Time to take up your racquet and head to the tennis courts once more in the latest outing of Virtua Tennis, number 4. If you’re a fan of the sport this could certainly be a tempting title to pick up at your local game store, but a word of warning; if you already own Virtua Tennis 3 you may be left with an incredibly challenging game of spot the difference! Upgrading to take advantage of Move technology won’t offer you much more either, as the motion technology is only actually featured in one small sub-section of the game. That sneaky ‘PlayStation Move Features’ on the cover is SEGA’s way of subtly letting consumers know that this, in fact, is not a Move game at all.
Gameplay
We aren’t ones to entirely dismiss a game because we can’t play it standing up and swinging our arms around like zombies on the rampage though, so let’s consider what Virtua Tennis 4 does have to offer in terms of gameplay.
Gone are the days of Pong where a simple tap of the ball with your racquet was all that was required to stay in the game. In this latest title from the Virtua team in Japan you will learn the complexity of the racquet angle, the power of your shot and even the spin and speed of the ball in motion. This is a game designed to replicate reality and allow you to produce some shots that are downright accurate, all while playing as your favourite tennis stars, or even as a character of your own creation. Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and, of course, Andy Murray, are just a few of the tennis stars to grace your screen in this title.
You should find the controls easy to pick up on the standard PS3 controller. Said controls are designed to be so intuitive that the developers felt there was no need for a long tutorial. This is great as you’ll soon be in the action, working on your three main shots; the top spin, lob and slice. Of course other more technical moves are featured in your arsenal, such as drop shots and volleys, but these really depend on your position in the court. Unfortunately it does seem fairly certain that your ball will remain in play should you have contact with it in any way, but at least the means of its return (the speed, power, spin, etc.) vary things up enough to keep the game interesting.
Motion Control
We do need to pay some homage to the Move Motion Control mode of Virtua Tennis 4. This, your chance to take up your wand and smite the tennis balls that fly toward your face (in 3D no less, if you can afford the technology that is!). The sensitivity of the Move controller in this game is surprisingly good; you should be able to master the majority of shots programmed into the title with relative ease.
You may feel transported to a simpler time however, when the only motion controller on offer was the Wii, and the only decent game around Wii Sports. The graphics are considerably better of course, but you won’t be in charge of your feet on the court; just your arms. Despite this drawback, the Move control is certainly good enough to make you wonder why it is limited to this one small subsection of the title as a whole.
Graphics
This is certainly an attractive game that takes full advantage of all the PS3 has to offer in terms of hardware. Movements appear realistic and closer shots show great facial animation and incredibly detail. However you are still likely to feel transported back into the previous title of the series, as the graphical improvements are more subtle than obvious.
Conclusion
Virtua Tennis 4 is a fun game with a new career mode, entertaining mini-games and a little motion control to whet your appetite for what the Move can do. Online play is also yours to enjoy (hopefully!). Unfortunately there really isn’t much else to report; this title is a very solid tennis arcade game, but if you are already in possession of its predecessor you may find the expense of an upgrade unjustified.