AO International Tennis Reviews
AO International Tennis is like the guy that has the best clothes and racquets but when it comes to playing he does not hit a ball. Even though its foundations are great, the experience is ruined by its awful gameplay and physics with poor graphics.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The tactics and tactility of a good tennis game remain amongst the purest of gaming experiences, but AO International Tennis is not a good tennis game. Overly complicated and bereft of any emotional resonance, the positive elements, including the detailed character creator, will likely be as swiftly forgotten as the game itself will.
The gameplay isn't horrible, but it's also not spectacular. The visuals are solid, but not groundbreaking. The customization is stellar, but that's still not enough to save this game from mediocrity.
Despite giving the player an excess of control over shots themselves, the movement in order to set up those shots is almost completely absent. Add to this a list of unrecognisable names and you've got a tennis game that feels pretty darn hollow.
AO International Tennis does not have any competition in this current market when it comes to tennis games, but AO Tennis lacks both refinement and variety that a good sports game should have.
AO International Tennis went wide with its first service, and double faults at second attempt.
The ideas on show in AO International Tennis do suggest that with the bugs ironed out and a little more development time put into livening things up a bit in career mode, it could be a contender. The stamina and timing systems are enough to differentiate the game from the slew of tennis titles that have come before it and are undoubtedly good ideas. Ultimately though, the poor execution and the cracks in the gameplay cause this wildcard entry to fall well short of being a grand slam effort.
Like an ambitious rookie, AO International Tennis appeared promising, with alleged photo realistic looks and authenticity backed by an extensive data built AI. But Big Ant Studios' production can't live up to these expectations, at least for now, despite an interesting timing approach and undeniable efforts showed through the numerous updates. The lacklustre presentation, the shallow (though large) content and the erratic gameplay literally smash the whole experience, which still looks more like some distant imitation rather than simulation, hence suggesting the lack of a bold, expert direction overall.
Review in French | Read full review
AO International Tennis has all the makings of a definitive tennis title, with enjoyable core mechanics. However, the movement system is clunky and feels like you don't have total control over your player. I've had the hard game lock on me a couple of times, and I've had moments where my player simply refused to swing for no apparent reason. With that said, I felt more comfortable placing precision shots and increasing the difficulty the longer I played the game. The game's creation suite is outstanding, and each day I find someone new to download.
Overall, AO International Tennis is far better than when the game was originally released for gamers down in Australia and New Zealand, but it's still far from a perfect game.
I haven't played many tennis games, and I know there are some excellent ones out there, but this title seemed a bit off. The gameplay feels overly complicated, and there are no considerable tutorials in the game. The characters lack detail, and none of the arenas seemed super detailed either. Unless you have a tennis ball-shaped hole in your heart that needs to be filled, then you might want to try a different game.
With a wide array of customization options and modes, AO International Tennis had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, buggy gameplay mechanics drag down what could've been a fantastic sports game.
A good way of relaunching tennis games, although it has a short roster, you will be able to close your rivals' aspirations in Australia.
Review in Spanish | Read full review