No doubt riding the hype wave of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam year, publisher Kalypso Media and developer Torus Games announced MATCHPOINT – Tennis Championships, a new tennis game due for release later this Spring.
The announcement ignited once again the hopes of all tennis games fans who were disappointed with games like AO Tennis 2 or Tennis World Tour 2, which largely failed to return this specific niche of sports games to the glory days of Top Spin.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether MATCHPOINT – Tennis Championships will be able to fill this void. The announcement trailer was confirmed to be pre-rendered, after all, so it’s not an indication of how the game will look or play once it’s released.
Additionally, Australian studio Torus Games does have a decent track record, but it’s mostly about kids games like Ben 10, Paw Patrol, and Hotel Transilvania. More recently they tackled the HD remasters of Commandos 2 (54% positive user reviews on Steam) and Praetorians (90% positive user reviews on Steam). Needless to say, none of these were tennis games or even sports games.
Still, MATCHPOINT – Tennis Championships does seem to offer a decent amount of features on paper, including cross-platform multiplayer. The developers are promising ‘authentic’ ball physics, ‘sophisticated’ character animations, and ‘unprecedented’ player control on the court. Several current and former tennis players will be licensed, including Tommy Haas, Tim Henman, Danill Medvedev, Garbine Muguruza, Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, Hubert Hurkaczs, Nick Kyrgios, Benoit Paire, Heather Watson, Hugo Gaston, Madison Keys, Victoria Azarenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Amanda Anisimova, Kei Nishikori, and Pablo Carreno Busta.
Some of them even commented on the game announcement in the video below.
Start your journey in single-player or online multiplayer. A deep career mode featuring a merit-based ranking system allows for accurate and competitive matchmaking.
Create your 3D tennis star. Choose your look, fashion, and play style with an array of customization options, including true-to-life techniques such as left-or right-handed, one-handed, or two-handed backhand.
Dominate the court as a tennis professional. Matchpoint – Tennis Championships features 16 real-life international tennis stars from the professional circuit.
Fully customize your athlete and wearables. The game features gear from all of tennis’ name-brands, including UNIQLO, HEAD, and many more – giving players the chance to use their equipment, from rackets to clothing. Unlock special equipment by winning competitive matches.
Master all strokes and shots in grand style. Determine the outcome of a rally by choosing the best technique for the time: topspin, flat, lob or slice shot.
Take on opponents in local or online matches: Defeat challenging AI opponents or challenge your friends and rivals to a virtual tennis duel.
Study your rival’s moves and tactics. Watch your opponents and get to know their strengths and weaknesses to gain a tactical advantage before you even hit the court.
Practice makes perfect: Hire a personal coach to hone your skills. Enhance your strengths and diminish your weaknesses with an in-game coaching system of individual training modules.
Fine-tune your tactics in Practice and Training modes: Jump into various mini-games to hone your perfect game and become a force to be reckoned with on the court.
Compete in exhibition matches at spectacular venues around the globe. Each court has its unique characteristics; study your arenas of play and adapt your game to grass, clay, and hard courts.
Replay mode. Capture your fiercest rallies and decisive matchpoints on film and study the outcomes to improve your game.
MATCHPOINT – Tennis Championships is set to launch for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam), and Nintendo Switch.
