XBox Solution

Let’s take a look at Rare’s upcoming Xbox 360 title Kameo: Elements of Power. This game takes place in the fantasy world of an Elfin kingdom. The kingdom is under attack by the armies of the evil Troll King Thorn. The only person in the kingdom who can put a stop to his attack is Princess Kameo. She must journey throughout the kingdom collecting the powers of the Elemental Warriors. These powers will allow her to put an end to Thorn’s evil once and for all.

Kameo is set to be an action/adventure game of epic proportions. Players will take control of the main character Kameo as she begins her quest for the Elemental Warriors. Each of these warriors will give her a new power to use during combat. These powers will let players transform into 10 fantastic creatures who each have their own unique abilities. Whether it’s a fire breathing dragon or an ice covered yeti you must learn each creature’s strengths and weaknesses to defeat the troll armies.

Gamers will make several trips across the war torn kingdom as they complete their quest. This means that you will move through some very intense battles being waged between trolls and elves. Players have a few different options for how they cross these battlefields though. You can try to sneak through these areas undetected or sprint through them as fast as you can to avoid attacks, you can also rely on brute strength and smash your way through anything that stands in your way.

The graphical processing power of the Xbox 360 isn’t being overlooked by the developer either. Throughout the game players will be immersed in some very lush and vibrant landscapes. Sometimes these landscapes will be calm and quiet, other times there will be a full fledged war being fought all around you. It looks like there is a genuine horizon to travel to in Kameo Elements of Power.

As blood ties are betrayed and ancient rituals shattered, the Troll King Thorn is unleashed into Kameo’s world once more, fully intent on completing the destruction of the Elfin empire with his barbarous Troll army. The only hope for salvation lies with young Elf Kameo and her gifts of control over the legendary Elemental Warriors, though her own family’s involvement in Thorn’s captivity (and, she will come to discover, his release) also marks her out as one of the Troll King’s critical targets… 

If the colossal war which rages in her kingdom is to end before the Trolls leave nothing but ash and bones in their wake, Kameo knows that she must journey towards a decisive confrontation with Thorn at the very heart of his own territory. But her enemy is not only the most ruthless warleader in history, he is also sly, experienced, utterly single-minded and capable of any cruelty or deceit if it will serve his ends. In short, the scales are tipped heavily in Thorn’s favour.

Although time is not on her side, Kameo knows that to stand any real chance of saving her people from extinction, she must do everything possible to even the odds. Firstly, she must cancel any leverage Thorn may have by freeing her trapped Ancestors from their prisons in the darkest corners of the world. And secondly, the age-old spirits of the Elemental Warriors – powerful entities that maintain the balance of nature – must be tracked down and brought to bear in the name of Kameo’s desperate cause.

This is the core of Kameo’s power, and her greatest weapon in this struggle. From her mother she has inherited the Element of Power, and with it the ability to actually morph into the Warriors’ physical forms. By doing so she integrates their full range of attacks and defences into her own arsenal. From Chilla the ice-cold yeti to Ash the blistering dragon, Pummel Weed the pugilistic plant to Major Ruin the giant armadillo, each of these followers must be found and their powers used to boost Kameo’s own.

However, simply acquiring a Warrior is not enough. An intimate familiarity with their combat potential, environmental advantages, elemental properties and even their best position in a devastating multi-phase combo will be required if Kameo is to have even the slimmest chance of success. Her enemy is well-prepared, the road to his castle strewn with dark beasts and lethal hazards, and there is far more at stake here than Kameo’s own life.

Its ascension to the Xbox 360 platform has seen Kameo: Elements of Power gain many new features, not least the astonishing high-definition visuals, co-operative and Live-enabled play, and a generous helping of brand new content added to Kameo’s main quest. Arguably the most striking example of this new content is the battlefield. If Kameo is to lessen the odds against her by liberating the Ancestors and filling out her private legion of Warriors, then this heartland of her country – now a chaotic warzone overrun with thousands of individual Elves and Trolls locked in battle – will have to be traversed many times. Whether Kameo attempts this on horseback or on foot, using stealth and speed or sheer unrestrained force, is entirely up to you. Of course, you haven’t lived until you’ve sent Major Ruin accelerating downhill to play a bone-breaking round of ten-pin bowling with a full regiment of Trolls…

Driven by a team dedicated to its excellence, Kameo: Elements of Power is one of Rare’s foremost projects and is about to fulfil its potential at last with the landmark release of the Xbox 360 platform. The game’s expansive design, gloriously diverse visuals, stirring orchestral soundtrack and irresistible action-adventure trappings will be brought to life later this year with a vibrancy you never thought imaginable, and anyone with even an ounce of adventure in their blood is guaranteed a journey to remember.

• Experience monsterous action: Discover a dazzling array of incredible monsters, each with its own fantastical strengths and fighting styles. To defeat the hordes of evil, players must strategically employ 10 elemental monsters from the five Elements of Power: Plant, Water, Rock, Ice, and Fire. Evolve Kameo’s powers and abilities by tracking down, capturing, and harnessing the unique powers of each creature.
• Unleash an impressive arsenal of attacks and weaponry: With fast-paced action, loads of enemies, and massive boss encounters, success depends on the ability to think and act quickly using a boundless monster repertoire, skillful command of attacks, and keen ability to use “quick switch” combinations. Engage in up-close combat with a wicked boxing plant monster Pummel Weed, switch over to the rock monster Rubble to launch salvos of rocks, and finish off enemies as an ice yeti named Chilla by throwing penetrating ice spears. Players have the freedom to use roughly 30 unique attack and exploration abilities, with the ability to enhance their skills through a variety of upgrades.
• Innovative combat system: A sophisticated combat scoring system will track players’ effectiveness to outmaneuver, fight, and destroy the enemy. Vanquish foes with quick brutal attacks using the environment and a combination of monsters.
• Monsterous exploration: Monsters are key for combat, but also vital tools for exploration. Crafty use of monsters coupled with agility and timing is critical to unlocking new worlds, solving environment puzzles, and avoiding obstructions, traps, and enemies. Use monsters to tunnel underground, climb ice walls, jump ramps, blow up obstacles, and much more.
• Action-packed journey across an immense world: Explore a vast and magical world filled with lush environments, wondrous creatures, clever puzzles, and big challenges. Gorgeous 3-D environments with sprawling hills, fertile valleys, and threatening lairs cover multiple fantasy-style locations and the dangerous Troll Castle . Battle relentless armies, go toe-to-toe with powerful elemental trolls, and confront daunting, yet outrageous, bosses.

• Rare
• Microsoft Game Studios
• Official Game Site
• Release Date: 11/15/05
• Kameo Elements of Power Xbox 360 Screenshots

I’ve never been a huge fan of the magical side of the fantasy realm, however I have slowly but surely grown an interest in this title. For an action game it looks like the developer is capturing all of the key elements for success in that genre. The morphing ability of Kameo should keep the gameplay fresh and interesting from start to finish. While the different creatures will give us several options for how we deal with the enemies they won’t be for combat alone. There will also be points where transforming is necessary to solve the puzzles in the game and for moving through the environment at certain points.

This game has been in development for a long time but I don’t think this is a bad thing. Because of the delay fans will get to play the game in all of its next generation beauty. The screenshots I’ve seen for this one look spectacular. If the gameplay is on the same level as the graphics this should be an awesome game. This project looks like it is geared toward the younger audience but I do not think anyone who picks it up will be disappointed with what it has to offer.

Written by XBS Previewer Pure Ego.

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