Gaming under the Christmas tree: The three best tennis games for the Xbox Series X/S
In a small series we present you the best tennis video games that are currently available for purchase. Neatly sorted by platform. This time we focus on the Xbox Series X/S from Microsoft.
by Stefan Bergmann
last edit:
Dec 11, 2022, 07:34 pm
When it comes to tennis games for the big consoles from Microsoft and Sony, the big players share the same fate. Since Topspin 4 and Virtua Tennis 4, there have not been any really good games with the sport of the yellow felt ball on retail shelves. And both milestone titles that were released in 2011 are now eleven years old. At least that is the unanimous tenor. And indeed: Even in our (daily) research, we haven't come across a game for what feels like an eternity that could hold a candle to the venerable legends titles. But does that mean at the same time that there are currently no games worth playing for Microsoft's living room accessory? Of course not. Even if the use of the classics is absolutely understandable, we present you three tennis games for the Xbox Series X and S, which you can download safely with one or the other small caveat. Note: All products presented here also run on the previous generation of the Microsoft console - that is, the Xbox One.
3rd place: Tennis World Tour 2 (manufacturer: Nacon; price: approx. 25 euros)
The predecessor Tennis World Tour was a small catastrophe. No double games, players who seemed to be floating across the field and controls straight from hell made the 2018 title a real non-starter. Two years and one developer later, the sequel still doesn't deliver everything that was promised in the trailers and preliminary reports, but you can still have fun with the game. As far as career mode goes, Tennis World Tour 2 does absolutely nothing wrong. All important tournaments - albeit without an official license - can be found in the tour planner. Training sessions can be scheduled between events to improve skills such as forehand, backhand or serve. With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, two of the most popular tennis artists of all time are also part of the player repertoire. On the negative side, the opponent's AI is quite weak and nips exciting games in the bud. And the controls and the remaining gameplay elements can also be further improved. Graphically, Tennis World Tour 2 is the most beautiful title of our round of introductions - but don't expect miracles here either. Conclusion: satisfactory
2nd place: AO Tennis 2 (manufacturer: Nacon; price: approx. 40 euros)
AO (Australian Open) Tennis 2 is the second installment in a series of games that also originated in 2018. Part one still suffered from stiff animations, strange ball physics and notchy controls, in the sequel almost all gameplay problems have been eliminated, except for the still annoying net game. Graphically, the game from Nacon still doesn't really look ready for the top ten, since the competing title Tennis World Tour 2 - programmed by the same developer by the way - is a few world ranking points ahead. At a higher level of difficulty you really have to master all stroke variants such as top spin, slice or stop in order to be able to counter the good strategies of the AI opponents with something decisive. The detailed career mode with tournament calendar and management functions also adds something to the good package for longer-lasting gaming fun. In addition, a few official professional licenses are on board - the 3D models are not too reminiscent of the originals, however. Conclusion: good
1st place: Matchpoint: Tennis Championships (manufacturer: kalypso Media; price: approx. 35 euros)
The newest addition to the rather modest range of tennis games on the Microsoft console is Matchpoint: Tennis Championships from kalypso Media. The games developer from Worms, Germany, has always been on the chin when it comes to the budget for today's horrendous development costs for video games. One becomes aware of this fact at the first sight of the player models, since they got better at it eleven years ago in Virtua Tennis 4 and players like Kei Nishikori look ridiculously dissimilar to their real counterparts. Also, the fact that there are no footprints on sandy terrain is anything but state of the art in 2022. However, Matchpoint shows its strengths in the gameplay. Nobody can fool the extensive career mode with exciting tournament planning and the management part is rudimentary but pleasant. The controls are precise and easy to handle after a short familiarization phase. No other tennis game on the Xbox gives you the feeling of being in complete control of all shot variations. The AI is also in a class of its own. Exciting, tough baseline duels like crisp net attacks are the order of the day. So if you don't want to wait for the never-ending day when Top Spin 5 or Virtua Tennis 5 will be released, grab it here without hesitation. Conclusion: good