Originally released in 2018, Tennis World Tour - from developer Breakpoint - didn’t quite hit the mark with critics or players, but did provide a decent foundation as one of the more realistic tennis titles available at that time. Fast-forward two years, and the game, along with publisher Nacon and devloper Big Ant Studios, is back with Tennis World Tour 2, which will be releasing for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in September 2020, while a Nintendo Switch version will launch in October.
Why make a sequel to a game that wasn’t exactly critically-acclaimed? Simply put: to get it right. The teams behind Tennis World Tour know that the original didn’t quite live up to expectations, but also understand that there was enough to build upon to truly create a hyper-realistic game for tennis fanatics. Having never played the original game myself (with my only real prior tennis video game experience being the half-a-year that I devoted to Tennis 2K2 on the Sega Dreamcast), I came into the Tennis World Tour 2 demo with zero expectations.
After getting over the initially steep learning curve, I was happy with what Tennis World Tour 2 had to offer. Tennis World Tour 2’s demo provided a solid glimpse of what players can expect when the game releases next month, and seems like it will be a great choice for players looking for authentic tennis experience.
Improvements To “Love”
Tennis World Tour 2 utilizes a new in-house game engine (developed by Big Ant Studios) that allows for more refined techniques, better-looking animations, and a basic overhaul from the original gameplay. In fact, there are two times the amount of character animations from the original game. This alone is an immense improvement considering that in Tennis World Tour, players would often find themselves out of position, since the animation of the opposing player didn't really match the trajectory and anticipated placement of the tennis ball. For example, you might have expected a top spin shot from the opposing player, only to have the shot be something else entirely, leaving your player well out of position.
Online stability has also been improved from the first game, which had plenty of problems of its own, such as game crashes routinely occurring during online matches. This was a pretty large focus with Tennis World Tour 2, as bringing the game into the world of esports is something that the team would love to do. Improving upon stamina and overall responsiveness, as well as the addition of a Doubles mode (allowing up to four human players) also makes the idea of Tennis World Tour 2 being featured as an esport an interesting one. It would no doubt be difficult to play in tandem competitively with unresponsive gameplay as matches play out and players' characters wear down over time.
Besides being majorly influenced by Top Spin 4, Tennis World Tour 2 brings some gameplay elements that fans of 2K’s popular tennis game are sure to recognize. These include timing for shots and a more in-depth serve system, such as manipulating the toss-up, curvature, and strike of the ball on your serve. It’s a mechanic that definitely takes some time to get used to, as the ball can get away from you if you’re not careful, causing your character to lose balance. Shot timing feedback also provides players with information on each shot, and whether their shot was late, early, or on time, as well as the power behind each serve.
Decent Approach
The Tennis World Tour 2 demo only featured the Exhibition mode, but the full release will have the game modes of Career, Tournament, Online, and Tennis School as well. I was particularly thankful to see the Tennis School mode, as just jumping into my first few exhibition matches were rough and unforgiving to someone with limited knowledge of the sport. That said, once I started getting the hang of the actual tennis mechanics and how to counter my opponent’s shot, it became much more of a fun and intense time.
The demo also limited the game’s roster to only a handful of pros, but players can expect a refreshingly expansive roster of 38 players when the full game releases. 36 of the players will be available for free, while the two other legendary players - Gustavo Kuerten and Marat Safin - are available as pre-order bonuses. A plethora of arenas and court surfaces await you as well, including clay, hard, grass, wood, and carpet.
You’ll also be able to utilize ability cards that can be used (five at a time) in individual matches as temporary boosts for your player, should they need it. These cards can be earned through gameplay, as well as purchased via the store using the in-game currency (which is also earned through progressing through the game).
Good First Serving
It’s clear that Big Ant and Nacon are taking player feedback to heart. While the original game had its issues, it provided a foundation for what it appears Tennis World Tour 2 is going to become, with many of the improvements and added features coming directly from the requests of players. While the learning curve is especially steep - especially for players whose knowledge of tennis is a bit lacking - Tennis World Tour 2 seems like it could be primed to become the standard in realistic tennis video games.
Tennis World Tour 2 will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in September 2020, before making its way to the Nintendo Switch in October 2020. While nothing official has been confirmed for the game making its way to the next-gen consoles, it does sound like that happening is well within the realm of possibility.