EA Sports announces Grand Slam 2 for PS3 and XBox 360!

jamesblakefan#1

jamesblakefan#1

G.O.A.T.
The achievement list was released a few weeks ago.

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/game/grand-slam-tennis/achievements/

The ones that stand out to me are "Share A Pro - Upload a Tennis Player" and "Share A Pro - Download a Tennis Player", which likely means we'll finally be able to add guys that aren't on the roster, like Sod, JMDP, Ferrer, to name a few. Hopefully there are plenty of slots (at least 20?) and even better if they could be added to career mode to replace generic players.
 
jamesblakefan#1

jamesblakefan#1

G.O.A.T.
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jamesblakefan#1

jamesblakefan#1

G.O.A.T.
Well the commentary's ok. The gameplay...not as good as TS4 IMO. More arcadey. I just hit a one hand topspin BH with Nadal. :oops: Somewhere between VT and TS. Not truly arcadey but not truly sim either. The presentation is good, Cash and Mac are good on commentary.

And Nadal just threw a racquet. So much for real pro AI. :lol:

I guess I should say the only players available are Djoker and Nadal at Wimbledon. Djokovic's 'court speciality' is ALL, Nadal's is Clay. So Nadal's officially a clay court specialist again. :lol:

So the good and bad:
Good:
-Commentary adds to the game...I wish this commentary/presentation was in TS4 though.
-Eh.....

Bad:
-Slice strokes don't even look like slice strokes
-Movement is floaty
-Players don't show emotion immediately after points, only in cut scenes. Saved a match point with Nadal and he just stood there like it was nothing.
-Gameplay just doesn't seem that good, certainly not as good as TS4.

That's after only 1 game on the hardest difficulty. Granted it's not god awful, but seeing stuff like Nadal hitting a 1HBH and lack of player emotion takes me out of the experience.
 
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jamesblakefan#1

jamesblakefan#1

G.O.A.T.
Yeah, demo got pulled, must have been leaked when it wasn't supposed to be. I still have it DL'ed, will play a bit more to see if my first impressions were just sour grapes.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
I got it. I actually really like it. It's just fun, but I need more time with it. Lots of net play. I am hoping that is because it is wimbledon. Hitting topspin forehands is really satisfying. The players swing more like themselves compared to topspin. They also sound more authentic. The commentary is awesome. Personally I like the game a lot so far because it is a nice pick up and play type game.
 
jamesblakefan#1

jamesblakefan#1

G.O.A.T.
McEnroe just slurped up Nadal's volleys...this game is realistic! :lol:

Perhaps I was a bit too harsh. There's some good here if you accept that the game is not a sim and I guess isn't aiming to be one. Still can't get over the 1HBH though. Djoker and Nadal both hit them when I use them.
 
flyinghippos101

flyinghippos101

Legend
These companies should just outright drop the "Signature Pro Playing styles" tag line. Up to this point, almost all tennis games have failed miserably; Grand Slam Tennis isn't any different. Just watch how awful the motion capture is and how weird the strokes and footwork look. Did these game devs get scrubs off the nearest tennis courts they could find to mo-cap these pros? They must have, because even fundamentals seem non-existent in the videos I've seen so far.

I'm even more bemused by the fact that Djok and Nadal have ONE-HANDED backhands. Maybe this is a placeholder and will change as the final product is being tuned; then again, I don't expect that EA made Crosby shoot right instead in the NHL 12 demo and change it for the final product :confused: But if they keep something as blatantly wrong as this in the final game, then its all too evident of how little effort these devs put into actually presenting this game with some sort of authenticity.

Maybe I'm just being too critical. But this game doesn't seem like a pre-order to me, not like Top Spin 4 was. This doesn't even seem like a launch buy for me.

PS. Virtua tennis and Top Spin 1 get honorable mentions for the player motions however.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Yes I noticed the 1 handers too. That is weird, but fixable. I actually like the strokes of the players much more than topspin. Nadal in topspin also sounded weird, but in this game they both play a lot more like themselves in terms of looks and sound. The game off the bat is presented better then topspin to me.

the only thing I can not figure out is how to pass at net. I hit lobs and they track them down and get back to the net. These guys play the net like gods and if you try and hit a passing shot, it has to be perfect.

