EyePet Move Edition

_Eyepet Move Edition_ is, in a word, charming. The concept is simple: you set up the Playstation Eye to capture you and a suitably-sized area of floor, and then the game imposes upon that stage (as shown on your television screen, of course – Sony haven’t given us holograms yet) an egg, which, with the guidance of the good professor, soon hatches into your own cute little virtual creature. The original _Eyepet_ used just the Playstation Eye, the camera picking up on hand movements etc. to gather information as to the player’s intentions towards their virtual pet and interpret them into gameplay. With the addition of the Move controller (and after a bit of calibration), _Eyepet Move_ is able to further this immersion: the Move controller replaces what was done in the previous game by coloured cards, and becomes an x-ray scanner, a shower-head, a hair-dryer, a watering-can, and more.

The charm of the game comes from how well the various aspects combine to make the experience relatively convincing. A key moment for my boyfriend came when he pushed down on my mattress and released (I didn’t have the energy to rearrange my set-up so as to be able to play with my ‘pet’ on the floor) and the creature sprang up in the air. Your eyepet will also react if somebody else passes in front of the camera, following them with a curious gaze. It is details like this that make _Eyepet Move Edition_ stand out from the dozens of other pet simulators out there – the magical combination of camera and motion controller allow for a really immersive experience. While the technique takes a while to perfect (especially given that some in-game items with which you are meant to interact simply hover in mid-air, with no indication as to how close or far away from you they are supposed to be), once you’ve grasped it, it comes quite naturally.

However, an abundance of charm is, unfortunately, not enough to give this game a lasting appeal. While there is a narrative of sorts, it is restricted to the initial hatching and then the progressive unlocking of challenges and items. The challenges are a lot of fun, ranging from teaching your pet to draw or sing to dressing him up in various outfits and encouraging him to do particular things, but once they are all completed, the game is left without much to draw the player back in.

_Eyepet Move Edition_ is a game that makes interesting use of the Playstation Move set-up, and works well enough to provide the player with a fun, interactive experience. It is perfect for small children, who will love things like the ability to dress their pet up in colourful costumes and draw toy cars which can be brought to life for their pet to ride around on. However, those looking for something that will last longer than a few weeks should look elsewhere.