The original EyePet game was a novel pet simulation experience using the new PlayStation Move controls to let young gamers raise and play with a virtual pet on their PS3. We gave it a very good review on the basis of being a fun experience that used the new (at the time) Move capabilities fairly well. But since then, things have changed. Move has been around for a while, family and child-friendly titles have proliferated, and the bar has been raised quite a bit. So does the sequel, EyePet and Friends, rise to the challenge?

The Parent Perspective

Not a lot has changed with the formula with EyePet & Friends. Some of the activities may be different, but when all is said and done, it’s still a fun pet simulation game. Along with the basic fundamentals of caring for a pet, there are also many activities you can engage in with your virtual pet, including a number of minigames that can be unlocked in the Toy Box. I would have liked it better if you weren’t given access to only one game off the bat. The rest have to be unlocked with Pet Tokens that you earn by doing most basic tasks in the game. At the rate that tokens are dispensed, it will take a bit of time and/or repetition to access all the possible minigames, meaning the game could be a bit of a grind.

If your kids are the creative type, there are loads of customization options and other ways to unleash their creativity. You can customize toys, outfits, stickers, cards, and many other objects. It’s a significant part of EyePet & Friends to be sure.

There’s a good amount of pointing required to do a lot of things. Younger gamers sometimes have difficulty with this so be prepared to help out littler ones or be ready for a bit of frustration. Pointing is done like you would with a Wii Remote and works just fine.

Your background video results may vary. And likely will. Seriously, what lighting did they have to pull this off?

There isn’t a lot of reading required, and a voiceover guy will provide a very verbose explanation of any activities the first time you try them. Unfortunately, the game won’t let you do much while he talks, and older gamers may not want to hear the whole speech on how to put a new hat on your little creature. Fortunately, you can press the triangle button to skip the description. This does make the game more accessible to the non-readers.

Finally, the biggest change with the sequel is that you can have two EyePets going at the same time, meaning (hopefully) no fighting over the controller as each player can try the activity at hand. For cleaning/feeding/etc. type activities, you work on your own while the games are typically a bit competitive. Both players perform the same activity together, so be prepared for some arguing over what activity to do next. Folks who see the glass half full will look at this as a good chance for kids to learn how to share. Might be best to have an older sibling (or parent) take the lead and let the younger gamer play along. Unfortunately, there is no drop-in, drop-out. You have to choose one or two players and stick with your choice. Quitting the game is the only way to change number of players.

The Review

There is one significant problem that really hurts the experience. And it might be exacerbated even more for kids. The pacing of the game is, quite frankly, terrible. This is because every time you do a new activity, you’ll be graced with horribly long load times. And by long, it can be 30 seconds or more. To give you an example, when you come back to the game, your pet tends to be automatically hungry and dirty. So that’s a separate load sequence to get to the initial interaction with your pet to be told to take care of them, another to load up the washing sequence, and another before feeding. Then another when you finally get to do something. Your kids will spend a LOT of time waiting. This tends to be “not a good thing.” I really don’t know how this wasn’t addressed or if it couldn’t be, but it takes away from the fun. And to add insult to injury, there are cute animations that usually go across the screen to keep you entertained, and there’s framerate issues with them. The PlayStation 3 is a powerful piece of hardware. How does this happen?

If you've got creative types, you'll have lots of fun with this game with all the customization.

Speaking of framerate, the addition of the second player sometimes comes at a cost. The added animation seems to cause framerate issues when two pets are on the screen on occasion. It’s especially bad during cleaning. Like, it crawls.

An issue that didn’t (or couldn’t) get fixed from the first game is the fact that the augmented reality aspect of the game gets diminished somewhat by the high resolution pets playing on the terrible backdrop provided by the PlayStation Eye camera. I found better lighting improved the visuals a bit, so keep that in mind if you’re going to pick this game up.

There will be times where control will be an issue. Getting your pet to do certain tricks with the Trick Wand is frustrating. The game will show you what pattern to draw with it, but be extremely picky about doing it perfectly. Plus, since the minigames pretty much all involve pointing at the screen and using buttons to control, it results in some games having really clunky controls.

Oh, and be warned. If you go to the EyePet Store, there are two things to note. One, it will give you the opportunity to buy DLC. Two, it effectively ends the game. Exiting the store actually takes you back to the main title screen and you have to reselect the number of players, then rewash and feed your pet. That’s pretty clunky. If you’re going to offer a store in-game, it’s got to be more seamless than that.

I’m bagging on the game’s problems quite a bit, but it does have moments of fun. I don’t think it’s added a lot to the formula, beyond adding another player and adding some activities, but when they are actually involved in activities and not waiting for them, your kids will certainly have fun. The little pets are adorable, they do cute things, and you can dress them up. And they do a fairly good job of interacting with what you’re doing, so it isn’t all bad.

The wait for the minigames is almost worth it.

The GamerPops Recommendation

EyePet & Friends is a fun but flawed kid and family experience. It’s not a full-fledged game so much as it is a pet simulator with some bonus content. Unfortunately, the bar has been raised on quality family gaming experiences since its predecessor came out, and this game has sort of stayed the course more than anything. Sure, adding the second player is a welcome addition and an excellent idea. Unfortunately, the pacing is ruined by the long load times and there are some other technical issues that frankly shouldn’t be manifesting in a second effort. It won’t be so bad as a value title perhaps, and the fun of interacting with a virtual pet may be enough for you to overlook its problems. But at its launch price, I’d expect something a bit more polished.

ESRB Rating Summary

Rating: Everyone

Content descriptors: No Descriptors

Rating summary: This is a pet-care simulation game in which players can feed, bathe, and play with whimsical animals called Eyepets. Players can engage in a variety of mini-games with their Eyepet: performing tricks, customizing their appearances, and monitoring their health/well-being.