Upon booting up the game, you will be greeted with a short tutorial that takes you through the basics of tennis such as how to deal serves and the different kinds of shots one can play. On the PlayStation 5, the cross button is for a flat shot – which is a straight shot and great for when you want a lot of speed. The circle button is for a topspin shot which when used correctly, can make it really hard for your opponents to follow up. The triangle is for a lob shot which helps when you need time to reposition yourself, and so on and so forth. The triggers are used for prioritizing shots like volleys, which can also prove to be useful in certain tactical situations. Positioning is also an important part of the equation, and you need to have a solid grasp on both player position and where the ball bounces – which is done through a well-implemented and responsive targeting system.

"The AI can be pretty aggressive at times, and when given the chance – your opponents will easily close the points gap in mere moments."

Matchpoint Tennis Championships seems to be aiming for a fine-tuned balance between accessibility and depth with its mix of simulation and arcade mechanics – and it generally hits the sweet spot with its moment-to-moment gameplay. Those just starting out with tennis titles may find this tutorial a bit overwhelming, but once you get the hang of it – you will be easily switching between shot types as and when needed easily. That said, it’s really important that you actually complete the tutorial and gain a basic understanding of how the actual gameplay works before diving head-first to matches.

Because booting up into a quick match without a proper knowledge of the systems is essentially a death sentence, since opponents are fierce and will quickly ace through sets if you don’t know what you are doing. My time with Matchpoint Tennis Championships was mostly spent on the Semi-Pro difficulty, and most opponents would require me to carefully assess the situation everytime and make meaningful plays to win points. The AI can be pretty aggressive at times, and when given the chance – your opponents will easily close the points gap in mere moments.

"Strengths can be anything from a strong backhand shot to an increased spin in top spin shots, while weaknesses range from being unable to play cross-court shots to becoming anxious on breakpoint."

Matchpoint Tennis Championships has two basic gameplay modes – a quick match and a career mode. The former allows you to select your player character and an opponent from the game’s humbly sized roster of tennis superstars along with the ruleset and type of ground where you want to play. The Career mode on the other hand, sees you create your own tennis player from a fleshed-out character creator and embark on a long journey to make it to the top. You will undergo multiple training routines, exhibition matches, and championship matches as you try to make a name for yourself in the prestiged sport. Winning these matches will earn you new gear like rackets, shoes which increase your MPT points that are your player stats.

One of the more interesting parts of the Career mode matches is the game’s strengths and weaknesses system. As you start to exchange a few shots with your arch nemesis, a pop-up will indicate the opponent’s strength and weakness. Strengths can be anything from a strong backhand shot to an increased spin in top spin shots, while weaknesses range from being unable to play cross-court shots to becoming anxious on breakpoint. One time I came across an opponent who would get impatient after playing a couple of shots and charge towards the net. So I intently exchanged a few shots, and sure enough when the enemy charged at the net – I followed up with a fast fiat shot aimed at the back of the court for an easy win again and again. Since you will be facing threats with stats mostly superior to your own, it’s vital that you study your opponent and build a strategy around avoiding their strengths and exploiting their weaknesses.

"In conclusion, Matchpoint Tennis Championships ends up feeling like a game of two halves."

Unlike something like WWE 2k22, there’s no overarching story tying the career mode matches all together; you simply choose matches and play through them one after the other. As such, playing through the career starts becoming boring after a while – which is made even more aggravating when you consider there isn’t much to play other than that. Matchpoint Tennis Championships allows you to compete in online matches and even supports cross-platform play, but since I wasn’t able to find any matches during review – I am reserving my judgments on the matter. Apart from these three major modes, you only get a handful of FIFA-esque Skill Games that hone in on a certain aspect of training, and the only reason to revisit them after gaining an understanding of the system is to try and beat your high score which is to say there isn’t anything much there as well.

Furthermore, you can’t even participate in tournaments without entering the career mode. Add that with the lack of popular match types like doubles, and Matchpoint Tennis Championships starts to feel like a package that’s really light on content. On that note, I should also mention that there are only 20 tennis superstars in the roster, and while all of them are licensed players – almost none of them are widely renowned like Roger Federer or Maria Sharapova which are obviously enough, absent from the roster. The same feeling of being a half-baked package extends to the presentation as well, as the game’s visuals do leave a lot to be desired. It’s fine enough to not be distracting to the experience, but it certainly feels lacking in the textures and facial models department. The game’s soundtrack is also composed of generic-sounding tracks, which obviously does not hold a candle to the many licensed tracks that the likes of FIFA feature with their annualized entries.

"In its current state, Matchpoint Tennis Championships is a decent game but not one that you’d want to really sink your teeth into. "

In conclusion, Matchpoint Tennis Championships ends up feeling like a game of two halves. On one hand, the on-court experience of trading a flurry of shots with your opponent is great – all thanks to a simple but effective control scheme and formidable opponents that will test your understanding of these mechanics. On the other hand though, everything supporting that basic structure like the career mode and training mini-games and player roster- all end up feeling barebones. Topping it all off is a lack of support for additional game modes like doubles tennis alongside a visual and audio presentation that leaves a lot to be desired. In its current state, Matchpoint Tennis Championships is a decent game but not one that you’d want to really sink your teeth into. 

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to the game’s launch.

"There are a lot of miniscule movements that tennis players make that are imperceptible in full speed but are integral to their performance. With the use of the Xsens mocap suit, we suited up real pro tennis players in our quest for accurate motion capture."

