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

jamesblakefan#1 said:
I haven't played the full game so I can't say I don't like it, but can't overlook the flaws in gameplay and act like everything seems ok. I think you put it best, this one's for casual players while TS4 is more sim.
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Exactly, there's nothing wrong with it, but im hardcore, I need a sim tennis game like TS4.
 
stormholloway said:
As sim as people say TS4 is, it doesn't feel all that real to me. I find it incredibly sluggish.
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Agreed. Serving is super annoying in terms of placement, which is annoying but it means I need more practice. But in terms of movement, it is way too slow. The unforced error/winner counts are ridiculous, and because of sluggish movement, some of the winners you can get are just ugly, ugly shots. Plus, volleys are tough for no reason at times. I will get there, and hit the button to volley but I still get passed when it's hit right at me.
 
the biggest thing that killed prior games was guys who mastered the serve and could just drop bombs everytime. You folks will have to tell me if you think you can do it like that on GS2 now that the demo is out.

My hardest serve is 130 down the T and it felt real satisfying to hit one, but I only ace the AI 2-4 times a match.
 
Mansewerz said:
Agreed. Serving is super annoying in terms of placement, which is annoying but it means I need more practice. But in terms of movement, it is way too slow. The unforced error/winner counts are ridiculous, and because of sluggish movement, some of the winners you can get are just ugly, ugly shots. Plus, volleys are tough for no reason at times. I will get there, and hit the button to volley but I still get passed when it's hit right at me.
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I have these issues as well.

For the record, I'm good at TS4. Not world beater amazing, but good. I play career mode, vacillating between Very Hard and Expert (anyone that plays in career mode knows there's a huge leap between career VH/E and regular quick play difficulty), and I do alright, winning most matches...Grand Slam Semis and Finals are a challenge at that level, I probably have a .500 record so far.

Even at that level, I'm hitting 25-30 winners in a 2/3 set match, and I'm making 2-4 UEs on average. If I lose, the opponent is hitting 20-30 winners and making 1-2 UEs. It's not realistic at all, and it's annoying how ugly things can be sometimes in the game.

An even bigger issue for me (which I've stated 400 times in this thread) is the crap career mode in TS4, and the weird quirks with opponents in career mode (IE Federer/Nadal/Djokovic/Murray serving between 95-105MPH on 1st serve, while Tomic and Blake are two of the harder serves in career mode...).

I will be willing to forgive a lot in GS2 (for instance, I never use the female characters, so if Sharapova hits a 1HBH, it's no skin off my back) IF the career mode is great. More than one potential event a month, better player builds, more realistic gameplay from an AI opponent (sounds like this is the biggest issue), better venues, and better matchplay options. It's pretty horrible in TS4 that your options are: All Super Tiebreaks, Super Tiebreaks in some events, One set in Masters, 2/3 in Slams or, all long 2/3-3/5 set matches, even at the minor events...There's got to be something in between.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. My XBL membership expired, so I can't try the game. I'll probably rent it when it comes out to see how I feel about it, but I hope it brings what I'm looking for to the table.
 
Whoa they have some stat-fixing to do. Djokovic's net play 85 and Nadal's 65? Wtf? I don't like the way the movement feels, it's like im on ice skates, and the controls are too arcade style. I tried. Don't like it.
 
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I thought it was fun. A good balance between TS4 and virtua tennis. I could only get a few rallies going, as Nadal was coming in on everything. And the one handed backhands were lame as well. The presentation was sweet and the menus are excellent. I just hope the net rushing was because it was on grass. We'll see...
 
tried the demo on the 360...

fun game! Really like the controls and once you get the hang of it, you won't want to play it the old fashioned TS4 way. I only played it on Amateur level, but it was hard to ever miss the ball. Its a bit more arcadey than I would have preferred, but its not over the top like Virtual tennis. Its nearly impossible to lob over the net person and that alone may cause online play to become a net rushing fiasco.

Can someone tell me how you regulate power on serve. All I know is to hit the ball at the midpoint of the arc. Is there anything else to do while serving?
 
My thoughts: Fun game, more arcadey. Net rushing is definitely overpowered right now, and I'd like for it to be reduced in power and more difficult, especially for rafa. It's hard to hit a topspin forehand that dips at the net rusher's feet. How do you regulate depth in here?

Also, not enough errors, as in balls hit out. And, the animations for slices suck.

The better parts: Djokovic and Nadal's volleys look good visually. You can hit satisfying, hard balls. And, the players are not sluggish!
 
Well, I was shocked by Djoker's edge on Nadal in volleys. I guess they just wanted better balance. Djokovic's slice animation is just a regular two hander. Bizarre.

I love the movement. It feels fluid. Not ice skating and not walking in molasses.

