E3 Thread

[fingersman]

another hands on

When Microsoft acquired Rare, speculation on which Rare games would be hitting Xbox ran rampant. One Rare title, though, has always been known. Kameo, long in development for Nintendo, was so near completion for the GameCube one could almost taste its release date. And so it was no surprise when Microsoft announced that Kameo would be among Rare's first Xbox titles. Coming spring 2004, Kameo should see more of an MS push by early next year.
I knew what to expect from Kameo, having read all of the IGNCube coverage. But, I wasn't sure how "Xbox-ed" the game might have become. After playing through two levels of Kameo, I can assure you the only Xboxing going on here is with the graphics. This game screens GameCube, which isn't a bad thing at all.

As the lead character Kameo, you capture different creatures and slip them into your trusty pouch of holding. Then, at any time, you can turn into one of these creatures by pressing the corresponding face button (there's a constant icon diagram in the top right of the screen). Switching is instant and there's no limit to how often you change shape. Of course, each creature has a different set of abilities and their own advantages.

The first mission I played was, essentially, a training mission. My goal was to grab a specific creature hiding among a group of rocks. Tip-toeing around (the analogue sensitivity is spot-on) Kameo must grab her compatriot (an odd little blue creature) and fling him at the target to nab him for her knapsack of goodness.

The creature in hiding does some funny little animations -- An eyeball rising from behind the rock, tenuous steps out into the open. After nabbing him, the level continues, instructing on how to use Kameo's abilities in a variety of ways.

Kameo can fly, use her blue friend to attack (she can grab or drop him at any time) and, of course, she can change into different forms. These forms offer very simple controls. Should you ever be in doubt as to what to do, the icons in the top right display every command, including attacks and jumps with the triggers. The controls are simple and so far the gameplay in the demo is a bit basic.

One form lets you turn into a rock creature who can roll around in a ball another has you changing into a big bruiser. There are no doubt some interesting traps that require specific skills from the different forms, but what I played in the demo was a bit more of the "smash and run" variety of gameplay.

Outlook
Kameo is an interesting title that was clearly designed for the Nintendo audience. It should translate just fine onto Xbox, but more of the game needs to be seen to see just how deep the gameplay gets. If anything, Rare is known for making fun and addictive games. Kameo certainly seems like it could fit the bill