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Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developed by: SCE Studios Japan
Genre: Card Battle
Rated: T (Teen)
Players: 1-2
Release Date: October 23, 2007
Screenshots: Link
Amazon: Buy Now!
Written By: Matthew Prunty

What better way to debut the PlayStation Eye, Sony�s next generation EyeToy for the PlayStation 3, than bundling it with a unique card-based title known as The Eye of Judgment. Once you take everything out of the package, you would set up the PlayStation Eye on its special stand, lay out the cloth map underneath it, ready the supplied cards and pop the game into the PlayStation 3 console. Once everything is set up and ready to go, you will be taken on an action-packed adventure through the capabilities of the Eye and the originality of Eye of Judgment.

There are multitudes of cards that can be summoned during battle. There are summoning cards, strengthening cards, and even spell cards. Summoning cards are the most common of the bunch and allow the player to summon monsters and/or machines (i.e. giant axe dwarf) to the battlefield. For players who take a defensive route before attack may find satisfaction in cards like se hollyn fortress, which strengthens all allied cards. From personal experience, having the white cubic card within your deck is very helpful. This card can be sacrificed and replaced by any creature within your hand.

Seeing how every square within the grid as an elemental affiliation to it, spell cards can very useful as well. This seems like a cross between Soul Nomad & The World Eaters and Wild ARMs 5. The reason why is because utilizing spell cards like fissures of goghlie, will allow the player to change the active element to a particular square. This spell is harmless if no one is on the square, but if your opponent has a monster residing on the square, it can provide effective in causing damage to your opponent or lowering their monster�s stats. Just like many of card-based games, Eye of Judgment is relatively easy to pick up and play, the problem with them only lies in attempting to master them. These types of games take hours upon hours of gameplay and studying the different cards to know all their strengths and weaknesses.

Eye of Judgment is a title that is all about battles. Battling a friend is generally always the best experience you can have with the game, but for those who do not have any, they can always rely on the computer opponents. Personally, I found some fulfillment in battling the computer controlled opponents because you are able to learn new tactics and strategies in a controlled environment, where as playing a friend or online, you do not know what to expect, which make the battles a lot harder to dissect. For those looking for a solid single-player campaign, you will have to look elsewhere. Eye of Judgment does give you a mode that is befitting the moniker, Judgment mode. Within this mode, the players would each place a card on the mat to see which one is more powerful. Not everyone�s idea of what of what judgment is all about, but then again this mode does give you an assistance knowing more about each card in play. If there was a single-player campaign included within the title, this game would truly be the �total package�, but when you look at games like Yu-Gi-Oh World Championship 2007, some games are just better left without.

Battles unfolding have never looked as beautiful as within Eye of Judgment. Breaking down the visual composition, the grid is a very detailed aspect of the game. The grid is presented on screen as a mixture of vivid backgrounds, clean lines, and particle effects. The next piece of the puzzle would be the battle animations, which a sight to see. These animations are very vivid, moving along the grid fluidly with little to no issues. The artwork rendered on the cards and onscreen is beautifully drawn, bringing out their inner emotions, while at the same time, supplying all the unit information that you would need to know. Nevertheless, for those who want to get in and get out, you have the options of turning off the battle animations, though that would take away from the overall presentation of the game. The final piece the visual spectrum of the game would be the PlayStation Eye avatar. Whenever you cast a spell, the Eye�s avatar emerges from the grid, which is usually always a bad sign for your opponent.

For those gamers who cannot seem to find a friend to play against, you always have the option of playing against fellow gamers from around the world via the Playstation Network. While I have found the online mode to be rather entertaining and challenging at times, the overall mode seems to be less conducive than playing a fellow friend. Since we all know online cheaters continues to be an issue for gaming, Eye of Judgment employs a unique system that randomly picks cards that will be used out of your deck, after being scanned into the game by the Eye. I good idea nonetheless, but not executed perfectly. A nice addition to keeping the action fresh and the battles intense, players have the options of buying additional decks at their local retailers and/or online. However, just like the original deck that came with the game, the Eye must scan the cards prior to being used.

Those who end up venturing down the online road can expect an in-depth battle mode where players can invite friends, create or join custom matches, or compete in ranking matches. Prior to your battles beginning, you must choose which fictional kingdom you want to represent. The leaderboards will rank you individually, as well as your respective kingdoms in relation to the other three.

Though designed for a niche market, Eye of Judgment is indeed one of these rare gaming experiences where you are constantly sitting on the edge of your seat. For the price of $70, you get one of the best total packages: the PlayStation Eye, Eye of Judgment (Game), Map, and Starter Deck of cards. Whether you are playing with your best friend, or representing your kingdom in online battle, there is always a battle to be fought and won. Though not on the same level as Halo 3, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, or even Super Mario Galaxy, there will be thousands of satisfied gamers around the world once they sink their teeth into this package. For those Yu-Gi-Oh and Pok�mon fans out, this is a prime example of how card-based battling should be done.

8.5/10

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