Despite these improvements, there's still a lack of realism in the way your player moves. Other tweaks to the core mechanics are subtler, including animation adjustments that reduce unnecessary dives by CPU opponents, and make swings of the racket look more realistic. They're also not any more powerful than a standard power shot, so they're not especially hard to return, making them a pretty yet pointless feature. They look impressive, but they ruin the flow of the game. These vary depending on your chosen player, but all take the form of an exaggerated slow-motion hit where the camera pans out from its default view. Once it's full, you can unleash the only new addition to your shot repertoire: super shots. This removes much of the excitement from the game, as well as any scope for advanced tactics, making it frustrating when you want to perform a risky drop shot from center court but can't simply because of your position.Įach hit you land fills up a meter at the top of the screen. It's an easy system to learn, but it lacks depth and is far too forgiving if you make contact, the ball is all but guaranteed to land in play. Too far away from the ball when you hit a shot button? Then, your return will be weak. If you get right underneath a high ball as it drops, you'll perform a power shot. If you get close to the net, you'll perform a volley. Performing more skillful moves, like drop shots and power shots, depends on your position on the court and around the ball. There are three main shot types to learn-top spin, lob, and slice-each of which is mapped to the face buttons while the left analog stick directs your shot. Sega’s take on the everyday tennis game is not something you should prioritize, but it's not something you should miss out on either.Most of your time in Virtua Tennis 4 is spent using the standard controls, which are very easy to pick up so much so that there isn't an in-depth tutorial to teach them to you. Overall, the game still hits hard for gamers who value accessibility more than strategy-based gameplays.
It all really depends on what you want in a tennis game. Virtua Tennis 4 is great as a party game that’s easy to learn and play. Unfortunately, because of this reason, the game fails to up Top Spin.īut this doesn’t remove Virtua Tennis 4 from the equation at all. Top Spin 4 has fleshed out more mentally demanding gameplay and strategy compared to Virtua Tennis 4.
The biggest difference between Virtua Tennis 4 versus Top Spin 4, a competitor, is the level of realism. It actually improves gameplay and considering it was released way back in 2011 makes it actually impressive. Sega has shown that they’ve aced their animation with this installment. Customize your character and power through different tournaments to claim your way to fame. The World Tour mode allows you to pave your own path as a tennis player. If you’ve ever wondered what life would be like if you’ve Serena Williams, now’s your chance. You get two different modes to choose from. Opt to play exhibition and arcade mode using renowned tennis players around the world against non-player characters if you’re not attuned to socializing or just want to play the game alone. Playing this game can be an outlet for you to bond with friends or family over a single game. This is a single-player sports video game for the most part, but some game modes allow you to duel with friend s in a choice of either one on one or doubles mode. Sadly, you can only play the game on this scheme on select game modes like mini-games and exhibition. The interactivity and physical challenge is a step up from the previous version. Its secondary control scheme gives you a stronger sense of precision. The mode is immersive partly because it will switch your perspective from third-person to first-person so you’ll actually see your hand being followed on the screen. This mode allows you to swing your console peripherals instead of simply pressing your keys to shoot a shot. In an effort to switch things up Virtua Tennis 4 introduced the Motion Play option.