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The Eye of Judgment Review for PlayStation 3

The Eye of Judgment Review for PlayStation 3

Eye of Judgment’s card and video hybrid gaming is fantasy-fueled magic, but will it find an audience?

The Eye of Judgment could have easily been a far-reaching concept cooked-up by a couple of fantasy/sci-fi- loving adolescents hanging at a comic book shop, kicking back too many Red Bulls; “Dude, imagine a game that combines collectible cards and video games? How sweet would it be to have the cards come to life on your TV?” Instead it’s a high profile holiday release on Sony’s new next-gen hardware. Whether or not too much Red Bull was consumed during Sony’s pitch meetings is yet to be determined.

The Eye of Judgment screenshot

Regardless of its origins, Eye of Judgment has arrived, offering gamers an entirely fresh experience in an industry that’s cluttered with clones. Its concept of bringing collectible card games to life by having the action play out on-screen, rather than in your imagination, is well executed, addictive, and fun. However, can a title with a potentially tiny niche audience survive in a world where Master Chief reigns supreme?

For those still a bit fuzzy on what Eye of Judgment is all about, think of it as the closest thing in real life to Harry Potter’s wizard chess or that crazy holographic board game Chewbacca and R2-D2 played on the Millenium Falcon in the original Star Wars, the one where the pawns came to life and attacked each other. Using the PS3 Eye (basically the next-gen version of the Eye Toy camera), a nine-squared gaming mat, and a deck of cards, the game is played similarly to a traditional collectible card game such as Magic: The Gathering or Yu-Gi-Oh!. The difference here is when the cards are placed on the mat the camera reads and then translates them into animated action on your TV. Technically you could play Eye of Judgment with just the cards; it works as a stand-alone card game. And, as that, it actually holds up really well. Magic: The Gathering creators Wizards of the Coast are behind the game and its mechanics, so hardcore CCG fans can rest assured that the core game wasn’t treated as an afterthought or even produced by inexperienced game makers.

The Eye of Judgment screenshot

That being said, Eye of Judgment isn’t nearly as deep or complex a game as Magic, so the most seasoned card-shufflers might not appreciate it unless they’re interested in checking out this new, novel execution. Despite the game being relatively simple to grasp, it does offer plenty of room for players to spread their strategic wings. Make no mistake, despite the Hollywood-caliber fantasy violence taking place on your TV, this is still a satisfying cerebral experience. Without getting lost in a whirl of mana, element, point, and creature references trying to explain the specifics of the rules, we’ll give you the Cliffs Notes version. Starting with a five card hand you’ll play head-to-head against an opponent, summoning creatures and casting spells until someone controls five of the nine mat squares. Of course, as with any card game, what cards you hold and how you play them adds countless layers of strategy, and ultimately will determine the outcome of each match.

The Eye of Judgment screenshot

The strong game mechanics are complemented by the on-screen action. The visuals and animations are top-notch; lighting, shadowing, and particle effects have all been given the attention that a more traditional next-gen title would receive. Whether your Beguiling Fog is engulfing your opponent in a thick mist or your sexy Elven Berserker Maiden is pummeling him to the brink of death, you’ll experience the same visual splendor you’d attain from a dedicated fantasy action title. Sadly, the same can’t be said for the audio, as repetitive, grating rock tracks play almost continuously. Thankfully, this type of experience is not made or broken by its sound component so a quick tweak to the volume fixes this gripe.

The Eye of Judgment screenshot

We found Eye most satisfying when played with a live, in-your-living-room opponent. Online matches are a blast too, but there’s something about playing face-to-face that really brings the most to this experience; you’re getting the same competition and comradery vibe you’d get with a traditional card game, plus the added bonus of on-screen ass-kicking. Solo play is fun for a short time, but most players will tire of it quickly as they begin to thirst for real blood on the battlefield. A career or campaign mode would have been a nice feature to keep solo play interesting.

For the most part Eye of Judgment has delivered the gaming goods. From its solid game-based mechanics to its impressive cards-come-to-life visuals, there’s lots to like here. Now, the real hurdle is finding a solid audience; serious card collectors might not be ready to make the financial leap a PS3 requires, and may find the game fails to meet their hardcore standards, where seasoned video gamers may be too busy saving the girl or the galaxy in any number of more traditional games. On top of this, the game needs to receive continuous support through additional card releases (booster packs are already available); a good CCG is only as good as its cards. Curious PS3 owners ready to take the plunge can get the whole starter set-up, camera and all, for just 70 bucks; not bad considering most stand-alone titles go for $60. It’s a bit early to determine whether or not Eye of Judgment will catch on or end up residing next to your dusty Virtual Boy in the basement. It definitely deserves a chance, and we hope it gets one. Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time a non-traditional gaming idea took off; who ever thought we’d all be rocking-out in front of our TVs with little plastic guitars?

Features:

  • Developed in collaboration with Hasbro and its Wizards of the Coast subsidiary that produces Magic: The Gathering.
  • High Definition 3D animated characters and vehicles come to life seamlessly into the on camera view of your tabletop.
  • The Eye of Judgment will be bundled with PlayStation Eye, 9 Fields mat, stand, a starter deck of 30 cards, and a booster pack of 8 cards. More than 100 different characters and spells will be offered via additional booster packs and pre-constructed decks, available.
  • A revolutionary new way to use the PS3 system, based on traditional trading card games and given a new dimension in 3D by next-generation technology.
  • Four ways to play – player vs. PS3, player vs. player offline, player vs. player online, PS3 vs. PS3 using players own deck.

    RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.5 Graphics
    Cards come to life on-screen with fantastic detail and animation. 4.5 Control
    Great use of the new Eye camera. 2.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
    Repetitive and annoying background tracks. 3.5 Play Value
    Multiplayer is great. Solo not so much. Will continually need more cards to sustain itself. 4.0 Overall Rating – Great
    Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

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