To define Matchpoint Tennis Championships "Yet another" copy and paste tennis game would be absolutely a mistake because, as we will discover in this review, it has a lot more to say than you can imagine. In a landscape in which titles dedicated to racket sport par excellence have failed to show a worthy quality, especially in technical and realism terms, this outsider arrives who unexpectedly manages to have his say (although there are clearly some points on which to work).
Matchpoint Tennis Championships is indeed a product of more simulative mold, and despite from the point of view of licenses we're still a long way from being a AAA title, the strong point turns out to be the game system, satisfying, aiming for realism and offering very clever ideas.
The essential that does not hurt
That of the boys of Torus Games it is a tennis simulation that tries to offer "the essential", as if to present a business card to say "here we are, we are here too and this is what we can do". This is because, despite some bugs, to be fixed and a limited number of modes, in the gameplay di substance there is a lot of it. But let's start from the beginning, from those foundations that unfortunately do not convince.
Matchpoint Tennis Championships does not avail of official licenses, or rather, there are very few: i existing tennis players that have been reported are of a small number (if compared to that of today's “classic” tennis games), and many of them do not cover very high positions in the ranking. Furthermore, the same tournaments present and that we will be able to face in Career mode, do not clearly present the official names of the ATP circuit. Better from the side (to become a sponsor), where uniforms and playing fields (also unofficial) are branded with important names (Nike, NB, Adidas, Lacoste, to name a few).
Let's then add that there are no doubles matches (we focus on 1V1 challenges) and that in addition to training and the single game the only mode is the Career, and the general picture seems to herald a total disaster. Nothing could be more wrong.
Removed these more negative sides, what remains is pure tennis. Matchpoint Tennis Championship is therefore a title that is made standard-bearer of essentiality, does not try to overdo it and focuses on what we could call the "testing" of their new game system, a dress rehearsal for enter the market and - who knows - attract attention to include even more content and official tournaments in upcoming iterations.
In any case, the only serious mode remains there Career, and we can assure you that, if you have "tamed" the game, you will find it particularly satisfying.
Go where I tell you!
As mentioned at the beginning of the review, the strength of this Matchpoint Tennis Championships is definitely the gameplay. This goes on to present itself as a kind of hybrid among the most classic games we have seen in recent years, and a something of simulative. Before starting with a quick game or career, the advice is strongly to learn the basics with the tutorials and the training mode: we are talking about a game that in theory will explain itself, but that in practice ... well, it will give you a lot hard time.
The game goes beyond the simple "hard to master", since the mechanical which the game makes use of are details and you will need them at least a couple of hours to get acquainted. Do not be discouraged by the first negative results, because little by little you will understand what needs to be done and when.
Certainly the most interesting find of Torus' boys is undoubtedly theaim-circle: it is a circular “shadow” that allows us to indicate the point where we want to direct the ball. Therefore, no more generic directions, which combined with the choice of the type of shot based on the key (and there are some for all situations) and the power, will make our results rather meritocratic.
Sure, there are things to file, like the tennis player's responsiveness on some balls (perhaps a slight input lag), or the fact that the stick to move is the same one we will use to aim, which keeps the impulse active even when we pass from walking to hitting if we are not reactive enough. Often it will be necessary to play foresight, but anticipating too much can make you discover a part of the field prematurely and suffer badly.
In principle, however things work very well, the game has an enviable basic consistency, and not always running from one side to the other (the movements of the tennis players are slow enough) will prevent us from taking a point. Small side note, if you make good use of the low beats and the angled outwards ... well, you can easily win half the games.
As mentioned the game still features a few bugs too many, which, however, can be resolved slowly. The rest of the technical field sees ups and downs, with a graphic aspect that is not exactly idyllic, between faces and more, and an online still a bit shaky. The English dubbing is pleasant, even if not very varied, and the silence (soundtrack) on the playing field is also pleasant, very immersive and consistent with sport.
Review- Matchpoint Tennis Championships (Tested on PS5) 7 Final Vote
Matchpoint Tennis Championships is a great little surprise. Although we do not reach any kind of excellence, the guys of Torus Games have produced a game with a very interesting gameplay, which can be exploited to the fullest - now that a base exists - for several new iterations, perhaps with a few more licenses that increase its fame. and appeal. Few modes, and only single matches available, but the Career can be more than satisfying. Too bad for a sometimes shaky technical sector. In summary, a game promoted from many points of view, which can be improved, yes, but a very positive starting point.