But yeah, balls need to go out. This is true for all tennis games, otherwise there's no risk involved. I played on the practice court a bit and it helps a lot to get a feel for the game.
 
stormholloway said:
Well, I was shocked by Djoker's edge on Nadal in volleys. I guess they just wanted better balance. Djokovic's slice animation is just a regular two hander. Bizarre.

I love the movement. It feels fluid. Not ice skating and not walking in molasses.

But yeah, balls need to go out. This is true for all tennis games, otherwise there's no risk involved. I played on the practice court a bit and it helps a lot to get a feel for the game.
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To me it's too loose. If I move the stick just a bit they take like 4 steps, I hate that.
 
It seems almost useless to hit top spin balls at net players. At the moment waay too overpowered. Lobs are the only way to score points against players at the net :/ Controls feel pretty loose andthe colored trails on the balls are annoying. And the sound effects... I don't even know how to describe the sound effect used for when the ball is being hit

I was pretty let down by this demo. Had some pretty big expectations for at least the game play which comes off to me as a big missed opportunity. Worst of all, player motions look TERRIBLE across the board; it really breaks immersion. Slice motions are practically non-existent and service motions like sort of stiff. The only positives to take away from the demo was the atmosphere, the JMac commentary was a good touch.
 
Good to see some people sharing my disappointment, particularly about the AI net play. It makes the game borderline unplayable IMO. FWIW I deleted my original demo and redownloaded the one released today and the gameplay is the same.

After trying the TRC a bit more I have to say I actually like it. It's a good way to play. If only they toned down the net play and made errors more prevalent from the baseline, this game would be passable. But like I said, the net play makes it hard for me to get into things.
 
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flyinghippos101 said:
It seems almost useless to hit top spin balls at net players. At the moment waay too overpowered. Lobs are the only way to score points against players at the net :/ Controls feel pretty loose andthe colored trails on the balls are annoying. And the sound effects... I don't even know how to describe the sound effect used for when the ball is being hit

I was pretty let down by this demo. Had some pretty big expectations for at least the game play which comes off to me as a big missed opportunity. Worst of all, player motions look TERRIBLE across the board; it really breaks immersion. Slice motions are practically non-existent and service motions like sort of stiff. The only positives to take away from the demo was the atmosphere, the JMac commentary was a good touch.
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You said everything i've been trying to say, I strongly agree with the bolded part though, my fav thing about the game was Johnny Mac! lol.
 
was finally able to win on Pro after trying around 15 games. There are a few things that might be considered dealbreakers for some and they are:

1- That its nearly impossible to hit a ball out of bounds wide and nearly just as hard to hit one out long.
2-Nearly impossible to lob over someone at the net.
3- Too many "impossible" shots are tracked down and returned

These 3 things take away from the realism IMO and really make it too arcade-like. Lets hope they can tweak things in the final release or with a patch
 
grimmbomb21 said:
Wow. Tried Pro.

Nadal=Brick wall at net. Lobbing is useless, and I pass once in a blue moon.:-?
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flyinghippos101 said:
It seems almost useless to hit top spin balls at net players. At the moment waay too overpowered. Lobs are the only way to score points against players at the net :/ Controls feel pretty loose andthe colored trails on the balls are annoying. And the sound effects... I don't even know how to describe the sound effect used for when the ball is being hit

I was pretty let down by this demo. Had some pretty big expectations for at least the game play which comes off to me as a big missed opportunity. Worst of all, player motions look TERRIBLE across the board; it really breaks immersion. Slice motions are practically non-existent and service motions like sort of stiff. The only positives to take away from the demo was the atmosphere, the JMac commentary was a good touch.
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I've found that if you hold off on the pass, like a split second longer, you can pressure the net guy. And, the buttons are easier to play with than the analog sticks. But, I agree, the net play needs to get fixed asap!
 
Im beating it over and over on superstar. I like the demo but i hear what you guys are saying. Topspin does nothing against net play. You have to learn how to pass by holding off for a second before aiming.

Also..the face buttons seem better than the sticks to me.
 
I'm gonna look for this now, has anyone with a PS3 tried it with the Move controllers? I'm borrowing my mates at the moment as I wanted to try it with Top Spin 4 (which has AWFUL Move support :evil:).

I'll give my thoughts in a bit.

[EDIT]

Or I would if I could find it :/
 
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Hood_Man said:
I'm gonna look for this now, has anyone with a PS3 tried it with the Move controllers? I'm borrowing my mates at the moment as I wanted to try it with Top Spin 4 (which has AWFUL Move support :evil:).

I'll give my thoughts in a bit.

