Developer Rare® has is dishing up not one, but two of the three major Microsoft Game Studios launch titles for the next Xbox®. Perhaps the most surprising to jaded gamers who think they've seen it all is Kameo™: Elements of Power. The graphically stunning fantasy action-adventure game is designed to appeal to gamers of every stripe, but that doesn't mean this is kid stuff. The game's battlefield areas are a prime example.
Kameo vs. the World It's no secret that Kameo was originally in development for the first Xbox. But when the opportunity arose to expand and remake the game for the next Xbox console, Rare jumped at the chance to add not just new graphics and other flourishes, but also a combat-intensive set of secondary areas that separate the seven primary game worlds.
These three battlefields are how Kameo gets from main world to main world, and they feature thousands of enemies and allies engaged in constant, ongoing warfare. Battlefield combatants all follow the commands of individualized A.I., making for an always-unpredictable situation.
You take Kameo into the action on one of the game's mounts, such as a cool, fully-animated horse. Once there, you have a choice: You can take part in the furious fighting, Dynasty Warriors® style, or you can charge through the fray and into the next world. For hardcore gamers, taking part is the only way to go.
Ongoing War So what are all those elves and trolls fighting about on these three battlefields? Nothing less than Kameo's kingdom and the future of her world. It's an ongoing war between massive armies, all controlled by an intuitive A.I. that keeps on fighting even if you just ride past to look at the scenery.
But that doesn't mean there's no reason to jump into the fray. For one thing, the game's mounted combat is as stunning as the scenery and the world itself. It just feels cool to charge into a mob of dozens of trolls and see them get knocked aside.The trolls in each battlefield zone are trying to knock down one of the three pillars that are literally keeping Kameo's home in the air. (Three battlegrounds, three pillars�get it?) As the game progresses, so does the combat in the battlefields, which means that if Kameo doesn't get involved personally, the enemy may eventually succeed. And once all three pillars are gone, the enchanted kingdom comes crashing down, and, with it, Kameo's hopes for saving the world.
Mighty Morphing The evil troll king Thorn is bent on destruction, but Kameo's no pushover, either. If you want, you can leave the mount behind and become a part of the fray yourself.
As in the seven primary game worlds, Kameo is free to use her extensive morphing powers on the battlefields with great effect. And the more you power up your monsters, the more effective they are at taking out enemies and even entire groups of foes.
In the pre-E3 demo we received, one of the game's designers morphed Kameo into the kick-boxing super-plant Pummel Weed, and we saw how the increased monster powers come into play. From the start, Pummel Weed can smash up individual foes, but once he picks up the ability to burrow underground for a sneaky, springing attack, he can eliminate many enemies at once, and in style.
Kameos in Arms The battlefields are even more fun with two-player co-op. Since you don't have to worry about anything but fighting (and progressing toward your destination world) you can really cut loose and learn just how powerful co-op mode can be. Using two Kameos, you can morph into different monsters and pull off fantastic team moves that are truly devastating on the field of battle. Of course, you can also simply plow through the enemies two at a time -- the choice is yours.
The battlefield areas are just one of the cool new features that the next Xbox makes possible for Kameo: Elements of Power. Look for more E3-related Kameo updates from the show floor!
