TEST Racket Club: the future benchmark for e-sport in VR?

It happens in the video game world that the name of a studio alone is a guarantee of quality for its future creations, this is the case for Resolution Games. It must be said that for several years, Swedish developers have provided us with quality and varied content. Of Blaston and his duels gun fight way bullet timehas Demeothe famous board and adventure game, including Acron and its asynchronous game mode, we were hardly disappointed. Since then, When last June the developers unveiled an extraordinary new racket sport, we were immediately hyped. Will Racket Club be the next trendy sport? Here is our opinion.

The Club is the flagship attraction of the game, a social network in itself.

Rather than transposing an existing sport to virtual reality, the studio preferred to draw inspiration from several disciplines and create a new one where we find elements of tennis, pickleballof padel or even squash. And although racket sports are numerous, for the most part they are played on large courts and their movements are difficult to adapt to. VR. For Racket Clubrather than using teleportation or using the joystick, the choice was made to reduce the playable area in order to favor real movements. Limited to a quadrilateral of 2.2 m on each side, this minimum area will allow a large majority of users to play at home. In addition, we have at our disposal a very practical zone positioning system taking advantage of the mixed reality of the headsets in order to best adjust it to our interior.

Once in the game, we appear in our Clubhouse private, central point from which we have access to the different activities. A training ground where we will have the choice between carrying out a whole range of exercises or facing bots. Regarding the latter, we can choose between four difficulty levels in order to find the ideal opponent for our preparation. The exercises are diverse and varied with plenty of room for improvement. They will allow us to work on our ball striking, control and spin. A way Career is present, in which we can participate in competitions in all four corners of the planet. The different tournaments are accessible according to our ranking and the points recovered during our victories. And finally THE Clubit is the flagship attraction of the game, a social network in itself, an open space made up of five courts, two for singles and three for doubles. We can meet players there, chat with them, watch matches or play as we would in any tennis club, by simply getting on the court. It’s this kind of interaction that gives virtual reality its meaning. Of course, a system of matchmaking automatic is available via the menu, as is the possibility of creating a list of friends that we can invite to play in the Club, but also in private rooms. These games are played in settings as beautiful and diverse as the Alps, the pyramids or the Pacific Ocean.

The courts are divided in two by a net and delimited by windows which go around them. Each player sees his part of the field made up of two zones, one smaller and near the net called the Gapwhere it is forbidden to hit the ball and the other in the back of the court which is the effective zone of play. The objective of a match is to win two rounds during which it is necessary to collect a total of 11 points. The throw must be done with a spoon (from below) and below hip level. Whether during service or during rallies, it is forbidden to directly touch the glass behind the opponent or to make two successive rebounds in the Gap otherwise we lose the point. Obviously, a double touch of the ball or a direct shot out of bounds will also be punished. Last point of the regulation and not the least, the value of a rally increases by one point for every five touches of balls with a maximum of five points. During doubles matches, your teammate’s court is juxtaposed next to yours, thus doubling the total surface area. However, the rules remain the same except that the service must be crossed.

The game is as fun as it is competitive.

If doing ranges or playing against an artificial intelligence can be enough to acquire better technique, it is against a flesh-and-blood opponent that the game shows its full potential. Once on the court, whether we are a beginner, a player of padel or seasoned tennis player, the pleasure is identical. For novices, getting started is quite easy and it doesn’t take them long to find their feet. Little by little, the exchanges become longer, more intense and quite quickly a little competitive spirit sets in accompanied by the pleasure of winning a nice point. On their side, players accustomed to racquet sports directly find familiar sensations. They master power and spin very quickly, aided by excellent and realistic game and ball physicsas well as haptic feedback from the controllers which varies depending on the striking power. Lifts, slices, drop shots or volleys, everything goes and it is not uncommon to see different styles clash and make the games more and more athletic, because although the playing surface is not large, the exchanges are lively and the important placement. This makes it a game that is as fun as it is competitive. The only downside is that we noticed a little latency during games against very distant players.

In doubles, the game mechanics are very different due to longer diagonals, allowing more powerful strikes and more complex trajectories which make the games just as exciting. It should also be noted that Racket Club presents two particularities capable of influencing our way of playing. First of all, the side windows, while they are a guarantee of safety for the novice, can become a formidable weapon in the hands of an experienced player and must be used judiciously. Then, the increasing points system can very quickly change the appearance of a set, because even if a player leads by a wide margin, he can be caught up, or even overtaken, in less time than it takes to lose confidence and pass. from the position of aggressor to that of the attacked.

Matches, private or Cluballow you to gain or lose ranking points which are used to establish a hierarchy among players. They also provide experience points which allow you to unlock access to better quality snowshoes. These can also be recovered by completing the training exercises and progressing in the mode Career.

In terms of visuals, we are clearly on cel shading, the cartoon side of the graphics is obvious, but in no way spoils the gaming experience and even adds a nice side to the whole. The decors are beautiful and varied, in harmony with the spirit of a sporting setting. Although we noticed a slight lack of sharpness in places, we appreciated the profusion of details intended to perfect the immersion, boxes of balls, water bottles, bags… If we wish, we can activate a mixed reality mode which will allow us to keep in touch with the real world or avoid bumping into each other if the space we have is really just right.

We absolutely loved Racket Club.

Regarding players, they are customizable as desired, both in terms of appearance and clothing style, and we can go from a fairly serious look to something that is not at all depending on our desires or our mood. We found the player animations quite successful although the arms sometimes become uncontrollable during fast, close-to-the-body strikes.

If graphically everything has been done to get closer to a real tennis club or padel, the same goes for the soundscape. In a subtle way, various sounds or noises are heard here and there, like a radio placed on a bench and which broadcasts pleasant music into our Clubhouse. Outside, birdsong accompanies the sound of a fountain and balls giving this ensemble a springtime feel reminiscent of the first games at the start of the season. Finally, during matches, a voice-over, that of the referee, will signal fouls and rallies worth more points.

Finally, we really loved Racket Clubit is a sport close to what we know in VRbut at the same time totally innovative thanks to its increasing points mechanism, its realistic movements and the doubling of the surface area of ​​the court during four-a-side matches. It will appeal to beginners due to its easy handling and to experienced athletes due to its competitive side. There is no doubt that it will become a must-have in the virtual reality sports scene.

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