The first ever 360 game may have been a good introduction to new generation of consoles, but can it be considered great?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kameo: Elements Of Power doesn't have the strongest story. In fact, I bet you the exact same story has been told on the Cartoon Network. But, although it has a Barbie-meets-Shrek story, the game excels greatly at the way it presents it. You may not be emotionally invested in it, but the game will create a genuine interest from you.
CHARACTERS: 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a depth level, the characters suck. On a memorability level, they still suck. On a fun, variety level, they rule. Kameo's characters will never be classic, nor generation defining, and in fact, it is probably one of the weakest points. But, all the different little monsters and characters that the little fairy we play can turn into scream personality, and although they don't speak, you will find yourself picking favourites in the variety of transformations you can choose from.
GAMEPLAY: 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The main reason you will want to keep playing Kameo will be the great gameplay. The game makes sure that you never get bored, combining puzzle solving, obstacle climbing, and monster killing. The pace of the game is almost perfect, balancing all the aforementioned gameplay elements equally. The boss fights reminiscent of Super Mario 64 and Zelda, where you can't just hack and slash, but need to use observation and tools that the environment around you supplies. This keeps the gameplay varied, and the boss fights never get to points of frustration, which will actually cause you to look forward to them. On a more negative side, the gameplay isn't the most innovative, nor the most original. But, that is just a microscopic complaint in a mountain of positives.
GRAPHICS: 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The graphics aren't the best, but remember that this is the first Xbox 360 game. Character models are nice and rounded from afar, but taking a closer look will reveal jagged features and two dimensional faces. Thankfully, the camera keeps a nice distance from characters, and focuses more on the less-jagged locations. Although the graphics may be jagged, the design is astonishing. Everything is vibrant, colourful, distinctive, and feels alive. It's cartoony visuals are extremely beautiful, and it is very apparent that a lot of work went into the visual design. Every new level and location are completely different from one another, whether it's the shading or mood, and I guarantee your eyes will be very pleased with the visual excellence the game presents.
MULTIPLAYER: 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I believe that if you have multiplayer in a game, it has to be great, other wise there is no point. Unfortunately, Kameo would have been better off without it's bland multiplayer. Playing Kameo with a friend doesn't add anything to the experience, and I can even go as far as saying that playing with a friend is worse than playing by yourself, which is almost impossible in games. So, if you were looking for a game with great co-op, please choose something else.
SETTING: 9
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As mentioned previously, the level design is superior to most games. Every location is not only distinctive, but visually gorgeous, and really feel alive. These qualities are especially seen in the villages that your character will encounter. The obstacle and puzzle ridden mountain sides and dungeons you will explore on your journey are just as great, giving great you great variety and visual excellence. Although the settings are fantastic and distinctive, they don't really have any qualities that make them memorable like levels from Ocarina or Halo, which again, is a microscopic complaint.
AUDIO: 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sounds in Kameo really help bring the game to life. Every little creature and every little action have distinctive sounds, and just the various little audio clippings from the environments you play through are extremely detailed. On top of these great sounds is a fantastic score. The original music that accompanies your journey in Kameo sets the tone and pace of the situation perfectly, and really gives a magical feel to the game. The voice-acting however, is not so great. I'm not saying it is bad, but is can be overdone and artificial at times. It is similar to one of those Barbie movies, but it surprisingly doesn't deter from the game, especially since the characters are nothing special anyway.
TECHNICAL: 9
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In what is probably the most surprising feat, considering it the first 360 game, the game has little to no technical issues. I experienced the occasional frame-rate drop, but that was pretty much it.
RE-PLAYABILITY VALUE: 6
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kameo is a great experience, but sadly, it only lasts about a day or two. The only reason to revisit the game is to experience the overall mood of the game again, which really isn't a good reason. I would strongly recommend renting this game.
FUN FACTOR: 7
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although it is backed up with great visual design and awesome gameplay, Kameo isn't the funnest game. It will take you on a great ride, but there is something about it that does't quite give you the experience of Mario or Zelda.
SCORE: 7.4 (B)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kameo may have been a great introduction to the new generation of consoles, but it sadly can never be considered great. Maybe it is because of the short story, or maybe it is just because it was a precursor to other games such as Gears of War or Halo, but all in all, Kameo is a good game with many good qualities, but is nothing more than the game that came with the Xbox.