AO Tennis 2

Last updated
AO Tennis 2
Ao-tennis-2-cover.jpg
Cover of the game featuring Ashleigh Barty (left) and Rafael Nadal (right)
Developer(s) Big Ant Studios
Publisher(s) Nacon
Director(s) Mike Merren
Producer(s) Daniel Dunphuy
Designer(s) Beau Barker
Programmer(s) Matt Ellison
Artist(s) Jacob Thomas
SeriesAO Tennis
Platform(s)
ReleaseWindows, Switch, PS4, Xbox One
  • EU: 9 January 2020
  • NA: 11 February 2020
Amazon Luna
  • US: 20 October 2020
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer, cooperation

AO Tennis 2 is a tennis video game developed by Big Ant Studios and published by Nacon. It is the sequel to AO Tennis and holds the official license of the tennis Grand Slam Australian Open. The game was initially released on 9 January 2020 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Contents

Gameplay

AO Tennis 2 allows players to play in the Rod Laver Arena. Australian Open 2015 (16237198700).jpg
AO Tennis 2 allows players to play in the Rod Laver Arena.

AO Tennis 2 game features multiple types of tennis match. [1] The re-designed career mode features a new managing system. Players have to earn money and experience that can be used to boost players' skills and stats. The higher level is, the better form would like to perform. [2] While performance on court is important, how to deal with press conference, how to maintain good relationship with your team would also be critical for players' reputations and decide the quality of sponsors that players can pick up. [3]

In addition to the solo game, the game introduces a multiplayer mode which offers up to four local players competing head-to-head. A cooperation mode is also available so that players can team up in doubles online. [4] Like its predecessor AO Tennis , all custom players and venues sharing with the community are downloadable for the game. [5]

Development and release

WTA World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty is one of the star players in the game. Ash Barty January 2019.jpg
WTA World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty is one of the star players in the game.

AO Tennis 2 was revealed with a game trailer in November 2019. [6] It is developed and published by the Australia-based video game developer Big Ant Studios, the developer of AO Tennis . [7] It is the second video game that holds the official license of the Australian Open, which gives the game plenty star players from ATP and WTA, including Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka, Angelique Kerber, Ashleigh Barty and more. [8]

The game was released on 9 January 2020 in Europe and 11 February 2020 in North America for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. [9] [10] In Japan, the game was made available on 14 May 2020. [11] An official editing tool, which allows players to create their own players and stadiums and share online was available via Steam. [12] The game was released for Amazon Luna on 20 October 2020. [13]

Reception

AO Tennis 2 received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.

The game received a 7 from IGN . The reviewer Tristan Ogilvie commented the game was "better-looking" and "smoother-playing", and approved the improvement of the series. [21]

The highest score came from William Thompson of Hooked Gamers, who gave 8 points out of a possible 10 to the game. He praised the refined career mode, and commented "AO Tennis 2 is a heap of fun", but he felt AI players seemed to be invulnerable as they were often able to hit the ball from anywhere. [27]

Dominic Leighton of The Sixth Axis also rated the game an 8 out of 10, summarizing the game "bright" and "likeable". He was pleased with the in-game player creator and community support, as well as the depth of the game. However, he was not happy with the weird crowd sounds and thought licensed players were far from enough either. [28]

Brian Mazique compared the game with its predecessor AO Tennis , and said the game "has more positives than negatives", but he also mentioned the AO tennis series was not "as complete as other sports titles". [29]

Matt Hewson of player2.net wrote a review when the game was released based on the Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions. He rated the game "B", praising the developer Big Ant Studios learned from their last release AO Tennis . He also wrote that the game was "a deep and rewarding simulation", and felt the game was "an ace" for hardcore tennis fans. [30]

Matt Cox wrote a review at Rock, Paper, Shotgun , commenting "it would be unfair to single out AO Tennis 2 for replicating the banality of tennis when every sports ’em up has the same conceptual flaw". [31]

TY Sheedlo gave two stars out of five at Screen Rant , which was the lowest score the game received. He described the game was "a headache", found it too hardcore to enjoy, even with its soft-rock soundtrack. He also complained the game was "unlikely to inspire any interest in the sport on its own". [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Ant Studios</span> Australian video game developer

Big Ant Studios Pty Ltd is an Australian video game developer based in Melbourne. Founded in 2001 by chief executive officer Ross Symons, the company specialises in the development of sports games. Big Ant's games include Cricket 22, Rugby League Live 4, AFL Live, AFL 23,Cricket 24 and the upcoming Rugby 24 and TIEBREAK: Official Game of the ATP and WTA.

<i>Brain Challenge</i> 2007 video game

Brain Challenge is a mental exercise video game, featuring "brain exercise puzzles". The game was developed by Gameloft Beijing for mobile phone and iPod and released on September 5, 2007. In 2008 was followed by a Nintendo DS version on January 8, an Xbox Live Arcade release on March 12, and a PlayStation 3 launch on November 27. The N-Gage 2.0 version was released on the day of the service's launch, April 3, 2008. A version for WiiWare was released in autumn 2008 on all three regions. The Wii version also uses Miis for the players profile. OnLive also had launched their new streaming game platform with Brain Challenge on July 27, 2010. The game was released for Mac OS X in January 2011.

