"More Than Meets the Eye"
Because I can't be assured that everyone who is looking to buy this game knows what a CCG is, I will briefly explain. A CCG is a collectible card game. Players buy packs (3.99 a piece, maybe less on ebay) or theme decks (14.99 a piece) from a store or online vendor, and use the cards found inside to play a game against other players. The cards found inside range from common, uncommon, and rare, to ultra-rare. Each pack contains 5 commons, 2 uncommons, and either a rare or an ultra-rare. Each card does something different when used. Cards are the essence of a CCG, and this is true of EOJ.
Gameplay: 9/10
(I'll do the bad note first. There is no ‘campaign' mode. You can play against the computer on various levels of difficulty, but the matches are just skirmishes. For that reason, and that reason alone, Eye of Judgment loses a point for game play. Everything else is perfect)
I can't say enough about this aspect of The Eye of Judgment (EOJ). For those who have played Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, YuGiOh, or any other CCG, there is more than enough depth for you to wrap your fingers around. For those that haven't, you are in for a pleasant surprise.
Eye of Judgment's gameplay revolves around a 3x3 grid on which creatures are placed. This grid is set on a table or floor in front of the player, and the Playstation Eye (which comes with the game) is set up to look down on the playing field. When a card is placed on the field, it scans it in and the card shows up on your television to both you and your opponent. The first player to have 5 creatures on the grid wins. That's where it stops being simple.
Players exchange ‘turns' while playing the game.
A turn consists of 5 phases:
-The draw phase (draw a card)
-The energy phase (receive 2 energy)
-The action phase (use spells, or attack with summoned creatures)
-The summoning phase (summon a creature)
-The resolution phase (resolve any remaining actions)
Each ‘turn' a player receives 2 energy and draws a card from their deck of 30 cards. That energy can be used to cast spells, summon creatures, or activate the abilities of creatures already in play (such as attacking). Energy can also be saved and carried over to the next turn. Each creature has a set of attack directions, defense directions, and possibly a back side. When a creature is placed on the grid, the player decides what direction to face the creature (N, S, E or W). If it was just summoned the creature immediately attacks in its attack direction (which could be the space directly ahead of it, two spaces ahead of it, to the left and the right of it, the whole 3x3 grid, etc.). If possible, the creature is then counterattacked, and the turn ends. Only one creature can be summoned per turn, and for 1 energy, a creature can be rotated 90 degrees once a turn.
There are a TON more rules and interesting things to say about the gameplay, but I'm trying my best to keep this short, so here are two last points. There are 5 types of creatures in the game (wood, earth, fire, water, and biolith). On the 9 square grid, each square represents an element. In the default position, there are 2 grids for each element around the edges, and a biolith square in the middle. When a card is placed on it's matching element, it gets 2 additional hitpoints. When it is placed on it's opposite element, it gets 2 hit points taken away. When it is placed on a neutral element, there are no bonuses or penalties. Biolith are neutral to all elements. Also, these squares can be ‘flipped' over by use of spells or abilities, changing the element of the square.Last, there are already restrictions in place on the most powerful cards. Restrictions can exist for race (ex. Only 1 god in a deck), spell type (ex. Only 1 ‘dominion' spell in a deck), or by the cards themselves (ex. Only one of this card in your deck). These restrictions do two things. They limit the number of the most powerful cards you can use in a given deck and even the playing field, and they encourage variety.
Variety: 10/10
I have to give this area its own section to really drive home the importance variety provides in a CCG. Every card in EOJ has a use, from the first common you get, to the most rare ultra-rare. Some cards have extra abilities like a chance to dodge attacks, or gain extra mana. Some cards have magic attacks that can't be dodged. You can even purposely place cards on fields that would kill them (like placing a Leapfrog Banding on an Earth field) to activate their abilities (When leapfrog bandit dies on a non-wood field, your opponent must discard a card). The strategies and types of decks in this game are amazing, considering only the first set of 110 cards are available right now.Here are just a FEW of the ways you can build a deck in EOJ:You can build a deck around making your opponent discard… around gaining lots of energy quickly… around ensuring that you never lose very much energy… around getting to 5 creatures as fast as possible… around possessing your opponent's creatures… around the biolith creatures… around a specific hero or phantom creature… around a combination of different abilities… and on and on.And each deck is viable. There is no haymaker deck that everyone runs because it's the best. Each of the above options has its strengths and weakness, and all of them utilize common and uncommon cards as much if not more than they utilize rares and ultra-rares. The variety in this game is abundant, and player's can really find what they enjoy and not only play with it, but win with it.
Graphics: 10/10
The graphics in Eye of Judgment are very, very pretty. Animations look flawless on screen, with the cards coming to life to attack each other and defend themselves. The game also runs in HD at 720p for those of you with an HD television. Not much more to say here, being that this is a card game, and not an FPS or RPG.
Sound: 8/10
The sound is well done in EOJ, but I have to dock it two points. First, the music is just plain bad. Repeated, Blaring guitar riffs on the main menu and submenus quickly get on my nerves. However, the in battle music is actually quite good, and in either case, you will probably want to shut them off anyway to concentrate on the game. The second point got deducted because of the voiceovers. They sound good quality wise, but the voice acting is pretty cheesy. I personally find that endearing, but others may find them annoying.
Online 10/10
This is where players will spend the bulk of their time playing. There are two different ways to play EOJ online. First, you can set up a custom game with another player. To do so, you open up a room, or join a room that has already been opened. In an ‘open' room, anyone can join your game, or you can join anyone's game. Once two players are in a room, they hit ‘begin game' and the game starts. You can also open or join a ‘closed' room. To join a closed room, you need an invitation from whoever is hosting the room. This lets you choose to play against your friends, etc. online. The rules to play by are chosen by the person who hosts the room, and dictate the board that will be played on, the time you can take for a turn, etc.The second way to play online is through the ranked matching system. When you play a ranked game, the rules are set by the game, and your opponent is chosen through a queue system. Ranked games improve your player ranking, and the list of top players can be viewed at any time online. You can also set up a ranked duel with another player.In addition to just playing with another person you can also type a message to them, or talk to them through the microphone in the camera. Either option can be disabled too, if you would rather not.Last, when you play a game online, you first have to scan your deck into your save file. This lets the game know that you actually own the cards you are playing. Second, when you play a match, the computer shuffles your deck for you, and decides what you draw (randomly). This eliminates the ‘honor' system, and keeps matches fair.
Overall Conclusion 9/10
The Eye of Judgment brings the CCG world to life through the Playstation 3. The gameplay is top notch, well balanced, addictive, fun, and strategies vary greatly. Rare cards do not dominate deck builds because of their typically high costs and or restrictions, and some of the most competitive decks only consist of a few rares. Because the game can be played online, you will never be wanting for an opponent to try out a new deck against, and the custom game rooms allow you to play against friends and family across the country. As card set expansions are released, more strategies, possibilities, and themes will open up, making the game even stronger. The Eye of Judgment is a great game period, for the seasoned CCG fan, or the newbie opening a pack for the first time. Pick it up.
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