
Lastly, the water warrior… oh my goodness. By far the worse game play technique I’ve ever seen. The entire game plays one way…but the water warrior plays completely opposite using the “airplane” control system (inverse up and down) or something strange like that. All I know is that I want to throw my controller through the TV every time I have to shape change into that beast and go into the water.
RPG aspects: C+
This is a very dumbed down simplistic RPG. Its more action/adventure with a few areas of RPGish-ness in how you can purchase items, build up your elemental warriors power by investing ‘fruit’ (rare find) to gain new powers or advance your current powers.
There really is no “magic” in this game except in the fact that you are an elf that can shape change. Each creature has abilities that you could imagine a warrior of elements having (not really magic). A dragon breaths fire, an ice warrior grabs enemies and impales them on his spiked back, water beast spits water/oils, etc. All their abilities requires "spirit" to "cast" them but realistically this is simply a method to slow you down from spam hammering the enemy with powerful moves.
XBOX Live: ??
This game is multi-player to some degree, but I’ve not tried it. I’ve read what they had listed in the “Kameo Official Game Guide” (by Prima) and it doesn’t seem like something that would really interest me. You can play levels that you’ve unlocked by running the single player game and team up with friends to get high scores and such…but you cannot run the storyline “single player” game in a multi-player mode. So I really don’t care too much for this area right now. In my mind they added this to give the game more value after it has been beaten and to put “Xbox Live” on the box (thus getting more gold account membership?).
Conclusion: B
This game is definitely cute and in many ways innovative but not revolutionary. Taking the aspects of Zelda’s questing, Mario 64 game play (with less responsiveness), all wrapped in Donkey Kong Country 64. There is plenty to see and do if you become a big fan of the game. I think that I’ll probably not find too much interest in all the side quests and unlocking all the achievements because there are so many games to play on the XBOX 360 with more coming out all the time. I’m a very big Zelda fan and I like the “medieval” aspect of that genre where this RPG is more cutie pie druidic gaming. It’s a different spin on an old concept which refershes the genre a little and gives you a good entertainment value for your dollar.
If you’re looking for a game that isn’t a first person shooter or racing then this might be worth picking up. You may want to rent it first to give it a try before you buy just to make sure it fits your style. I know FadeIntoBlack falls asleep with bordem if he puts this game into his console :-) I hear about it all the time from him while chatting in World of Warcraft. If your strapped for cash or don’t really care for RPG adventure games I’d move on to something a little more blood and guts.
CodeMonkey
So what exactly is this game all about? You’re a little druidic girl that is trying to save your family from a big evil meanie. In order to be good enough to beat the evilness you must acquire all the elemental warriors and “absorb” them into yourself thus allowing you to call upon there powers and morph into them. As the game progresses you’ll need many of there powers to defeat many powerful boss type figures. So simply put: hunt down all ten of your elemental warriors and then use them to save your family.
There are many things to love about this game and a few to hate. I’ll start with the good stuff, and let you in on some of my frustrations as we go. First lets go right to the obvious…
Graphics: A+
This game is stunning. I believe it’s probably one of the first titles because of its sheer beauty on the screen. Oh yeah, and because it was probably finished earlier then other games. Your character (Kameo) is a cute little girl in a mini-skirt that can morph her forms into elementals warriors that you absorb into your inner being. Each one of these wonders is greatly detailed and realistically rendered. Each monster’s special abilities are a wonder to behold be it fire balls, oil splashes, water spittle’s, or simple ass whooping.
The game world itself is amazingly detailed with high quality textures and reflection. Remember, this is a fantasy game with more “cartoony” graphics then a game like… DOOM III. So you’re getting great cartoon graphics not realism graphics (although if cartoons were real they would look like Kameo).
Sounds: C
There is nothing in the game sound that blew me off my feet. The sound track fits the game, and many music breakdowns (near leaders or after you beat one) sound like something from The Lord of The Rings films by Peter Jackson. However, the sound effects are typical to those in any RPG. Nice, but does not measure up against the graphics.
Game Play and Camera: C
If you have played Zelda for the N64 or Game Cube and liked the style of movement and responsiveness this game is going to drive you nuts. The camera is controlled by the secondary analog stick and usually follows Kameo around from her back. However when battling big leaders I’ve found that I’m usually facing the completely wrong direction and need to use the secondary analog stick to see them…then they move from my direction and are somewhere entirely different. This occurs almost all the time when battling spirit trolls for your elemental powers. I would feel better had it stuck to my back and let me walk around with more ease and 'targeted' enemies of great power rather then facing walls and making me run around in circles like a mad man.
