The Eye Of Judgment (includes PlayStation Eye Camera) (PS3)

The opening scene is brilliant especially in HD expecting a great story mode but noooo! Takes 5-10 minutes before you can actually play your first game as you have register any new cards took me ages for just the 8 in the booster pack starter deck is already there. Once i had done this the camera required me to move the mat (included) again even though it was pretty close any way to the lines set out on the TV screen.
First game here we come started chose default for the first time chose the COM to have starter deck started playing and while into to it then the computer starts to play cards that aren't in the starter deck or in the 8 extra cards i had. I stood no chance as his troops slaughtered mine. Retried another game this time on beginner same thing again. I can't try the online as i can't connect to any games on this game all my other games are working online . They probably add more servers some time.

Overall great game brilliant opening, the only let down is no story mode online play there isn't any at the moment and takes a while to get started.

Poor service from play.com for the first time still processing now, went and bought it from my local game (they had all the cards as well that play.com have delayed)

Hmmm where to start with eye of judgement? Well it's certainly not for everyone. It's a very interesting idea and if you can pick a copy up cheap as I did (£25) you getting a hell of a bargain since the camera is worth about 20 on its own.

The idea of the game is to capture 5 of the 9 squares on the board using skill, magic, and brute force. It's not as easy as it sounds either. The computer can be quite tough especially if you haven't bought any booster packs as the cards you get with the game are only basic. You get a 3 by 3 cloth matt with the game, this is where all the action takes place, and the matt is really detailed and looks the part on the matt there are 4 markings that indicate where the camera can go so it can get a full view of battle area. Once set up and in a match there are also marking to show where your deck goes and places for all you discarded cards (the grave yard). When you place a card on the mat the camera scans is then displays the monster of that card on screen, if you facing an enemy then you will attack. Each card has special abilities and attributes so you have to think a head. Also on screen you will notice you board has changed to different elements, Fire, water, earth etc each card has its own prefer field so if you can try and place on that field to raise your characters stats. If you place say a water card on a fire field, if the card is automatically destroyed it will be weaker.

Sound good so far. Just like Yu Gi Oh ... Yes I'd love to see Yu Gi Oh made into a game like this. The problems start with light. If you're not in a very well lit room then the camera can have trouble picking up cards and you have to keep re placing the cards, or waving your hand in front of the camera ... Which helps... to re register the card. This can get really frustrating.

Another problem there is no story mode to it meaning once you get bored of beating the computer you have to get friends or go online to get a challenge. The game would have kept me interested for a lot longer if it had a story mode to it. Hopefully they will realise one other wise unless I have friends round (I don't have online access) it's just going to gather dust on my shelf.

The graphics of the game are really nice and the beasts look fantastic. You can sort of pet them to an extent as you scan then into the computer.

At the end of the day though it really does depend if your into this sort of thing the graphics are great and it really is a good and original idea but I wish it had a story mode without one I can only give this a average score as once your finished beating the computer unless you have online access or a friend to play it with you may find youll get bored quick.

This game is AWESOME. It has just the exclusivity that PS3 owners need to differentiate themselves from those other consoles.

I spent a lot of time researching this slowly emerging game and it took me a lot of digging to find the facts,- but it wasnt long before I was compulsed to drive 50 miles & grab a copy.

The aim of the game is to set up the 9 grid board and capture any 5 squares by summoning creatures and spells using your hand of cards which you place on the squares... Your opponent also has the same aim so you have to be very strategical with which units you place and when. Each unit can attack and defend from different directions so you play off your oppenent by exploiting these. Not only this - but each square represents terrain and your placed units get bonuses or penalties based on where you place them as well as each card having it's own abilities. This all adds up to make some mind twistingly great strategy although there is a dash of luck as well. Once you know how to play, you will be thinking very long and hard about your next move and it's great seeing strategies pay off.

What lets it down slightly is:

-The play matt is a lowsy piece of cloth which rucks up when you place the cards (improved by ironing first)unless you are very careful.
-The tutorial is the most droning load of drivvle and confused me more than anything so I just learnt how to play myself.
-The heavy metal soundtrack becomes a touch repetitive.
-US version is half the price but i would still say £60 is well worth it.
-Manual only provides the basics so you'll probably find yourself on forums looking to find answers for some of the advanced elements of the game.

Now for the good points:
-There is a massive amount to learn once you get to grips with this game which is what makes it so riveting. Ive had it for a week now and im still learning different things about it which make you use a different strategy.
-The way the camera reads the cards and puts a 3d character on the screen is fantastic and so so innovative.
-You get a starter deck of 30 cards but you can buy random booster packs to get you more units/spells (110 available). Some theme packs are available which give the same as booster packs but are biased towards certain ranges of units. BEWARE!- This can get expensive if you become obsessive about collecting them all!
-Free online multiplayer (with ranked option) so you and your friends can all discuss your next move.
-You can play a friend or the computer which makes a nice change from vegging in front of the sofa.
-Millions of strategies to use which make this a game for life.

Ive never played card games before but Ive got to say this is a fantastic innovation and will hopefully lead to all sorts of expansions. If you are a ps3 owner at a loose end who loves turn based strategy then this is definately for you. I couldnt recommend it more.

From what I've seen of EoJ it seem's like it MAY be a pretty decent card game, however there have been many problems for some (like myself) where the camera just isn't working correctly.

It can work great in setup, play for around 9 turns then that's it, it'll refuse to register the cards .. this happens ESPECIALLY when it ask's you to change the position of your card.

It just never registers the card change no matter where you place it or in what position.

The game definately could have done with more work before release to iron out things such as this. If i'd got the game in from the states i'd not mind so much as it's almost way cheaper but at almost £30 more i'm not overly impressed.

The cloth mat supplied probably could have been better done as a foldup board which would give less problems with creases, the playstation eye maybe a light needed to be added to shine down on the mat to supply adequate lighting.

From the gameplay I DID get it seems it could be pretty popular, i'd have preferred a MTG style game and I hope they bring one out but if the problems with the camera can be sorted out then it's definately worth a buy.

As for me that means I currently have a few cards, a cloth mat and what may be a faulty piece of hardware then it gets 2 stars removed.

Before anyone says to set it up right, i've tested the camera in Accessories and at times the PS3 can't even recognise one's attached or it can't hold the image properly on 50 or 60 flicker.

I am not into trading card games at all but was interested in EoJ, I am not disappointed, I have had none of the set up problems mentioned in forums and it reads the cards everytime, I would recommend this to both trading card game fans and gamers just wanting something different, remember that Sony are releasing lots of camera driven programs so the camera will get used eleswhere.. big thumbs up