The AFL video game series is a series of Australian rules football video games licensed and based on the VFL/AFL.

<i>Puyo Puyo Tetris</i> 2014 crossover puzzle video game

Puyo Puyo Tetris is a 2014 puzzle video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. The game is a crossover between the Puyo Puyo series and the Tetris franchise, and features various gameplay modes incorporating both aspects. The game includes characters modeled and named after the seven Tetrominos, which are different puzzle pieces each made of four blocks.

Super Mega Baseball is a baseball video game series developed by the independent studio Metalhead Software in Victoria, BC, Canada and published by EA Sports.

<i>Shantae</i> Video game series

Shantae is a series of platform video games developed by WayForward. The eponymous heroine of the series, a half-genie, was created by Erin Bozon, while the games for this character were created by her husband Matt Bozon. The series consists of five games: Shantae (2002), Shantae: Risky's Revenge (2010), Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (2014), Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (2016) and Shantae and the Seven Sirens (2019). A sixth title, Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution, is in development and scheduled for release in 2025.

<i>NBA 2K18</i> 2017 basketball video game

NBA 2K18 is a 2017 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the 19th installment in the NBA 2K franchise, the successor to NBA 2K17, and the predecessor to NBA 2K19. It was released on September 19, 2017 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, iOS and Android. Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics serves as cover athlete for the regular edition of the game, Shaquille O'Neal is the cover athlete for the special editions, and DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors is the cover athlete for the Canadian version. While a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers when selected for the cover, Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics prior to the game's release. As a result, a new cover depicting Irving in a Celtics uniform was revealed alongside the original cover. This was the last installment in the series to be released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

<i>Super Bomberman R</i> 2017 video game

Super Bomberman R is an action-maze game developed by Konami and HexaDrive and published by Konami. The game was first released worldwide as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch in March 2017, and later for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in June 2018. Part of the Bomberman franchise, it is the sixth installment of the Super Bomberman series and the first game in the series to be released in twenty years. It is also the first Bomberman entry in the franchise to be developed for consoles following the dissolution of original series owner Hudson Soft in 2012.

<i>WWE 2K18</i> 2017 video game download

WWE 2K18 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K. It is the nineteenth instalment in the WWE game series and a follow-up to WWE 2K17. It was released worldwide on October 17, 2017, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. With its release, WWE 2K18 became the first in the series to be exclusively released on eighth generation hardware and also the first in the series to be released for PC and consoles simultaneously. A Nintendo Switch version followed on December 6, 2017, the only release of the series for the Switch and the first WWE game to be released for a Nintendo platform since WWE '13.

<i>Tennis World Tour</i> 2018 video game

Tennis World Tour is a tennis video game developed by Breakpoint Studio and published by Bigben Interactive for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. It was released on May 22, 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and the physical PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions in Australia and New Zealand, as well as the Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch versions, was released on October 29.

<i>AO Tennis</i> (video game) 2018 video game

AO Tennis is a tennis video game developed and published by Big Ant Studios. AO Tennis was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android and iOS on January 5, 2018. It is the first official licensed game of the Australian Open.

<i>Death Squared</i> 2017 puzzle video game

Death Squared is a puzzle video game developed and published by SMG Studio. It was released in 2017 for Microsoft Windows, macOS and Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One, and in 2018 for iOS and Android.

<i>NBA 2K19</i> 2018 basketball video game

NBA 2K19 is a 2018 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K, based on the National Basketball Association (NBA). It is the 20th installment in the NBA 2K franchise, the successor to NBA 2K18, and the predecessor to NBA 2K20. Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks is the cover athlete for the standard edition, while LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is the cover athlete for the 20th Anniversary Edition. Antetokounmpo and James grace the cover in North America, while Australia native Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers is featured on the cover in Australia and New Zealand.

<i>Trials Rising</i> 2019 video game

Trials Rising is a 2.5D racing game developed by Ubisoft RedLynx and Ubisoft Kyiv and published by Ubisoft. It was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on February 26, 2019 and for Stadia on November 19, 2019. It is the first mainline entry in the Trials series since 2014's Trials Fusion, and the first in the series to be released on a Nintendo console.

<i>The Last Campfire</i> 2020 video game

The Last Campfire is a puzzle video game developed and published by Hello Games. It was released for iOS, Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on August 27, 2020.

<i>Cricket 19</i> 2019 video game

Cricket 19 is a 2019 cricket video game developed and published by Big Ant Studios. It is the official video game of the 2019 Ashes series of cricket matches, and the (first) sequel to the 2017 game Ashes Cricket. It was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on 28 May 2019 and on 31 July for Microsoft Windows via Steam. It was added to Xbox Game Pass on 22 October 2020.