Hippo I think you are being too critical. It is a video game and it plays real well with solid graphics..lets see the final product, but I have played this thing a lot and like it.
 
jamesblakefan#1

jamesblakefan#1

G.O.A.T.
Power Player said:
Yes I noticed the 1 handers too. That is weird, but fixable. I actually like the strokes of the players much more than topspin. Nadal in topspin also sounded weird, but in this game they both play a lot more like themselves in terms of looks and sound. The game off the bat is presented better then topspin to me.

the only thing I can not figure out is how to pass at net. I hit lobs and they track them down and get back to the net. These guys play the net like gods and if you try and hit a passing shot, it has to be perfect.

Hippo I think you are being too critical. It is a video game and it plays real well with solid graphics..lets see the final product, but I have played this thing a lot and like it.
Click to expand...

They sound more like themselves, but play more like themselves? I had Nadal come to the net every other point against me in one match, and he's supposedly a 'defensive baseliner'. The difficulty of passing shots isn't something that should be glanced over, in TS4 if you hit a low dipping shot to make it difficult to volley it can set up an easy pass or error at the net, just like in real life. In this game once you're at the net you're basically a brick wall. It's actually worse than TS4 in that regard.

I don't really think the strokes look all that realistic either. This game on the whole is nowhere near as real as TS4 when it comes to gameplay IMO. The presentation and sounds are more real I guess, but for pure gameplay TS4 has it beat by a mile. I'm trying to stop comparing it to TS4 since it comes up short in almost every area IMO. It's more of an arcade game while TS4 is probably the best tennis sim on the consoles.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
To me it looks like Nadal's strokes more than topspin. Topspin had all the same strokes for everyone. Now yes, the 1 hander is an issue, but I feel like EA's guys remind me more of the real players than Topspin, and that includes sound.

Yes, this game is not a sim, but I don't mind that one bit. I like games like the 3 on 3 hockey game they made with the big head NHL stars..to me those types of games are a blast. Topspin is a sim, but they kept tweaking it and people kept abusing it online, and so it never really felt much like a sim when I went online to play.

I agree ..they come to net a lot. I am wondering if that is because of Wimbeldon and the grass surface. There is a lot of netplay in wimbledon still. Who knows..right now when they come to net, I agree it is a brick wall and they pulled the demo possibly because the gameplay is not proper yet. But since I have it, for some reason I really enjoy playing the game regardless.
 
J

j00dypoo

Rookie
Sid_Vicious said:
Did they start working on this in 2007? Federer playing with a K Factor? Nadal is also playing with his older racquet.

and lol at Federer smashing his racquet.
Click to expand...

no idea if this is still relevant, but they were using those racquets b/c the trailer was recreating classic matches. This is why they had big white text overlaid with the year...........
 
B

BigServer1

Legend
jamesblakefan#1 said:
They sound more like themselves, but play more like themselves? I had Nadal come to the net every other point against me in one match, and he's supposedly a 'defensive baseliner'. The difficulty of passing shots isn't something that should be glanced over, in TS4 if you hit a low dipping shot to make it difficult to volley it can set up an easy pass or error at the net, just like in real life. In this game once you're at the net you're basically a brick wall. It's actually worse than TS4 in that regard.

I don't really think the strokes look all that realistic either. This game on the whole is nowhere near as real as TS4 when it comes to gameplay IMO. The presentation and sounds are more real I guess, but for pure gameplay TS4 has it beat by a mile. I'm trying to stop comparing it to TS4 since it comes up short in almost every area IMO. It's more of an arcade game while TS4 is probably the best tennis sim on the consoles.
Click to expand...

It disappoints me to hear this, because EA and the depth they go to in their season/career/dynasty modes would crap on anything TS could produce. Hell, even the "Best of 80s, 90s and 2000s" is just so awesome. It's a step further than TS, and it's sorely needed in a tennis game, as is commentary.

