Written by Alexander O. Cuaycong and Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: Tennis World Tour 2
Developer: Big Ant Studio
Publisher: Bigben Interactive
Genre: Sports, Simulation
Price: $39.99
Big Ant Studios seemed to be aiming for authenticity when it developed Tennis World Tour 2, and, to its credit, the game does provide realistic gameplay. Groundstrokes, the meat and muscle of the sport, feel impactful, compelling gamers to make choices on the fly. Precision or power? Setting up the point or going for the kill? The depth of the decision-making gives the title the gravitas to overcome its missteps and do a remarkably good job at mimicking actual competition.
In Tennis World Tour 2, gamers are given the choice to pick their favorite player or create their own from scratch. They can either invest no small measure of time in the game's career mode and become the most successful player alive or just go set up a one-and-done match offline or online using marquee names. That's pretty much it in a nutshell. It aims to live and breathe tennis, and the effort shows.
Admittedly, Tennis World Tour 2 is far from perfect. Graphics-wise, it doesn't show its best. On the PlayStation 4 Pro, it looks serviceable, mostly propped up by its excellent lighting, atmosphere, and background design (which, while simplistic, shows a surprising amount of care). Meanwhile, the character models could be much, much better; for gamers who put a premium on visuals, the effect can be a little jarring, especially when seen up close.
Thankfully, appearances aren’t the end-all and be-all of sports videogames. So while Tennis World Tour 2 doesn't look too hot, the gameplay props up its value considerably. Movement is slow and deliberate, albeit clunky; quick changes in direction make for jerky animations. On the plus side, gamers will find themselves amply rewarded when they serve and hit well, and then score points, whether through a well-constructed strategy or a fortuitous in-the-moment tactic. It captures the essence of tennis pretty well, and can pretty much hold attention until the matches are done.
Significantly, Tennis World Tour 2 boasts of a fairly substantial career mode, with variables such as training and preparation taken into account as gamers move to improve their character’s standing. There is also the option to purchase additional content to unlock official tournaments and stadia, as well as include the sport’s legends on the roster of available players, although at not inconsiderable cost.
THE GOOD
- Compelling gameplay
- Fairly accessible and easy to play form the get-go
- Decent selection of marquee name
- Deep career mode
THE BAD
- Character models could be much, much better
- Low-resolution graphics
- Quick changes in direction make for jerky animation
RATING: 7.5/10
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