Outlaws have appeared in a number of games now and seem to have a liking for all things sports which have included all things volleyball and all things golf. Well now it seems the wacky characters have turned their hand to the gentleman’s game of tennis. Do these characters know no bounds and what’s next outlaw football, rugby, wrestling who knows? Either way Outlaw Tennis is a great excuse to see some wild comedy moments on the courts as they breathe some much needed life into the game of hitting a ball over a net.

Gameplay:

Well what could be simpler than hitting a ball over a net with the aim of not allowing your opponent the chance to return the ball? Well although that may be the basics of the game of tennis there really is a lot more to it than that. The more intricate part of the game is knowing what shot types to use and when to use them so that your player remains in control at all times and your opponent is chasing the ball all over the court. In most tennis games and Outlaw Tennis is no exception you have a normal shot, a slice shot, a lob shot and a powerful shot. Then on top of these you have the unique outlaw special shots which require the player to be powered up first but can be devastatingly fast.

The thing about the Outlaw games is that instead of bringing you the basic game which you could probably do better with a game like Top Spin Tennis; the Outlaw games aim to spice things up a little with not only the inclusion of some of the most oddball characters you will ever see partaking in sports but some rather interesting game modes as well.

Taking a look at the characters for a moment and they include people from all walks of life including some favourites from previous Outlaw games such as Summer the stripper who does a few moves that are titillating on the court. Then there is Killer Miller the tattooed, bandana wearing convict who looks more like a biker than anything and is mean as hell. Harley the biker trailer trash chick who is more comfortable with 900hp between her legs than a pair of knickers! Lizzie the British entry and somewhat punk inspired and yes she does use the word “wan*er” often! There’s a whole host more each with his or her own style and although the ones I’ve just mentioned were in previous games there are numerous new characters this time which I won’t spoil for you.

During the actual game and after their unique intro sequence you are treated to a suitable display of excitement if a shot is won or a suitable display of anger if a shot is lost which certainly gives the game much personality. You will be pleased to know that you can turn these player reactions off in the options once you’ve seen them all; and yes some of them are highly amusing.

The modes on offer at the menu couldn’t be more simple as they offer exhibition modes, tour mode, training and of course the Xbox Live mode. Tour mode is the meat and veg of the game when it comes to unlocking the extra characters and costumes/accessories (you only start out with 4). Once you have beaten a character’s tour mode (which consists of several events) then you unlock another character. This forces you to use more than one player which is a good thing. Each character has stats as well which can be built up once some of the training drills are complete.

The game modes on offer are quite varied event though its still tennis at heart. You have things like baseball which requires you to build up volleys and then to score to represent running round the field past the bases. American Football, hot potato (exploding balls), Casino, ping pong rules, pinball and then classic. More options are there for you to tweak as well to suit your needs.

Graphics:

The graphics are bold bright and colourful which is great when looking at Summer’s cleavage or Harley’s butt. The style is definitely leaning towards the comic book side and works really well here. The courts on offer are all varied and suitably themed although the graphics aren’t particularly impressive for these. The game runs smoothly and the ball physics seem to be just right.

Sound:

Sound is of a high calibre and features its own mix of musical styles. However as with all the Outlaw games, you are able to use custom soundtracks whilst playing which immediately make the music in the game 10/10. The voices on offer are all done to a high standard including the sometimes nauseas announcer and its great to see some of the parody characters being well acted and funny. Other sound effects are as you would expect although I think it’s a nice touch that they included those moans and grunts as players strike the ball with all their might (don’t you just love women’s tennis).

Longevity:

There are plenty of modes to play through on offer here and the tour will take a fair while especially if you wish to unlock all the characters. That said, for me tennis is not a game that I could sit and play for hours upon hours in one sitting; so this game is definitely a pick up and play, have a few matches then come back to it at a later date type game. Xbox Live and multiplayer modes help if you have willing partners to play with and can be very fun with 2 on 2 doubles matches.

Overall:

Outlaw Tennis is a welcome addition to the roster of Outlaw games and underneath the comedy and bravado there is actually a decent tennis game here. Some of the features are a little bland such as the fighting which is uninspiring at best and as I said earlier the courts are a little lacking. Yet Outlaw Tennis remains a fun game and one that I’m sure you would come back to from time to time to have a blast on for half an hour or so once you’ve beaten it and moved on. The characters are wacky and funny, the game play smooth (although doing specials seemed fiddly) and really there isn’t much to complain about. Good game and well worth a look if you are into sports, cleavage and some comedy. Not really a game for younger kids.