AO Tennis 2 (Switch) Review
Release Date: February 11, 2020
Publisher/Developer: Bigben Interactive/Big Ant Studios
Platform: Nintendo Switch (reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Steam
Price: $59.99
Tennis games are always a good time, but the really popular ones tend to lean toward arcade or party style games. Mario Tennis Aces or the still-oft-played Wii Sports tennis matches can be enjoyable but don’t offer the Madden-level sim status that true tennis fans may miss. The AO (Australian Open) Tennis series brings the realism and customization in spades. It may deter players used to the prior mentioned titles, but with time gamers will find a satisfying, if perhaps a little too deep at times with the frantic pace of your average tennis match.
While you are thrown into the thick at bootup, it is best to head over to the tutorial and wrap your brain around the control scheme. More than “hit button to whack ball”, every face button is delegated to a different way to send the fuzzy yellow orb back toward your opponent. The Switch edition has motion controls as an option, but they are limited to the timing of your hit. You are still holding a button when swinging, let alone using the left analog stick to move around. It’s also more of a “hold and release” that sees you timing just right to find the perfect volley point. For a gamer who’s used to violently swinging his arm to hit the tennis ball with motion controls, it definitely feels alien, but once you get used to it the control scheme gives you a lot more precision. I found myself frustrated that it was harder to get the ball to particular areas on the court, but turning on the proper marker to let me see where the ball was going eventually helped me course correct.
AO Tennis 2 offers a robust creation system, with more sliders and options than you likely ever need, with several sliders dedicated to every part of the face. I wish there was more dedicated to making a unique body structure after being able to nail down every single nuance of the face, but that could likely mess with mechanics, as I’m sure a rotund person will have a harder time hoofing it to the other side of the court and would thereby require a whole new tweak to the entire game.
Players can play singles, doubles, individual matches, or even a full tourney style system, wherein you can make choices that effect the whole run, injuries, fatigue, and the like. Much like a NASCAR game, you even can manage your sponsors as you work your way to the big leagues.
The original AO Tennis suffered when it came out, but hefty patches and a strong community built it into a better beast. AO Tennis 2 builds off of the high place the last ended on, crafting a highly detailed tennis sim that fits right in with the latest Madden or NASCAR Heat game in terms of detail and depth. If you are on Switch and looking for pick-up-and-play casual, you may want to head over to the always awesome Mario Tennis. If you want something a bit more realistic, AO Tennis 2 is great, and it’s four player capability means you can have an intense match with friends as well. I wish the motion control felt more intuitive, and I wish I knew the nuances of each individual hit better. Explain the details to me all you want, I still struggle to implement them in the heat of the moment, causing me to end up relying on a couple of hits instead of my full arsenal. However, if you know your way around a court, you’re bound to discover AO Tennis 2 lets you return serves exactly like you hoped to once you master the control scheme.
Pros:
-Madden-level detail and depth for tennis
-Beautiful graphics (even on the Switch version)
-Deep customization for character creation
Cons:
-Perhaps a bit *too* detailed in hit options, leading me to rely on half my moveset
-Not pick up and play friendly: you need to run the tutorial minimum
-Fairly lengthy load times
Special thanks to Bigben Interactive/Big Ant Studios for providing a code for review!