Its funny how much fun you can have with some fairy and her multiple personalities.
All in all for those of you with a hunger for tales of old, with goblins, castles, dragons and a transforming fairy, you cant go wrong with Kameo. The basic idea is after a barrage of family troubles (namely an evil underacheiving sister, tut tut) and a helpful tutorial level, you lose you elemental powers which are the basis for Kameos unique gameplay, and youll have to get all nine back before you can tackle your sis'.
The first thing which will strike you is the graphics, this game is truly deserving of the title 'next gen'. The amount of enemies on screen at any one given moment is sheer amazing yet at times can be somewhat overpowering, however when faced with 50 of your soldiers against 50 Trolls, you get a real sense of insignificance. You feel like you make no real impact on the battle (well, until you unlock some of the games more brutish warriors), now this may not sound like a good idea, no war has ever been won by one man.Thanks to the 360s new bump mapping technique, flat surfaces will look raised and textured, and each character you encounter will have personality and definition. All these wonderful effects merely immerse you deeper into the games entirely free roaming world.
Whilst the map is not massive, because of the brilliant AI of the different village inhabitants dotted around the it, the sense of community will eleminate the need for a boundless landscape. However there are enough secret videos and alternate costumes to justify a little exploring through one of the games abandoned huts you will find on your travels, or one of those caves you passed a while back and its touches like this which keeps the feeling of freedom alive. While there are no side missions as such, there are various tasks such as saving villagers which will demand different skills yet harbour their own bountiful rewards. Another point to note is how so obstacles will be impossible to overcome at the beginning of the game, but as you unlock new warriors, you will find one of them after a bit of crafty thinking will provide the solution.
Where Kameo falls short however, and where many games do fall short lately, is length. While there are a few tasks which will require a little more advernturing after the end credits roll, there is nothing to really get your teeth into, no epic quest which will echo throughout the ages, but rather a fun Sunday afternoon. Although you may feel the need for that second or third playthrough, you could slash your way through the main plot line in 5 hours or so, pitifully short.
However... Kameo has that certain something, a certain finesse which is unexplainable, yet instantly noticable from the moment you first start the game. It draws back to what makes games fun, distancing itself from modern adventures where your companions are some macho commandos and a fully loaded AK47, but identifies with the more immersive titles making it more aliken to the tales of Link and Banjo, a rare occurance to see in the games of today. Its has so many ambitous and unique ideas, and pulls them all off superbly. Kameo is a gem in an otherwise disappointing lineup of launch titles.