Gameplay Impressions
What do we like?The series hasn’t lost any of its addictive qualities. You don’t have to have any real knowledge of the intricacies of tennis to be able to enjoy VT 2009. It has instant pick-up-and-play appeal. The on-court the action flows like a good game of “Pong” and matches run at an exhilaratingly fast-pace. Yet still, there’s a tactical element to the gameplay where you can easily get embroiled in long drawn-out back of the court rallies and have to wait patiently for the opportunity to take advantage of your opponent’s mistake. The control scheme, though very basic, is extremely responsive, which ensures that matches flow remarkably well. You can also feel the difference to the way the game plays when moving between the different surfaces. How the ball slows down on grass, for instance and you have to be more specific with your aiming, or the way it speeds up and bounces higher on clay.
Replay value is high with some thoroughly entertaining mini-games and the new additions have increased that entertainment value. Furthermore, there's real incentive to play them with the introduction of the mini-game online ranking system. The transition between offline and online play during world tour mode is a definite highlight this year. You can train and nurture your player offline in the single player campaign and then immediately jump into an online game without having to go back through the menus. When you’ve finished playing online, your single player career continues without interruption.
The atmosphere around the court is also particularly impressive. Spectator-filled stadiums generate noise according to the intensity of the gameplay, during crucial match points for instance, and the sound of racket hitting ball and player's grunting and groaning all add to the exciting match day ambiance.
It's basically Virtua Tennis as we know and love it. There's little change from Virtua Tennis 3 if truth be told.
What don't we like?
That's the problem you see. VT 2009 is like an upgraded version of Virtua Tennis 3. There's no real innovation or progression in the series; it all feels a little too familiar. Very small changes on-court make it feel like we've been playing the same game for years. Though that gameplay is admittedly excellent, there comes a time where we'd have liked to have seen developer Sumo Digital really challenge themselves and strive to improve on the Virtua Tennis formula.
Though the pace of the gameplay is part of Virtua Tennis' appeal, the speed of the game can sometimes also be your nemesis. The diving animation from Virtua Tennis 3 has been dumped in favour of player stumbling, but the new movement looks clumsy and it can be hard to recover from as you dart swiftly from one side of the court to the other.
Graphically, VT 2009 doesn't look that great either. Character animations are repetitive, spectators are clone-like and there's no sign of the photorealistic character models that we expected.
By far our biggest gripe though, which we hasten to add may not be an issue when the game launches, is the lag that we've so far experience online. Choppy animations and delay that kicks in just before a player hits the ball has made for some really horrible and unenjoyable matches.
Final Thoughts
Virtua Tennis 2009 plays a fine game of tennis. It's the type of game that anyone, regardless of their gaming skill, can pick up and play instantly. The flowing, speedy gameplay of old is still as addictive as its ever been, but we can't help but feel a little disappointed that it feels like a extension of Virtua Tennis 3 rather than a brand new and exciting evolution of the series.
Final Verdict: 7.5/10