[EDIT]

Or I would if I could find it :/
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I'll give it a shot with mine later if I have the time, although gameplay with the controller so far has been pretty mediocre. The presentation of the game is nice though, which isn't really a factor for me in buying sports games anyway
 
Power Player said:
Im beating it over and over on superstar. I like the demo but i hear what you guys are saying. Topspin does nothing against net play. You have to learn how to pass by holding off for a second before aiming.

Also..the face buttons seem better than the sticks to me.
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Can you explain in detail how you do this?

PP how are you able to overlook 2 MAJOR FLAWS like not being able to lob over the net guy and balls that you hit NEVER go wide or long?
 
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samprasbackhand said:
I'll give it a shot with mine later if I have the time, although gameplay with the controller so far has been pretty mediocre. The presentation of the game is nice though, which isn't really a factor for me in buying sports games anyway
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Right, found it on the PSN (couldn't see it until only a few hours ago weirdly), and I've had a go with the Move accessory.

I'm not impressed :( I played on Superstar difficulty against Nadal and only lost about 4 points, 2 of which were double faults as a result of the controller not recognising my swing mid serve, and sending the ball about 3 feet wide.

I'm also sure it's hitting the shots too early. When I swing the controller back to prepare for my shot it feels like it's not actually waiting for me to swing before hitting the ball, resulting in me either carrying on like that and hitting everything too early (and as a result far too weakly), or I leave it to a point where it feels far too late and I don't actually have time to swing properly, so instead have to result in rotating my wrist as fast as I can to hit it in time.

It could be my controller but it all feels very unnatural and uncomfortable.

Saying that, I've not yet experienced any problems with the ball going in the opposite direction that I'm aiming like it does so often with the Wii version, so I suspect if the timing issues aren't in the finished game this could be pretty good.

The presentation is great though, and the commentary is so good I actually wait for the replays and animations to finish between points so I can listen to it. And very authentically, I get annoyed at McEnroe talking during the points :lol:
 
JackB1 said:
Can you explain in detail how you do this?

PP how are you able to overlook 2 MAJOR FLAWS like not being able to lob over the net guy and balls that you hit NEVER go wide or long?
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Jack its just a game. You will be over it in 2 weeks and on to the next one..lol.
 
JackB1 said:
yes I was! How the heck do you pass the net guy?
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It's all about timing. Anything short of "Good" timing will be put away. To lob a shot over hold down the LT and press a button. Again, good timing is everything.

You can also prevent the CPU from getting to the net by hitting top spin shots to the low corner angles of the court alternating from left to right. When the CPU gets too far out, then blast a normal shot to the opposite corner.
 
RyKnocks said:
It's all about timing. Anything short of "Good" timing will be put away. To lob a shot over hold down the LT and press a button. Again, good timing is everything.

You can also prevent the CPU from getting to the net by hitting top spin shots to the low corner angles of the court alternating from left to right. When the CPU gets too far out, then blast a normal shot to the opposite corner.
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when lobbing, do you press the flat button with it or topspin?

I would love to see a video where someone shows they can lob over the net person. I did it once but only because the net player was slightly out of position. If they are set up and waiting its lights out.
 
JackB1 said:
when lobbing, do you press the flat button with it or topspin?

I would love to see a video where someone shows they can lob over the net person. I did it once but only because the net player was slightly out of position. If they are set up and waiting its lights out.
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RyKnocks said:
It's all about timing. Anything short of "Good" timing will be put away. To lob a shot over hold down the LT and press a button. Again, good timing is everything.

You can also prevent the CPU from getting to the net by hitting top spin shots to the low corner angles of the court alternating from left to right. When the CPU gets too far out, then blast a normal shot to the opposite corner.
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Even with good timing it's ridiculous. And, it shouldn't be that easy to get into net. When a player stumbles into net in real life, they get passed. Simple as that. EA really dropped the ball with net play on an otherwise fun game.
 
Okay, after much frustration, I finally figured out the trick.

DO NOT hit balls on the run if you don't have to. If you have the slightest window to let go of the left stick and allow your player to get into that crouching position as he charges up for the shot then take it. Your ball will pass almost every time. When doing this I use the face buttons and not the stick.

If you observe the CPU, the quality of their shots is way better when the character stops for a second to charge up. If you try to hit a passing shot on the run, it'll get stuffed 99% of the time.
 
I can beat the CPU on Pro difficulty consistently now, so here's what you do:

1st Service game:
- Vary your serves. If you keep hitting the same serve the CPU will blast it back for a return ace to the same unhittable spot every time.
- Once the ball is in rally, hit a normal shot deep into the opposite corner of the cpu. The cpu will run it down and hit a weak one down the line. Return with a short angle top spin shot (holding down/left or down/right) to the opposite side. Try to hit these off the bounce and cpu will eventually be too far out to run down the shot. Easy first game.

