The real surprise this year from Rare was the unveiling of the Kameo: Elements of Power. Along with Donkey Kong Racing, Starfox Adventures and Perfect Dark 2, Kameo is another very exciting game to come to the Nintendo Gamecube.
GAMEPLAY
Kameo is a 3D RPG adventure that finds you controlling a beautiful young girl (we think?) who's who's special ability involves capturing different creatures from her homeworld. When you first meet her she is inexperienced at this, and you must help her gain the skills that she needs to take the reins of some of the bigger and deadlier beasts that roam her land. You must master this, as only while there young will you be able to teach them, and if they get to old, they may attack. Kameo controls the beasts she trains, so you decide if you want to lead your beasts into battle or sit back and watch them, its your choice. It seems like you will have to explore the lands, which are filled with interaction, find the beasts, train them into warriors, then unleash them onto your enemies. There are the usual level bosses and mini bosses, so there will always be a challenge, and the thought of training your own fighters, then being able to see the battle from there eyes just seems mighty cool.
GRAPHICS
I have seen many in-game movies, and to me they seem stunning. They even look better than Starfox. The realistic effects in the game can be noticed straight away, whether it be lighting, trees swaying, water, wind, the sunlight, the animals movements, everything is beautiful. (Kameo is looking great too, I might point out!) There is a lot of detail to the game. I saw a monster in a movie, and I swear it moved almost to realistically. It was just awesome. Kameos graphics seem a lot more polished than Starfox. I was really impressed by what I saw. I think Rare has been working along time on this game to get the graphics looking great, and it has definitely paid off.
SOUND
I have heard this game in action, and it sounded awesome. The music was fantastic, fully orchestrated, and sounding crisp, the sound effects were very cool sounding also. I heard a creature on the land roar, and it sounded awesome, just like real. When Kameo was walking, you could hear the different sound effects, so if one foot was in the water and the other on dry land, you could hear the separate sounds. It all added up to be very special, and I cant wait to test it out on my surround sound system.
OUTLOOK
While Kameo will not be my first game choice for the GCN, I personally can't wait to see this original title on my TV screen. It is also pretty good to hear that Kameo will be a launch title down here in Australia, but for some reason I just cant see that happening.
ANTICIPATION RATING: 92/100 |
