Grand Slam Tennis 2 Review

Look: there’s not really a lot to say about Grand Slam Tennis 2. Not that it’s a bad game in any way. In fact, the opposite is true. It’s just that, well, it’s tennis, and the addition of nicely implemented Move functionality aside, you’ve probably seen it all before.

It’s suitably authentic, as all EA Sports games are, with all the usual licensing bells, whistles, tournaments and players. Unfortunately this also includes infuriating ESPN logo intrusion every time you see a replay, and the demented/hilarious commentary team of John McEnroe and Pat Cash. Seriously boys, we don’t need to know the pros and cons of ‘hitting it deep’ every single game.

That said, for those of you that love the sport (or pick this up for six pence during Wimbledon, for which it has the exclusive licence), Grand Slam 2 has plenty to offer.

The aforementioned Move controls are nice and responsive, even if some of the character movement is a little stiff and laboured, and there’s a career mode that spans ten years for players to build their legacies around. 

Topping off the package is a selection of ESPN classic matches from the Eighties to the 2000s, with all-time classics and fantasy match-ups rounding out the selection.

Infuriatingly, however, these have to be unlocked by playing through them and accruing points, and although there’s a lot of good stuff there, curiously some real classics are missing: Federer/Nadal 2008, anyone?

Irritating, but not enough to deny Grand Slam 2’s position as an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon or ten when your favourite gets knocked out of Wimbledon.