<i>Lego Builders Journey</i> 2019 video game

Lego Builder's Journey is a puzzle game developed by Light Brick Studio and published by Lego Games. When it first released on December 19, 2019, Lego Builder's Journey was initially an exclusive game for the Apple Arcade service on iOS, macOS, And visionOS; however, the game was subsequently ported to the Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows, with these ports both being made available on June 22, 2021. It was also ported to Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on November 25, 2021. The PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 ports of the game released on April 19, 2022. Lego Builder's Journey and Lego Brawls were the first two Lego games for Apple Arcade. Lego Builder's Journey has received generally positive reviews.

<i>WRC 9</i> Official game of the 2020 World Rally Championship

WRC 9, also known as WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship, is the official racing video game of the 2020 World Rally Championship. The game is developed by French developer Kylotonn and published by Nacon. It is available for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, released on 3 September 2020, with the Nintendo Switch version released on 11 March 2021.

<i>NBA 2K21</i> 2020 basketball video game

NBA 2K21 is a 2020 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. The game is based on the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is the 22nd installment in the NBA 2K franchise, the successor to NBA 2K20, and the predecessor to NBA 2K22. The game was released on September 4, 2020, for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Google Stadia, and the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S versions were released on the consoles' respective launch dates. Most versions were released to heavy criticism, citing the lack of originality in the gameplay and many microtransactions and bugs.

<i>Puyo Puyo Tetris 2</i> 2020 video game

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is a puzzle video game developed and published by Sega. It is an installment in the Puyo Puyo series and a direct sequel to Puyo Puyo Tetris. The game was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on December 8, 2020 with a Windows version released on March 21, 2021. The game was released to generally positive reviews.

References

  1. ThaiGameGuide (27 January 2020). "AO Tennis 2". playco-opgame.com. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  2. Hardiman, James (14 January 2020). "AO Tennis 2 Rapid Review". rapidreviewsuk.com. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  3. Seeto, Damian Antony (11 December 2019). "Career Mode Explained In AO Tennis 2". justpushstart.com. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  4. Snaith, Kim (14 January 2020). "Can You Play AO Tennis 2 in Local Multiplayer?". gamespew.com. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  5. "AO Tennis 2 presents its narrative-driven Career Mode". Gamasutra . 11 December 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  6. Lagioia, Gianfranco (8 November 2019). "AO Tennis 2 gets reveal trailer and January release date". Gamereactor . Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  7. L, Stefan (7 November 2019). "AO Tennis 2 announced, coming out in time for January's Australian Open". thesixthaxis.com. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  8. Wright, Steve (2 January 2020). "AO Tennis 2 roster: Nadal, Barty and many more". stevivor.com. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  9. "AO Tennis 2". Nintendo . Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  10. "AO Tennis 2". Nintendo . Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  11. Bri, Bri (14 January 2020). "AO Tennis 2 coming to Japan". japanesenintendo.com. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  12. Straw, Michael (14 January 2020). "AO Tennis 2: Five Things To Know". sportsgamersonline.com. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  13. Gartenberg, Chaim (2020-10-20). "Hands-on with Amazon's Luna game streaming service". The Verge. Retrieved 2022-12-18.
  14. "AO Tennis 2 Switch". Metacritic . Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  15. "AO Tennis 2 PC". Metacritic . Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  16. "AO Tennis 2 PlayStation 4". Metacritic . Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  17. "AO Tennis 2 Xbox One". Metacritic . Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  18. Schmädig, Benjamin (9 January 2020). "Test: AO Tennis 2". 4Players (in German). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  19. Kato, Matthew (11 February 2020). "AO Tennis 2". Game Informer . Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  20. Ney, Alex (15 January 2020). "AO Tennis 2 im Test: Die aktuell beste Tennis-Simulation?". GameStar (in German). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  21. 1 2 Ogilvie, Tristan (9 January 2020). "AO Tennis 2 Review". IGN . Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  22. de Kaaraj, L'avis (9 January 2020). "Test : AO Tennis 2 : Un mode carrière réussi, une réalisation datée". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  23. Scullion, Chris (17 January 2020). "AO Tennis 2 Review (Switch eShop)". Nintendo Life . Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  24. Dӧrre, Christian (19 January 2020). "AO Tennis 2 im Test: Immer noch kein Konkurrent für Top Spin 4". PC Games (in German). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  25. Wilson, Ben. "AO TENNIS 2". PlayStation: The Official Magazine . No. March 2020. p. 6. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  26. Barker, Sammy (10 January 2020). "AO Tennis 2 Review (PS4)". Push Square . Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  27. Thompson, William (24 January 2020). "AO Tennis 2". hookedgamers.com. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  28. Leighton, Dominic (11 January 2020). "AO Tennis 2 Review". thesixthaxis.com. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  29. Mazique, Brian (11 February 2020). "'AO Tennis 2' Review: The Good, Bad And Bottom Line". Forbes . Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  30. Hewson, Matt (9 January 2020). "AO Tennis 2 – An Ace for Serious Tennis Fans". player2.net. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  31. Cox, Matt (10 January 2020). "Wot I Think: AO Tennis 2". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  32. Sheedlo, TY (20 January 2020). "AO Tennis 2 Review: Swing and a Miss". Screen Rant . Retrieved 27 June 2020.