The TS4 demo wasn't spectacular, and that one wasn't pulled down. Let's hope for some improvements in game play and a less arcade-like feel, b/c I'm dying for a game with a better career mode.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
There's a lot of features we have yet to really see...adaptive ai..they have all 4 slams..who knows if you can create a player or not..does it have the level up system that addicted people to the wii version? What will online be like? Lots of questions left to answer.
 
stormholloway

stormholloway

Legend
I think TS is overrated. I don't like the way the players move. It feels sluggish.

And motion control is not a gimmick. It's closer to actual tennis. It allows for more variation in shots. With GST, it's fun just to hit balls, regardless of the win. It's fun to rally. TS doesn't have that effect on me.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
stormholloway said:
I think TS is overrated. I don't like the way the players move. It feels sluggish.

And motion control is not a gimmick. It's closer to actual tennis. It allows for more variation in shots. With GST, it's fun just to hit balls, regardless of the win. It's fun to rally. TS doesn't have that effect on me.
Click to expand...

Agree. Once you get the timing and foot work down, this game plays real well. If you hit well timed lobs and deep shots it helps push the ai back from net.I'm loving it so far.
 
jamesblakefan#1

jamesblakefan#1

G.O.A.T.
Power Player said:
Agree. Once you get the timing and foot work down, this game plays real well. If you hit well timed lobs and deep shots it helps push the ai back from net.I'm loving it so far.
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Couldn't disagree more. Played some more just now and the net game makes it borderline unplayable IMO. How can you make a game where it's impossible to hit a regular passing shot? I hate that about VT and hate it in this game. The baseline game is fine even though I don't like it as much as TS, but having the CPU rush to the net EVERY SINGLE POINT and be impossible to pass is stupid. I don't want to have to hit lobs every point to win. It shouldn't come to that. The CPU should miss some volleys and not be a brick wall at the net.
 
JackB1

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
jamesblakefan#1 said:
Couldn't disagree more. Played some more just now and the net game makes it borderline unplayable IMO. How can you make a game where it's impossible to hit a regular passing shot? I hate that about VT and hate it in this game. The baseline game is fine even though I don't like it as much as TS, but having the CPU rush to the net EVERY SINGLE POINT and be impossible to pass is stupid. I don't want to have to hit lobs every point to win. It shouldn't come to that. The CPU should miss some volleys and not be a brick wall at the net.
Click to expand...

Perhaps there is a setting in the full game where you can reduce the frequency of the computer player coming to the net.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
jamesblakefan#1 said:
Couldn't disagree more. Played some more just now and the net game makes it borderline unplayable IMO. How can you make a game where it's impossible to hit a regular passing shot? I hate that about VT and hate it in this game. The baseline game is fine even though I don't like it as much as TS, but having the CPU rush to the net EVERY SINGLE POINT and be impossible to pass is stupid. I don't want to have to hit lobs every point to win. It shouldn't come to that. The CPU should miss some volleys and not be a brick wall at the net.
Click to expand...

I hit passing shots by looking one way and then squeezing it dtl with good timing. I think the net game can be tweaked but its not impossible to.hit passing shots. I hit flat and deep to keep them back and then topspin if they approach.

Sorry but I like the potential of this game. It has a better feel to it, and I am sure some of this stuff can be fixed. I love when nadal pulls off a buggy whip shot and the crowd gasps, it's freaking great.
 
flyinghippos101

flyinghippos101

Legend
If EA is willing to commit this as part of their annual EA Sports lineup that gets a yearly refresh, then I think this game will come into its own over time. The gameplay after all sounds very promising.

