Clover Studios developed great games like God Hand and Okami. Next thing we know Capcom was closing them down and Keiji Inafune (of Lost Planet fame) comments that just getting good reviews does not equal success. Critically acclaimed games like Viva Pinata and Kameo: Elements of Power from Rare Studios ended up losing in the sales race. Beyond Good and Evil by Ubisoft was cursed with the same fate inspite of being a great piece of interactive entertainment. I know it’s sad but thats exactly the state of the game industry today. Fewer developers take risks with innovation and games that are out of the ordinary. In fact, developers do love to make games that have never-before-seen gameplay and a completely new feel to how a game plays out, but it’s the cut-throat producers and publishing companies that dont want the developers to take risks. For the publishers, games should ALWAYS equal to loads of green or there is no freaking point in publishing it.

That is the reason why we see loads of crappy games in the market that sell well just because they are related to some blockbuster movie or in some cases a famous celebrity. For example 50 cent Bulletproof was a disaster of a game but was on the best seller list. Publishers know that if they push developers to make games based on the next Disney movie, they are sure to sell a hundred thousand copies without any effort at all. The consumers are suckers for anything that is mass market. The game may be crap and have horrible gameplay but if it has a lead character that resembles THE ROCK JOHNSON…SOLD OUT!

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Sure it isn’t exactly “hot-off-the-press”, but this place just absolutely MUST have something about Kameo: Elements of Power. It isn’t the next greatest thing in terms of engine technology, nor is it the killer app for the Xbox 360 – but what Kameo really is, is one of the most underrated games today. With everyone going on and on about Gears of War and G.R.A.W, it’s easy to miss a title like Kameo that looks kiddy, colorful and easy. But give me 5 minutes and read on – and I’ll tell you just WHY Kameo is a genre defining moment in video game history.
Developed by Rare (who are best known for coming up with some of the most beautiful game characters and ‘different’ gameplay styles), Kameo is the story about a young elf princess who, in the process of saving her kidnapped family, learns more about her world and herself.
A young, hot-blooded but cool-headed elf, Kameo must pass through various realms and face terrible enemies (well – some are too amusing to be terrible), to save her family from the clutches of her envious sister – Kalus. Kalus and Kameo are both after 1 thing really – to get what’s rightfully theirs. But the envy and jealousy, makes Kalus turn against her own family and this envy clouds her love for all things dear to her. She eventually unleashes a terrible evil that has resulted in an all-out war between the elves and the Trolls. By bringing back the Troll king – Thorn, to life, an ancient pact is broken and the lands are plunged into battle. It’s now up to Kameo to save the land, her family and restore balance before all is lost. However, she’s not alone in this quest (God knows she’d be torn to bits!). Aiding her in her quest are what the game calls “Elemental Sprites”. The sprites are elemental warriors that Kameo can call upon to aid her in defeating enemies, crossing hurdles or solving puzzles. THIS – is what defines the whole game.
Your elemental sprites, when separated from you are weak and in a child-like state – however, once they become part of you, they become these terrifying warriors that can make the biggest Troll wet its pants! You also get the choice to upgrade each warrior’s abilities by feeding them “Elemental Fruit”. This fruit can be found across the land on Elemental Fruit plants, secret locations or even helping out people, who will gladly reward you for your kindness.
The gameplay is simple but challenging – you’re required to use your Elemental Warriors to beat up different enemy types. Each sprite has its own set of strengths and weaknesses and each is best suited for combat – however knowing what element controls your sprite, and what element your enemy is allergic to, makes the game different and fun to play. For example – Pummelweed, who’s like Tyson in the game, is a plant-element that punches enemies and literally finishes off with a nice upper-cut. Superb for quickly eliminating most enemies – however, if you’re up against an enemy whose primary element is fire, then guess what – Pummelweed is toast! Similarly, you use Torch (your Fire elemental) against a Lava Troll, and you won’t even scratch him! But use DeepBlue (water elemental) and watch the Troll’s lights go out! It’s this mix-and-match that makes the game so much fun. Sometimes, you’ll need to weaken an enemy with one sprite, and then defeat it using another! Now this mix-and-match doesn’t just apply to combat – it also applies to puzzle solving and moving from one section to another. Consider this – you’ve got a ramp you can jump off, but on the other side, there’s nothing but a wall of ice, leading to the next section - 50 feet above you!!! Big problem? Not really – if you do the following – change into Major Ruin (think Elephant meets Armadillo). Make him shoot off the ramp (since he turns into a ball, he’ll get some height and the speed will cover you some distance. Just when you’re close to the ice wall, quickly change to Chilla (Ice elemental) and he’ll grab the wall and scale up in seconds!!! Inventive and genius! It’s as simple as that (until you get to some later levels!).
It’s this unique gameplay that really appealed to me the most and had me hooked to the game up until 4 AM - EVERYDAY!
Graphically, the game just looks gorgeous! With dynamic day-night cycles and superbly detailed characters, what’ll WOW you the most, is when you hover over fields. I shit you not – EVERY BLADE of grass is alive in this game. You hover over it and the grass actually sways under you! You quickly hang a left or a right – and the grass responds! If a developer decides to put that much attention into a game – trust me – they LOVE the game and they have loved making it. The day night cycles make the game a lot of fun too. While not new, it still adds to the feeling of actually being IN the game and feeling time pass by.
The game also packs in quite a few minigames which you can play to earn rewards to learn more things about your world. But believe me – I spent most of my time just flying around marveling at the game and its scale – the world looks breathtakingly beautiful.

Boss fights are challenging – but never to the point of abject frustration. The bosses look convincingly evil and dastardly, and VERY amazing! My personal favorite is the tree boss. You need to beat this guy in the most unbelievable way! I’ll just leave it at that for now!!! The game is also forgiving in that it’ll never really need you to run to a PC to get a boss strategy guide. If the game notices you struggling, it’ll give you hints and advice on what to do next. While this is pretty cool for people new to the genre, it can however, get a little too annoying at times. You really don’t want a game to hold your hand through it, all the way.
In terms of multiplayer, the game features a co-op mode – however, co-op levels need to be unlocked when playing in single player mode. The co-op modes, while fun, are just a little lack-lustre, really. This could have been executed better. There is absolutely no challenge in playing co-op and unlike a game like GeOW – which had some of the most amazing co-op I’ve ever played, Kameo’s co-op doesn’t quite cut it.
On the whole, I think this is easily one of the best action-adventure games out there and while it isn’t exactly “launch-title” material anymore, I’d highly recommend this game to anyone who’s out to make a worthy investment. While it’s not as kick-ass as other titles, it still manages to deliver what every game should – FUN for the whole family!
Buy it.