What can you tell us about Matchpoint: Tennis Championships’ career mode? How is it structured, and what does its overall progression work like?

In Career Mode players will face the challenge in climbing from a low ranked player all the way to World #1. Start by creating your character and customising their features and outfit, then commence your training to improve your skills and unlock a series of coaches, rackets, and shoes to boost your performance. Tactical decision making is integral to your success as your choice of coach will ascertain which of your player’s strengths improve. Across your career, players can compete in 65 tournaments across 6 continents, against 500 opponents, all with unique combinations of strengths and weaknesses – including the superstars that are waiting for you near the top.

How extensive will the game’s character creation and customization options be?

The character customisation in Matchpoint – Tennis Championships is broad and allows players extensive choice in changing their look, fashion and playstyle. Select your outfits from a vast array of apparel and unlock special equipment by winning competitive matches.

I imagine getting the balance right for different techniques and styles is as tricky to pull off as it is crucial. What was that process like, especially for a game that’s putting so much emphasis on authenticity and realism?

During the early stages of development research, we watched a lot of tennis in slow motion and studied the sport in as much depth as possible. There are a lot of miniscule movements that tennis players make that are imperceptible in full speed but are integral to their performance. With the use of the Xsens mocap suit, we suited up real pro tennis players in our quest for accurate motion capture. In doing this, we then approached gameplay movement from the perspective that professional tennis players never stop and are in a constantly moving state out on the court. This influenced the recreation of small movements such as shuffle and split-steps to increase in-game realism. We also wanted to replicate the real-life complexities in moment-to-moment tactics and shot selection. Our game encourages players to be creative in their decision making. Tactical shot and power selection can all make the difference between winning and losing – just like in a real game.

"Multiplayer mode is easily one of our favourite parts of the game! 1 vs. 1 tennis is always going to be a lot of fun and playing against another human is the greatest test of strategy for even the most confident of players; it really forces you to be more creative when trying to overcome different strategies."

What steps have you taken to ensure that Matchpoint: Tennis Championships offers compelling, balanced competitive gameplay in online and multiplayer modes?

Multiplayer mode is easily one of our favourite parts of the game! 1 vs. 1 tennis is always going to be a lot of fun and playing against another human is the greatest test of strategy for even the most confident of players; it really forces you to be more creative when trying to overcome different strategies. In terms of balanced multiplayer gameplay, Matchpoint features a ranked multiplayer that uses the ELO ranking system in matchmaking. Whether it’s a local or online match – in our fully cross-platform online multiplayer – we think multiplayer mode is a feature that will really keep players coming back again and again.

Do you have any post-launch plans for the game right now in terms of additional content or modes?

We do have post-launch plans that we will soon share with the community. As for now our focus is to support our players on release to make sure they enjoy Matchpoint as much as we enjoyed working on it.

Tennis fans haven’t had access to a great many well-made sims in recent years- why do you think that is? How do you hope to change that with Matchpoint: Tennis Championships?

Tricky to say! With the lasting popularity of titles including Top Spin 4 and Virtua Tennis, it is a tough act to follow. As huge tennis fans ourselves, we knew we wanted the game to have a deep focus on rally tactics, so we spent a lot of time studying real tennis players on court to implement true-to-life gameplay features that you’d find in a real match. Mostly, however, we wanted the game to be a lot of fun and we hope we have achieved this!

"We wanted the game to be a lot of fun and we hope we have achieved this!"

Do you have any plans to optimize the game for Steam Deck? If yes, what kind of specifications can we expect?

Matchpoint has been thoroughly tested on the Steam Deck and we’re quite satisfied with the results. At the moment we are not planning further optimization, but we’re not excluding additional support for the upcoming patches and updates.

What frame rate and resolution does the game on PS5 and Xbox Series X?

Matchpoint targets native 4k resolution at 60fps.

About Rise of the Guardians

Game Overview:

In Rise of the Guardians the main characters are Jack ,Frost, Pitch Santa Claus,Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny and Sandman. Jack Frost who has no responsibilities in whole world had to join Santa Claus,Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny ,Sandman group to stop Pitch the Nightmare King to protect the children of the world.

Publisher: Namco Bandai

Developer: Torus Games

Platforms: 3DS, DS, PS3, Wii, WiiU and X360

Release Date: 23/11/2012

Stay tuned to Gamingbolt.com for more news and updates.

About Rise of the Guardians:

Game Overview:

Let your imagination soar in Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game as you play in an action-packed adventure game as one of the classic childhood legends, including: North (aka Santa Claus), Tooth (aka the Tooth Fairy), Bunnymund (aka the Easter Bunny), Sandman, and Jack Frost. Each player has their own set of upgradable and never-before-seen extraordinary abilities to help you take on the evil spirit “Pitch” and his infectious nightmares.

Publisher :Namco Bandai

Developer : Torus Games

Platforms : 3DS, DS, PS3, Wii, WiiU and X360

Release Date : 23/11/2012

Stay tuned to Gamingbolt.com for more news and updates.

Rise of the Guardians will feature drop-in/drop-out co-op play and players will be able to play as one of the guardians.

Developed by Torus Games and published by D3 Publishers, Rise of the Guardians- The Video Game releases on November 20 in North America and November 23 in Europe for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, 3DS and DS, with a Wii U launch also planned.

Stay tuned for more info.