The first game that utilizes the Xbox Live Vision camera is finally out, and it's none other than the quasi-unique but u
The answer is a resounding no, but one that needs some explanation in order to fully appreciate. TotemBall is exactly what it was said to be: a motion-based platforming game with a touch of personality that would serve to demonstrate what the camera is capable of doing. Unfortunately, it fails on two fronts: one, it does not serve to effectively demonstrate what the camera is capable of doing on any dramatic scale, and two, the game itself is light-years behind the EyeToy software that created the precedent Microsoft needs to meet with camera games.
Before I dig deeply into the meta-issues with what's wrong with the product as a demonstrative software piece, let me first give you an objective look at the software. At its core, TotemBall is a very simplistic three-dimensional platforming game on par with something we might have seen in the early N64/PSX days: you navigate a 3D environment collecting pickups and unlocking gates to reach the goal. The "key" pickups are totem pieces, which stack on top of your player and allow you access through the locked gates. Each one is unique and as they stacked, you'll accumulate a little family of cute animated faces — perhaps the only element of the game's personality that is unique. However, that's pretty much the only thing that stands out about the game itself. The levels are pretty straight-forward and the fundamental gameplay system is extremely simplistic. Occasionally you'll be treated to an interesting pin-ball bonus level, but for the most part, after you've played one or two levels, you've seen all the game has to offer; ultimately rendering the game a rather out-dated and bland experience.
Of course, the main draw to the game is how it's controlled. Sadly, the motion controls offer no real redemption. Two waterfalls located on the left and right sides of the screen facilitate the control of your character: an experience that feels like piloting Virtual-On mech in the arcade. You start by positioning your hands within the confines of the on-screen waterfalls. By raising both hands to the top of the screen, you go forward; both to the bottom for reverse. Turning requires you raise one arm and lower the other. Tiring-issues aside, the control feels very clumsy because of the relative sensitivity of the turning in relation to your arm movement. Furthermore, there are some elements of the Virtual-On control scheme that don't work like they should. For example, you can't do a hard turn while moving forward. Both hands need to be relatively high on the screen in order to move forward, but you have to lower one to turn. This presents a problem for those of us who are otherwise able to speed through the game, as we have to come to an almost dead-stop before making a hard turn.
While the main "TotemBall" game is pretty blasé, there are some other modes that prove to be more fun. The pinball mode — which allows you to just play the bonus level mini-game — is actually a lot more fun, though that's not really saying all that much. You control the left and right flippers by raising your left and right arm, and because you don't constantly need to keep the flippers up, your arms won't get tired in this mode. Of course, this proves to be the definition of gimmick, as the camera control really adds nothing to the experience. There's also the juggle mode which has you and a friend working together to play the main game while juggling the totems that build up on your character as you collect them. This mode only really proves fun because of the "you screwed up" dynamic of coop play, but can't save the game.
The up-side of the game is that it does have a pretty nice presentation. The graphics are pretty nice for a Xbox Live Arcade game, and there is defiantly a unique style to the totems that you'll collect. The sound — as if a homage to Q? Entertainment's Tetsuya Mizuguchi — evolves as you collect totems, with each totem adding a unique instrument and riff to the ever-growing soundtrack. Unfortunately, this means that when you don't have a lot of totems, the game is silent: at times making you feel as though you accidentally hit the mute button. Again, it's a mix of good and bad, but overall, it's a solid presentation that's at least unique enough to be recognizable.
Still, there's something inherently appealing about the game, despite its numerous flaws and extremely dated gameplay. Though I cannot give you a tangible reason why I find it bizarrely addictive, I still find myself compelled to play around with it on a daily basis. Maybe it's because I never really played with the EyeToy and this was my debut camera game. Maybe it's the unique presentation that screams potential (though is never really fully realized). Maybe it's because the game is so fundamentally different from anything else on the Xbox 360 and that alone gives it a special charm. Maybe it's because the game was free and I already had the camera. Whatever the reason, some may find themselves bitten by the Totem-Bug. Others won't.
However, there is an overlaying problem that really drowns out whatever trumpeting these little totems can do: this game is definitely not a good demonstration of what the camera is capable of, and for people who didn't graduate from EyeToy University, this game could be enough to put them off of motion-based gaming indefinately. This problem stems from the fact that the game is incredibly user-unfriendly: especially to people who've never played camera games. I can quite readily understand why a room needs to be prepared for the camera, and why positioning is crucial, but the fact that this game offers little more than hard-to-read text that vaguely describes the set-up process is a travesty. As an introductory game, this is simply a failure on every conceivable level. There should have been a "Set-up Tutorial" section in the main menu with diagrams and instructions on how to set everything up for optimal play. What's more, the limited camera control and overall simplicity of the game does nothing to give users an early idea of what the camera can do and how it may be implemented into future games.
In my opinion, the Vision camera could have definitely benefited from what I'm dubbing the "Nintendo Wii" effect. The first software piece available for the camera should have been a free collection of small, essentially tech-demo gameplay experiences that provide a large breadth of small and simple examples to get people thinking — akin to the Wii Sports collection. Perhaps they could have used the Fusion Frenzy licence in a simplistic way (akin to how Nintendo is using the Miis for Wii Sports. Or perhaps they could have stuck with the Totem motif and had each totem represent a different little game. The possibilities are endless in my mind — and I'm not a professional game designer — so I can only conclude that Microsoft defiantly dropped the (Totem) ball on this one.