When you walk (with the primary analog stick) all is well but some elemental forms have awkward movements or after you finish letting go of the analog stick they find the need to take one or two extra steps. This throws off accuracy when trying to hit a mark on a wall with a throwing item or beam of water (also assists in dropping off cliffs when least expecting it). It takes getting used to, but is one of the more frustrating aspects of the game play. If I let off the controls I expect you to STOP immediately not play out the entire animation for the walk.
Lastly, there is a lot of hopping. Jump from cliff to cliff or fall off and do it again. There are some aspects that are similar to sonic the hedgehog in this regard (as one of your elemental forms is a ball that spins fast and charges up and takes off). No huge loops and tracks, but many hallways or ramps that you’ll be navigating.
Challenge, Replay ability, and Fun: A
There are areas in this game that are just tough to beat while other areas are cake. Each level has its puzzles and such that you must figure out (or buy the handy dandy guide from Prima). So you may be battling one moment and puzzling out a doorway the next moment. So there is a mix of a challenge for those hard core hack/slashers and those cerebral types.
The replay value comes into play when you wish to get “points” to score high XBOX 360 achievements. You have to beat a level with no deaths, with speed, and with high kill rates. Doing this earns you more points which can be built to make achievements or unlock special achievements or hidden in-game stuff (like skins for your elementals, and other such stuff).
There are also many side quests to go down that are not directly part of completing the game but offer treasures and fruit to push up your elemental powers. So if you are the type of person that wants to play a game through AND beat all there is to beat then this game will be a good fit for you. The initial achievements are easy to hit by just playing the game and finding new elemental warriors to morph into.
Many evil beasts cannot be killed without the help of a few of your elemental warriors. Some things may require your stone elemental warrior (rubble) to toss a rock at the enemy to stun them, then your plant elemental warrior (pummel weed) to beat them senseless. It’s cute, it requires some thinking and tactics, and can be a challenge.
Lastly, the water warrior… oh my goodness. By far the worse game play technique I’ve ever seen. The entire game plays one way…but the water warrior plays completely opposite using the “airplane” control system (inverse up and down) or something strange like that. All I know is that I want to throw my controller through the TV every time I have to shape change into that beast and go into the water.
RPG aspects: C+
This is a very dumbed down simplistic RPG. Its more action/adventure with a few areas of RPGish-ness in how you can purchase items, build up your elemental warriors power by investing ‘fruit’ (rare find) to gain new powers or advance your current powers.
There really is no “magic” in this game except in the fact that you are an elf that can shape change. Each creature has abilities that you could imagine a warrior of elements having (not really magic). A dragon breaths fire, an ice warrior grabs enemies and impales them on his spiked back, water beast spits water/oils, etc. All their abilities requires "spirit" to "cast" them but realistically this is simply a method to slow you down from spam hammering the enemy with powerful moves.
XBOX Live: ??
This game is multi-player to some degree, but I’ve not tried it. I’ve read what they had listed in the “Kameo Official Game Guide” (by Prima) and it doesn’t seem like something that would really interest me. You can play levels that you’ve unlocked by running the single player game and team up with friends to get high scores and such…but you cannot run the storyline “single player” game in a multi-player mode. So I really don’t care too much for this area right now. In my mind they added this to give the game more value after it has been beaten and to put “Xbox Live” on the box (thus getting more gold account membership?).
Conclusion: B
This game is definitely cute and in many ways innovative but not revolutionary. Taking the aspects of Zelda’s questing, Mario 64 game play (with less responsiveness), all wrapped in Donkey Kong Country 64. There is plenty to see and do if you become a big fan of the game. I think that I’ll probably not find too much interest in all the side quests and unlocking all the achievements because there are so many games to play on the XBOX 360 with more coming out all the time. I’m a very big Zelda fan and I like the “medieval” aspect of that genre where this RPG is more cutie pie druidic gaming. It’s a different spin on an old concept which refershes the genre a little and gives you a good entertainment value for your dollar.
If you’re looking for a game that isn’t a first person shooter or racing then this might be worth picking up. You may want to rent it first to give it a try before you buy just to make sure it fits your style. I know FadeIntoBlack falls asleep with bordem if he puts this game into his console :-) I hear about it all the time from him while chatting in World of Warcraft. If your strapped for cash or don’t really care for RPG adventure games I’d move on to something a little more blood and guts.
CodeMonkey
