PSP
Published by Sony Computer
Entertainment Europe
Developed by SCEE London Studio
The EyePet games combine a virtual pet with
some augmented reality gaming (where some of the in-game graphics appear
to be interacting with real-world objects and surfaces). It's a series
that's always promised a lot but as yet has delivered little. Like the
EyePet game that appeared on the PlayStation 3, EyePet for the PSP felt
like a game that didn't fully realise its potential. One advantage it
did have over the PlayStation 3 version however, it was a much better
experience for deaf gamers with the bulk of the speech in the game being
subtitled. The game did have other problems however; longevity being a
particular problem and that is also the case with EyePet Adventures.
In EyePet Adventures you're enlisted into the
EyePet Explorer's Club which means you'll get your very own Explorer
vehicle to go underground to explore and look for Pet Tokens and other
treasures such as toys and items that your EyePet can use. The game is
essentially a mix of using the submarine-like Explorer to search for Pet
Tokens and treasures and traditional EyePet gameplay meaning you can
feed and wash your little critter, take pictures of your EyePet in
action and even have it play with various toys in what are effectively
mini-games where you can also earn Pet Tokens. The game also includes
some activities for you to try outside of the game which are of some
educational value.
The novelty value of EyePet Adventures
however wears thin pretty quickly when you realise that there is not a
lot to either the mini-games or exploring. You'll place the included
Magic Card on a surface such as the floor or a table and point the PSP
camera lense at it (the camera isn't included and you'll need one to
play the game). When it's time to enter the Explorer it will emerge
through the surface of your table or floor and your EyePet will get in
and you'll be taken into the game world. It's a neat way of doing things
and I daresay it might have a few of the younger children wondering just
where the EyePet has gone to. Once you're inside the Explorer you'll
simply see a silhouette of the EyePet as you steer it through the
underground. Taking your EyePet underground should have lots of
potential for plenty of enjoyable things to take place but sadly this is
no Jules Verne style fantastic voyage. In fact all there is to do is
collect Pet Tokens and an assortment of items and you'll see the
occasional creature too. Some upgrades are needed for your Explorer
vehicle so that you can access initially blocked off areas. The
mini-games are a shade more interesting. All of the mini-games have
several difficulty levels, although to be fair they never become too
challenging. The PSP camera needs to be focused on the Magic Card at all
times, which could prove a little bothersome for younger children. The
main problem however is that you'll see all what the game has to offer
within a few hours and after that there's little reason to continue
playing.
It's a little disappointing that you're still
stuck with the basic creature (a kind of a cross between a monkey and a
dog) in EyePet Adventures. You can still change the colour and length of
its fur or choose from a range of styles for it to adopt such as lion,
pony or punk. You can even give it clothes to wear if you really want to
and there are a range of suits, hats and tops to choose from and
purchase when you have the necessary Pet Tokens. None of this hides the
fact that you're still dealing with a single character model and I think
future EyePet titles should at least make an effort to include a
selection.
The game's presentation is absolutely fine.
The quality of the graphics can best be described as colourful and
functional rather than being technologically impressive for the PSP. The
game installs a chunk of data to your memory stick and as a result the
load times in the game are decent throughout. As with the first EyePet
game on the PSP, EyePet Adventures is subtitled and you'll be aware of
all of the important dialogue in the game including all of the tutorial
information. You'll even see a portrait of the speaker placed alongside
the dialogue. In short it's a much better experience for deaf gamers
than any of the EyePet games on the PlayStation 3.
For accessibility reasons alone the PSP EyePet games are definitely worth choosing over the PlayStation 3 titles in the series. However both the PSP and PlayStation 3 versions both lack longevity. Once you've seen all EyePet Adventures has to offer, which certainly won't take long, there's little reason to go back to the game and that's a real shame. There needed to be more to the exploring elements in the game and long-term goals that could have encouraged you to come back to the game time and time again. In truth the EyePet series has always suffered from having a lack of substance and EyePet Adventures is sadly, no exception.
