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Grand Slam Tennis 2 Review: Better Courts, Better Presentation, Still Rough Around the Edges

Grand Slam Tennis 2 review: improved courts, modes and presentation, marred by shot inconsistency and camera trouble.

By mitch·3 min read
A tennis player strikes a ball on a sunlit grass court.

Grand Slam Tennis 2 arrives on PS3 and X360 with a simple promise: better tennis, better presentation, and a wider range of ways to play it. The game delivers on all three, though not without rough edges that keep it from greatness.

Trailer, via GamePlayStation.

The Courts

The courts themselves are the game’s strongest feature. Each surface plays differently, and the physics react to spin, slice and heavy shots in a way that feels distinct from shot to shot. Grass bounces low and fast. Clay drags and slows everything down. Hard courts sit somewhere in between, giving players a clear sense of where each ball will land once they learn the timing.

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That distinction carries through the whole match. A shot played the same way on grass produces a different result on clay, and learning which surface rewards which approach is part of what makes the game satisfying to play.

The Players

The roster draws from real-world tournaments, and the characters look the part. Motion capture brings a high degree of realism to swings, spins and celebrations, making matches feel like they were filmed rather than rendered. That visual polish carries through the menus too, where the same attention to detail turns a simple selection screen into a pleasant wait.

“Grand Slam Tennis 2 offers a deeper experience than its predecessor.”

Modes and Play Styles

The mode lineup runs wide, from a quick match against a friend to a full campaign across multiple Grand Slams. Online play holds up well, with matchmaking that finds opponents quickly and lobbies that keep games running smoothly. The game also supports a season mode for those who want to build a career across years of play.

The Rough Edges

Not everything lands. Some shots feel inconsistent, especially when the ball travels at pace, and the game occasionally fails to register a swing correctly. The camera can get lost during long rallies, leaving players unsure where the ball is headed. These moments break the immersion that the visuals work so hard to build.

The commentary is also hit-or-miss. Announcers repeat lines often enough that matches can start to sound the same after an hour, and the occasional forced joke falls flat rather than adding to the experience.

Sound and Presentation

The soundtrack leans on licensed tracks from pop and rock artists, mixed in with traditional stadium anthems. It works in the background but rarely becomes a selling point. The presentation is strong, with smooth transitions and a clean interface that keeps matches easy to follow.

Where It Falls Short

Grand Slam Tennis 2 improves on nearly every system it inherited from its predecessor, but it still shows the cracks in a few areas. The shot inconsistency and camera trouble hold it back from feeling truly complete, even as the rest of the package shines.

Final Verdict

Grand Slam Tennis 2 succeeds in making tennis feel like a sport worth playing again. The courts, the presentation and the modes all deliver on what they promise, even when the execution falls short in a handful of spots. For fans of the sport, this is the version of the game to pick up.

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