Kameo: Elements of Power

I reviewed Kameo on my own blog a few months back, but for KidGamers.org I thought it would be a good first review. I'm not being lazy, I swear! The truth is, this game really surprised me. Not only was it pretty darn enjoyable when I played it, but my six year old really latched on to it.

At a high level, the game involves the story of Kameo, an elven princess out to rescue her relatives from the evil troll Thorn. During her quest she receives several elemental warriors. These are creatures with different skills and powers. At a basic level, the game is a simple 3D platformer, but with the large number of elemental warriors, there are quite a few different control schemes to get used to. (11 if you count Kameo herself.) I really didn't think my six year old would be able to handle it. It took him a while to get used to the fact that a) every warrior had a different way of doings things and b) sometimes he needed to make combinations of powers in order to complete a task. That by itself is one of the strengths of the game. You simply can't run into a room and start beating up the bad guys. You have to plan and use the different strengths of each of the warriors.

The game is rated T for Animated Blood and Violence. To be honest, I don't remember seeing any blood. At times you see "bug juice", but I'm not sure I'd consider this blood. I think the T rating may be a bit too conservative. You do kill quite a few trolls in the game, but the level of violence reminded me more of Star Wars then Pulp Fiction.

I'd probably say my six year old was right on the edge of being old enough to play the game. While he has finished the game a few times now, I'd probably recommend it for slightly older kids. The number of creatures under the players control really demands a good memory and quick reflexes. Content wise I believe the game is fine for pre-teens as well as teens as indicated by the ESRB.

What did my son think? As I mentioned, he has finished it three times. He also has the guide book and the soundtrack. So - yes - he loves it. In fact, he plays it so much now we have to control his time a bit as he is becoming a bit addicted. I was happy to see him finish the game, especially considering the difficulties I mentioned above. As I mentioned in the beginning of the review, I enjoyed the game as well. All in all, this is an excellent game for both parent and child.

Summary: Kameo is an excellent and engaging game for kids that is enjoyable for the parents as well. I'd urge you to add it to your collection.