2nd game (cpu serve):
- On the serve return use shot stick to hit a normal shot right at the CPU and force him deep. Keep hitting normal deep shots into opposite corners until you feel comfortable enough to start implementing the short angle top spin shot. Once you start hitting the short angle shot, alternate shots like in game one.

3rd game (Your 2nd service):
- The same strategy will work for the first two points then CPU will start hitting his own short angle shots forcing you to run them down. When this happens the CPU will automatically jump towards the net.
- At this point your job is to do your best to keep the cpu at bay, so keep hitting shots into the corners to keep the cpu at the base line. Once you see your opening then go for the short angle shots again.
- If the CPU gets to the net, hit hard short angle shots right at the CPU. The cpu will try to volley them and 60% of the time he'll hit it into the net or out of bounds.

4th game (cpu 2nd service):
- If it gets this far then the CPU will switch to a serve and volley game. He'll start hitting short slice serves and if you're not prepared they'll spin out and he'll ace you.
- Return these slice serves with short angle top spin shots. It'll put the cpu out of position a little and allow you to reposition.
- 75% of the time the CPU will be at the net after the serve so keep hitting those hard, short angle top spin shots and force the CPU to make unforced errors. Trust me, they will happen.
- As always, once you see an opening, implement the deep shot/short angle strategy explain above.

5th/6th/TB games:
- You have to be PERFECT.

Tips:
- Vary your serve. Never do the same serve 3 times in a row and never to the same spot 3 times in a row.
- Force the cpu to stay at the baseline with deep corner shots using the shot stick. If you allow the cpu to get to the net and control the point you will lose 99% of the time.
- You can mix in short angle normal shots to throw the cpu off every now and then, just make sure that every shot is one that will force the cpu to run across screen.
- The CPU will win points every now and then but don't be discouraged. Just stick to your guns, make quality shots, and you'll gain back momentum.
- The further you get into the match, the harder to cpu becomes and if you reach the tie breaker, you have to be PERFECT.

That my friends is how to beat the cpu on Pro.
 
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^^^That was in depth!:)

I hit a deep shot and come in behind it for a drop volley. And I have abandoned the right stick, nothing more than a gimmick. It is much easier to use the face buttons. Placement and power are much easier.
 
So I played the game on Superstar and it's even easier than Pro. In superstar they hit a lot more quality shots but don't come to the net nearly as often.

Another Trick:
If the opponent comes to the net, hit a good lob over their heads and immediately attack the net. The cpu will hit some awkward shot that can be easily put away. If the cpu somehow gets to your first volley then they're way out of position and just volley to the opposite side for the point.
 
grimmbomb21 said:
^^^That was in depth!:)

I hit a deep shot and come in behind it for a drop volley. And I have abandoned the right stick, nothing more than a gimmick. It is much easier to use the face buttons. Placement and power are much easier.
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I mainly use the stick when I'm hitting on the run or returning serve. It's a lot easier to get quality shots when you don't have time to setup for shots. If the cpu hits a bad ball and I have time to setup then it's face buttons all the way.

I have yet to try a serve and volley game, I'll try that next.
 
RyKnocks said:
So I played the game on Superstar and it's even easier than Pro. In superstar they hit a lot more quality shots but don't come to the net nearly as often.

Another Trick:
If the opponent comes to the net, hit a good lob over their heads and immediately attack the net. The cpu will hit some awkward shot that can be easily put away. If the cpu somehow gets to your first volley then they're way out of position and just volley to the opposite side for the point.
Click to expand...

How are u able to lob over their heads? I have tried for 25 demo games and it seems impossible!!!:twisted::twisted::twisted:
 
RyKnocks said:
I can beat the CPU on Pro difficulty consistently now, so here's what you do:

1st Service game:
- Vary your serves. If you keep hitting the same serve the CPU will blast it back for a return ace to the same unhittable spot every time.
- Once the ball is in rally, hit a normal shot deep into the opposite corner of the cpu. The cpu will run it down and hit a weak one down the line. Return with a short angle top spin shot (holding down/left or down/right) to the opposite side. Try to hit these off the bounce and cpu will eventually be too far out to run down the shot. Easy first game.
Click to expand...

I have tried some of your tips and they definitely help. I am now close to even with the AI on Pro and the games are all very close now! :)
It is really key to know when to hit the angled topspin shot as opposed to the deep flat shot. The AI gets better and "learns" how to get the angled topspin shots after a while and u really have to time them perfectly the longer the game goes.

Varying your serve is key! Seems like the AI likes pace more than spin and will send it back to you faster that it went out! :)

I am doing better now, but it's still next to impossible when the AI is camped out in the center of the net. Lobs don't work at all and it's very tough to force an error with an angles topspin shot. Best bet is to win the point before they approach and keep them deep.
 
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