Fresh single player mode. Although not as deep as Virtua Tennis 2009’s “World Tour” single player, Grand Slam is far from having a light campaign mode. In fact, the single player mode of Grand Slam feels a lot fresher, this coming from someone who has never grown tired of VT’s excellent World Tour approach. Instead of exclusively leveling up your players abilities in mini-games like in VT, Grand Slam lets you power up you abilities by hitting winners in pre-tournament matches, something I enjoyed. If you’re looking for something that requires more time to earn the number one ranking , VT is the way to go. But if you’re looking for a new way to play, Grand Slam is tops.
Immersive sound. When “Superbrat” MacInroe slams his racket on the court, you’ll be able to tell if he did it on a hard court, grass, or clay. It sounds great, as do the ball bounces, groundstrokes’everything really. The crowd sounds awesome as well. And don’t even get me started on the music. It’s so good, I’d buy it if it were available as a soundtrack. UPDATE: The music was produced exclusively for the game by one of my favorite trance DJs, Paul van Dyk. No wonder it sounds so sweet.
Attention to detail. If it wasn’t already apparent, a lot of time and care went into crafting Grand Slam as the most realistic game of tennis’graphics aside. While playing on clay at the French Open, your player will slide just like they would in real life. They’ll also stop short on the courts of the US Open. It is this attention to detail that makes the game such an incredible overall package, this coming from a recreational tennis player and long-time Virtua Tennis fan. In short, I never want to play another tennis game again. So look out for the 288th ranked SmoothHarold (add me to your EA Accounts). I’m going for no. 1, baby!