I can swallow this game sucking so long as I know it will be refreshed next year, bigger and better.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
I hope they build on this demo because I think people will like it. Lots of cool subtleties ..one of the best EA crowds ever.
 
grimmbomb21

grimmbomb21

Professional
I don't get why they pulled the demo. I read on ign.com that the demo was scheduled for release last week. :confused:

Anyway, really looking forward to creating a player. I love EA's player photo option to build the player face model. I will need to find a clean mug and profile photo of Safin and Gulbis.:)
 
stormholloway

stormholloway

Legend
jamesblakefan#1 said:
Couldn't disagree more. Played some more just now and the net game makes it borderline unplayable IMO. How can you make a game where it's impossible to hit a regular passing shot? I hate that about VT and hate it in this game. The baseline game is fine even though I don't like it as much as TS, but having the CPU rush to the net EVERY SINGLE POINT and be impossible to pass is stupid. I don't want to have to hit lobs every point to win. It shouldn't come to that. The CPU should miss some volleys and not be a brick wall at the net.
Click to expand...

I do agree here. Passing shots weren't really possible. You basically had to lob. It makes net play too bullet proof. I hoped they would fix that in the next incarnation.
 
D

Deleted member 25923

Guest
TS4 is fun, but honestly, the players are too sluggish. I just played Fed vs Nadal on clay, and I would push him back so often with deep topspin and flat shots, and then he'd give me a short ball, and Fed is so slow to get there that he can't put away a short ball. Same for moving side to side. It's a bit ridiculous. On top of that, not enough unforced errors. I had 70 winners in a three set match, and Nadal had near 80. Seriously?
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
ShooterMcMarco said:
Federer with a Dolgopolov service motion wtf?
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Notice how the video shows the players timig is off on ethe serve and groundies? It keeps saying late..early..etc. that is one reason the video looks so bad. The players are not good.

Storm, you can hit passing shots, but it is tough. I fake going to one side and then go down the line last second. I get a lot of passing shots that way on superstar level.
 
B

BigServer1

Legend
jamesblakefan#1 said:
Tutorial vid for Total Racquet Control - I still see 1HBH from Nadal and Sharapova.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9JE8SS5KN_o
Click to expand...

I only saw Rafa hit one backhand, and it was two hands...I didn't notice Sharapova.

The game looks sick. There is an "arcady" trail on the ball sometimes in TS4.

I agree the movement could look better, but that was also a chopped up demo that was stopped and started all over the place to show the "total racquet control" motions.

I've got high hopes for this game...
 
grimmbomb21

grimmbomb21

Professional
One handed backhands by two handers and everyone's got a that skippy forehand. Gameplay better be good.:)

All the tennis game developers do need to drop the "signature strokes" bit though. It's just sad. :neutral:
 
paulorenzo

paulorenzo

Hall of Fame
if only the motion capture animation was better. that persistent jumping, forward leaning, scissor kick forehand is hideous. tsonga performs a similar shot in the real world, but his is not nearly as ugly and displays a good kinetic chain–unlike in the game where players don't seem to be unloading into the shot. hideous.

In an interview, the game's producer, Thomas Singleton, replied the animation team used amateur tennis players/actors when asked how the game's animation was done. having seen players' animations in the demo videos, it lead me to wonder how much research was done in order to emulate the pro's techniques. it's understandable that sports games may not necessarily include pros' authentic movement, but in the case of Grand Slam Tennis 2(a game that touts "P.R.O. AI—The playing styles and behaviors of the sport's greatest stars are captured right down to their signature swings."), an attempt at signature style/movement should be more evident throughout. hopefully EA gets it together before the game releases.


I'm still looking forward to this game. the presentation looks awesome. graphic fidelity seems very polished, especially from what i've seen of Wimbledon. the commentary sounds good. the navigation menus look great. I'm looking forward to the career mode with GST2's nuances. The historic matches mode sounds sweet. i'm even looking forward to the analog stick shot control and ps3 move capabilities. we'll just have to see when it comes out.
 
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Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
I think you guys will like this game if you are casual gamers who want to get hooked on a fun tennis game. If you are hardcore then TS4 is probably more for you, but this tennis demo is a blast..I have had it for 2 weeks and still play it.

The movement is honestly rather nice. They need to fix the 1 handed backhand and tweak the netplay, but let's see how that plays out head to head.
 
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