Friday, October 8, 2010

Racket Sports for PS3 Move | Game review

PS3 Move; �24.99; 3+; Ubisoft

There are those cynics who reckon that the Move is a blatant rip-off of the Wii. To that we say, "Well, duh, of course it is." But, for those who've invested in the PS3 for its graphics and Blu-Ray capabilities and want the all-involving, cross-generational joys of the Wii, it's a bit of a godsend.

Of course, the cynics will jump on Racket Sports as further proof that Sony is somehow being underhand in adapting such popular, ground-breaking technology for its own devices. Again we give you the playground noises ... while also being forced to acknowledge that there is something deeply cynical about this title.

It's not that it's a pretty blatant rip-off of Wii Tennis. It's an OK game and, with the really rather impressive Move controller, it works pretty well as a basic game for all thefamily. It's more that, well, there may be five games here ? tennis, squash, table tennis, badminton, er beach tennis ? but there's so little variety between them, you wish they'd reduced the number of game options in favour of one or two done well.

Or, indeed, allowed the use of an avatar or something akin to the Nintendo Mii. There's a reasonable character choice here with some basic customisation possible, but if there's a difference in terms of skill or attributes between the characters, I didn't notice it. It's the sort of thing that, even if you can't explain why, will give the impression of a game that's slightly half-baked.

In terms of pick-up-and-playability, Racket Sports is pretty efficient. In terms of mastery though, this is a very peculiar experience. That's partly the delay between your swing and your character striking the ball, and partly down to the game's other mechanics, such as tilting the Move controller towards the ball to speed up your player, or holding T / trigger as you swing to make your shot stronger. These should add something to the game experience ? or at least make you harder to beat ? but, instead, add very little. The tilt-and-move aspect in particular is so forgiving that it's remarkably easy to return every shot. Levelling the playing field is all very well but not if it makes every rally a potentially endless affair. While the Wii allows you to score points by playing a decent shot, Racket Sports makes it more about the individual error.

While the different games offer some variety, there's simply not enough to differentiate between them. The overhead smash in badminton is a nice touch but when table tennis, tennis and squash feel like the same game, I'd say something's gone more than a little awry. There's the start of something decent here, but it feels like someone, somewhere, has rushed this out just so there's another Move title on the shelves.

Rating: 3/5


guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

GRUPO IUSACELL HARRIS HCL TECHNOLOGIES HEWLETT-PACKARD

No comments:

Post a Comment