Sega’s beloved arcade tennis series is back

Released in 2011, Virtua Tennis 4 is the fourth installment of Sega’s tennis video game series. The series has always been a leading tennis game in the series because it has immersive gameplay that allows gamers to blaze their own trail as in-game tennis players, all while giving them a chance to take a peek at the career-building journey that was traveled by famous real-life tennis players. No matter what your console is, you have high chances of playing this installment because gamers can get this game on PC and various gaming consoles like Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and more. 

Control schemes

Shot control and power depend largely on your distance to the ball when you try to press the hit button. It’s not much different from the old versions of the game. To begin with, this type of control lacks excitement and challenge. 

In an effort to switch things up Virtua Tennis 4 introduced the Motion Play option. This mode allows you to swing your console peripherals instead of simply pressing your keys to shoot a shot. 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.

Its secondary control scheme gives you a stronger sense of precision. The interactivity and physical challenge is a step up from the previous version. Sadly, you can only play the game on this scheme on select game modes like mini-games and exhibition. 

Gaming Modes

This is a single-player sports video game for the most part, but some game modes allow you to duel with friends in a choice of either one on one or doubles mode. Playing this game can be an outlet for you to bond with friends or family over a single game.

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. You get two different modes to choose from. If you’ve ever wondered what life would be like if you’ve Serena Williams, now’s your chance.

The World Tour mode allows you to pave your own path as a tennis player. Customize your character and power through different tournaments to claim your way to fame.

Friendly fun

Sega has shown that they’ve aced their animation with this installment. It actually improves gameplay and considering it was released way back in 2011 makes it actually impressive.

The biggest difference between Virtua Tennis 4 versus Top Spin 4, a competitor, is the level of realism. Top Spin 4 has fleshed out more mentally demanding gameplay and strategy compared to Virtua Tennis 4. Unfortunately, because of this reason, the game fails to up Top Spin. 

But this doesn’t remove Virtua Tennis 4 from the equation at all. Virtua Tennis 4 is great as a party game that’s easy to learn and play.  It all really depends on what you want in a tennis game.

Overall, the game still hits hard for gamers who value accessibility more than strategy-based gameplays. 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.