Grand Slam Tennis 2 tries to be a realistic take at tennis, but fails in certain areas. The presentation is top-notch, with loads of licensed stars including McEnroe, Cash, Federer and Nadal and many others from now and yesteryear.

The graphics and atmospheric sounds are seriously realistic—you could be mistaken for watching a real game. The games are commentated by Cash and McEnroe, with limited contextual phrases, which will repeat over and over again after your second game.  If I hear McEnroe talk about “the pros and cons of hitting it deep” for the umpteenth time, I will scream!

The audience is repetitively rendered with their movements seeming clunky and synchronised.  EA bring all their usual modes such as career modes, online multiplayer and Share a Pro.

One last thing: the difficulty is much too easy, with the controls at default difficulty making it impossible to hit it out. Also, approaching the net at the earliest opportunity and volleying puts you at too great an advantage. You can win a few grand slam tournaments without even trying.

The game is on the PS3 and Xbox 360, but curiously, not the Wii.

Ho Wong.