AO Tennis 2 is out now and there are a number of people still on the fence about picking up the latest tennis title from Big Ant Studios.
The game features a lot of changes and improvements over the first game from 2018 so here are five things to know about AO Tennis 2 to help with your purchase decision.
1. There’s an Overhauled Career Mode
The career mode from AO Tennis sucked. There’s no other way to put it. It was boring and repetitive, two of the worst things a game mode could be. AO Tennis 2’s career is the exact opposite of that. The mode has you schedule and play events, train and rest your player, manage finances, and more.
There are singles & doubles tournaments to register for, but if you want to give doubles play a shot, it’s up to you to recruit a partner. To get to the tournaments, you have to make sure you have the money for flights, accommodations, and general transportation. You even have to have the money to pay for your nutritionists and coaches.
It’s so thorough that you need to maintain a proper balance of rest and play in order to avoid injury. Otherwise, it could cost you quite a bit of money…in-game, of course.
2. The Roster is Pretty Thin at the Top
When you go into an officially licensed sports game of any kind, you expect to see the best of the best represented. While AO Tennis 2 has some of the game’s greats like Rafael Nadal, Ash Barty, Gael Monfils there are plenty of star players missing. If you want to play as Williams sisters, Rodger Federer or Novak Djokovic, you’re going to be disappointed.
If you really want to know just how thin the roster is, of the top 15 ATP and WTA player rankings, only four in each are on the roster. We know licensing can be difficult, especially when on an individual level, but that doesn’t make it any less disappointing.
[RELATED: AO Tennis 2 Review]
Luckily, the creation suite is one of the deepest and most detailed in sports games. If you really wanted, you can create a version of Serena Williams or Federer for yourself that will come pretty close to looking as though they were actually scanned for the game.
3. Only one Tournament License
The game may include courts in New York, London, and Paris, but don’t let that fool you: it’s only licensed by one of the four majors: the Australian Open. You know…the AO in AO Tennis 2.
If you want to play events like Wimbledon, The French Open, or the US Open, you’re going to have to use your imagination…and the venue and logo creation tools.
4. You Can Download Anything
One of the best new features in AO Tennis 2 is the fact that all custom players and venues that were shared with the community from AO Tennis will be available to download. If you had a really awesome created version of Andre Agassi in the first game, you’ll be able to get him into AO Tennis 2 without much effort.
It also helps those who don’t want to go through the venue creation process all over again just to rebuild something they already had done in the first game. The only gripe is that any player or venue you download has to be imported into your career right from the start. There’s no way to add a newly downloaded asset once you get going.
5. A Game For All Skill Levels
AO Tennis 2 is nothing short of accessible. Whether you’re a true beginner or an experienced pro, the game has a skill level for you. With eight total skill levels, players can go for an easier ace-fest on Rookie or get a true Major experience by playing on Grand Slam. Making your hits is just as accessible as players can either use the right stick or the face buttons to select which shot they want.
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