Grand Slam Tennis 2 - 360 impressions

[tinpanalley]

Some thoughts on the 360 version:

- The balls don't go out but they also don't ever even seem close. Other than during a fault, even when I go out of my way to hit a ball completely out of bounds it finds a way to stay in.
- The game speed is too fast. It's closer to Virtua Tennis than Top Spin.
- Plus... the fact that there seems to be no out of bounds balls means, to me, half the strategy is gone. If it's that easy to keep the ball in bounds then there's no penalty for hitting too hard. Swing away. That's not tennis. Tennis is more often about placement, even in today's power obsessed game.
- The lack of players is appalling. Even Top Spin 4 could get all those historic players AND a whole bunch of current ones?
- I've already heard people complaining about the faces. Really, the faces? Seriously, are people still not over that? I'm sorry but the last thing I'm looking at when I'm playing a game is if players look real. Or even if they walk choppy heading back to the sidelines, which has n o bearing on the gameplay itself whatsoever. I want a good tennis game (once and for all). Does anyone care that you're basically playing with cartoon characters in PS3 Table Tennis? No, cause the game is awesome!
- I can't tell right now, but there doesn't seem to be a limit to the number of players you can create. If that's the case, then we'll be able to create players for years. This will hopefully open up a whole new world of player creators who can strive for creating all the pros as accurately as possible. Very exciting to have the prospect of playing a Major from maybe the 4th round with all players in their actual spots on the bracket.
- The gameplay isn't hurt by the issues above too badly, but Top Spin 4 definitely plays a more nuanced game of tennis.
- No challenges? How can you take what is now an essential part of the game, a part even of a player's strategy (choosing to challenge or not) and just disregard it. And before EA uses the excuse that they couldn't get a license from the Hawk-Eye people... please, you could have called it Eagle-Eye and been done with it the way you called the fictional sports network in NHL 93 "EASN". Everyone knew what you were alluding to. Smash Court Tennis had this on their PSP title years ago and EA couldn't implement it now? It's lazy. Could have been done.
- I don't mind a bit more fun than sim in a career mode but this isn't even very close to a sim experience. Top Spin is far deeper.
- Grand Slam Classics mode is excellent. It's like the old FIFA days when the games came with situations you had to play in and the screen would actually change to black and white playing older games with the different balls they used back then. This mode is fun and a treat for real tennis fans.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

[built]

Is there cpu vs cpu mode? Thanks.

[DarkNowitzki78]

Thanks for your impressions so far. If i may ask...did you own / play TS4 and if so, how do you compare this two games, or prefere more? Is there a carrer mode and if, whats your opinion?

[tinpanalley]

Hey guys, don't know about CPU vs CPU mode. Never bothered to check. I'll look next time.

I do own TS4 for the PS3. I wanna play Grand Slam a bit more before I make a definitive call but overall, while I think the control system is far more intuitive with GS, in my opinion GS is more arcade-fun than TS is. It's not Virtua Tennis extreme in its cartoonish depiction of the sport but I'd say it lies somewhere between TS and Virtua. The game is simply too fast. I feel like even in its animated pseudo-realistic gameplay, GS on the Wii was more connected to the feel of real tennis than this game is. My guess is that this was just an attempt to upgrade GS to the other consoles to build on going forward. Too many things are missing from it which leads me to believe that it's a very polished work in progress. My thinking is that if this game sells, which it will given that they'll probably be on overdrive promoting the heck out of it at all the majors this season, they'll be back next year with fine-tuned add-ons.

I'm in the middle of a career in TS4 and just started one in GS. Need to get back to you on that question.

Thanks guys. Hope that was helpful.

[Tomba]

So you're saying that if you create a player you can then play against them?

If so they then become part o the pool you can play a quick game with correct?

also, when you create a player what speed attributes can you edit or make better or worse.

i say this beacsue technically we can edit our own game in and have realistc players and gameplay as opposed to how you mentioned the game speed being?

[Tomba]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tomba

So you're saying that if you create a player you can then play against them? If so they then become part o the pool you can play a quick game with correct? also, when you create a player what speed attributes can you edit or make better or worse. i say this beacsue technically we can edit our own game in and have realistc players and gameplay as opposed to how you mentioned the game speed being?

nevermind video of player creation on youtube told me everything i needed.

VERY basic attributes. a seeting of 70 speed STILL has herky jerky movement

If that was at 50 or 40 i wonder how itd look
but im not about to drop 50 to find out quite honestly

game is extremely rare though not many retail stores even got it.

[bigball12]

With the lack of online doubles, this game is a complete waste of $. One of my worst purchases in a while. And I only spent $20.

[ajs41072]

Here's what my first day impressions are. I played one match vs CPU on pro, and 3 online matches:

The match vs. the CPU I was Evert vs Venus. I actually noticed balls going out of bounds (sidelines) and some groundstrokes hit the net. Evert came to the net, and her volley hit the net. I had a rough time hitting the ball past Venus and got double bageled. I enjoyed it though, I'd miss the "good" timing more than I got it, so I figured I was just a rookie and lost, but enjoyed some of the rallies.

The online matches, I couldn't hit the ball out if I wanted to.

First match, I'm Borg vs. McEnroe. I got to everything, was hitting shots past McEnroe. Not much went into the net or out. I win, 3-0, 1-0, and my opponent quit.

Next I'm my created Sabine Lisicki vs Serena. I could hardly win a point. I'm struggling to get the ball even remotely out of Serena's reach, and she hitting flat bullets at times past me. Serena hit a couple of strokes into the net, and even one net cord that went out (long). I lose, double bageled.

Next I'm Sharapova vs Serena. Same result as the Lisicki match. Serena at one point, was on the left corner of the court and I came to the net and hit a good volley deep to the right side. Serena got to this ball, and was set to hit it in plenty of time, and eventually won the point. I thought I was playing against Bugs Bunny. I thought how the hell did she get to that. Double bageled again.

I couldn't hit the ball out/net if I tried. Serena did a few times each match, but there's got to be more unforced errors, or excitement by a ball that's closely in or out.

I played the training. I realized it matters how much you pull back on the RS on topsin shots. That helped a little, maybe next time I'll do better.

Players like Serena have to be made slower so they don't appear to move at breakneck speeds to reach balls on the other side of the court. Serena did this to me, I'd be afraid to play Nadal.

I had an ace or two, and got aced about twice, but the serves seemed alright to me.

Maybe the player makes all the difference, Borg was hitting close to the sidelines, but Lisicki and Sharapova were about 10 feet from the sidelines when I was aiming to the side. I didn't use arcade controls, I used total racket control, but maybe my opponent used arcade and that why Serena's shots seemed crisper? Maybe?

I have no idea how to aim a slice, as you're supposed to pull down on the RS and release, but doesn't that always make the RS re-center, so how do you hit a slice to the side. This could be me not knowing what to do, so don't take this as final.

I didn't hit a ball out all night, and I saw no balls go out (sidelines) in any match with the exception of the net cord then out (long) shot by Serena. A few balls hit the net. Even when my player was outstretched and reaching, my shots always went in, but not a whole lot of power on them, which should be, but some should've gone out.

I liked it enough not to be really down on it, I think with a good patch, it can be much better.