AO Tennis 2 Review: A Mixed Bag of Gameplay and Features
AO Tennis 2 makes a strong first impression but quickly reveals its limitations. It’s a game that has some fun elements, but over time, it struggles to keep up the excitement. Whether you’re a casual tennis fan or a die-hard gamer, you’ll likely find yourself asking: is AO Tennis 2 a worthy contender, or just another mid-tier tennis game?
In this AO Tennis 2 review, we’ll break down the strengths and weaknesses of AO Tennis 2 in 2024, from its shot mechanics to the frustrating AI, and help you decide if it’s worth your time.
You can also watch AO Tennis 2 review in a video version on our YouTube channel, by clicking the below link:
AO Tennis 2 Gameplay
At first glance, AO Tennis 2 seems like a solid tennis game. The gameplay feels deeper than other tennis games, with mechanics that focus on precision aiming and shot timing. For the first few hours, it offers a fun experience, especially if you’re used to games like Tiebreak.
But as you spend more time with it, the flaws start to emerge. The gameplay becomes predictable and feels scripted, and the computer AI quickly shows its limitations. Once you figure out how the AI behaves, the challenge diminishes drastically, and the game can feel repetitive.
Let’s take a look at specific gameplay components which are important for a good tennis video game.
Shot Mechanics: Limited Depth
One of the highlights of AO Tennis 2 is the ability to aim shots with precision and time them just right. This adds a level of control that makes the game feel more dynamic, at least initially. It’s a feature that sets it apart from more basic tennis games that rely on power meters (Tiebreak) and generic aiming (Tiebreak & Topspin 2k25).
However, the shot mechanics don’t offer much variety. Once you master the timing, you can consistently hit the lines, which takes away some of the challenge. The small aiming dot that shows where the ball will land is a neat feature, but it doesn’t allow much room for error or variety.
While adjusting shot timing in the settings can help tweak things, it doesn’t add enough depth to the game to make the gameplay feel fresh over time.
Movement: Assisted & Frustrating
One of the major downsides of AO Tennis 2 is the automated movement system. The game takes over the movement of your player, letting you focus solely on your shots. While this arcade-style assistance may work for casual gamers, it feels limiting for those who want a more authentic tennis experience.
Although the game allows you to adjust the level of movement assistance, turning it off doesn’t improve the situation. Without the assistance, it becomes too difficult to position yourself in time to make the right shot, especially with the fast-paced ball movement. The entire gameplay seems to be balance around the idea of having movement assisted turned on. And so, the movement system ultimately feels clunky and frustrating, especially for players looking for more control.
Serving: Fun but Unbalanced
Serving in AO Tennis 2 is one of the more polished elements. You can aim your serves and control the power with a timing meter, similar to other tennis games like Topspin.
However, while serving is nicely put together from mechanics perspective, returning serves is too easy. Whether you’re playing against AI or another player, returning serves requires little movement, making the serve and return mechanics underwhelming.
Physics and Shot Balance: Big OOf
Physics and shot balance are integral part of good tennis video game. They may seem like a nuance, but are the fundamental aspect that makes the game immersive and fun. And unfortunately, both of these aspects in AO Tennis 2 leave much to be desired.
There’s little distinction between flat and topspin shots, making it hard to tell which type of shot you’re hitting. Aggressive topspin shots are much stronger and safer than flat shots, which disrupts the game’s balance.
Additionally, the ball’s flight trajectory feels unrealistic. Topspin shots fly like rockets, while slice shots float for too long and bounce unnaturally high. These physics issues break the immersion and take away from the potential enjoyment of the game.
CPU Difficulty and AI: A Predictable Foe
A major flaw in AO Tennis 2 is the CPU’s behavior. For the first few hours, the AI might provide some challenge, but once you learn its patterns, it becomes predictable.
Even on higher difficulty levels, the only noticeable difference is tighter shot timing. CPU’s behavior does not change depending on selected difficulty, which is wild.
The CPU rarely makes errors and doesn’t hit many winners, making matches feel more like drills against ball machine rather than real competitions. Basically, the outcome of the match is entirely up to you, whether you’ll hit winner or unforced errors.
The lack of a slider to adjust how the CPU plays—unlike games such as Full Ace Tennis Simulator—is a missed opportunity to improve the game’s replayability.
Career Mode: A Bright Spot
Despite its gameplay flaws, AO Tennis 2 has a solid career mode. You can either create your own player or take control of a real-life tennis star. The career mode spans multiple seasons, allowing you to secure sponsors, train your player, and unlock career specific passive perks.
For players who enjoy single-player tennis games, this career mode can be a redeeming feature. The career mode in AO Tennis 2 is not as deep as the one found in Tennis Elbow 4.
BUT, If you’re able to overlook the gameplay issues (and that’s a big “IF” here), the career mode offers enough content to keep you engaged for a while.
Roster and Licenses: Lacking but Saved by Mods
The roster in AO Tennis 2 is disappointing, with only 31 licensed ATP and WTA players. The lack of top-ranked players detracts from the game’s appeal. From known players, we have stars like Rafael Nadal, Nick Kyrgios or Gael Monfils.
However, the community creations feature (called “academy” here) allows users to create and share custom players, venues, and logos, which helps fill the gaps.
The downside is that many of these custom player models don’t resemble the real-life players they’re based on, which can break the immersion for more dedicated tennis fans. Modders surely did their best to translate player faces into the game. But there are clearly limits to face accuracy based on game’s editor.
Multiplayer: Sparse and Inactive
Unfortunately, the multiplayer component of AO Tennis 2 is nearly nonexistent.
Finding online matches is a challenge, and the player base has significantly diminished since the game’s release.
Though, player numbers on Steam alone seem to be higher in AO Tennis 2 than in Tiebreak (recently released tennis game from the same developers).
If you’re planning to buy AO Tennis 2 for online competition, you’ll likely be disappointed by the lack of active players.
Conclusion: Is AO Tennis 2 Worth It?
Overall, AO Tennis 2 offers a mix of both enjoyable and frustrating elements. While the game has its strengths—like the career mode and precision shot mechanics—the assisted movement, flawed physics, and extremely predictable AI undermine its potential. The lack of a strong online community also limits the game’s appeal for multiplayer fans.
If you’re looking for a fun single-player tennis experience and can overlook its issues, AO Tennis 2 might be worth picking up during a sale (for like 5$ or 10$). However, for serious tennis fans or those seeking long-term replayability, this game may not serve up what you’re looking for.
