Tiebreak: Official game of the ATP and WTA by Big Ant Studios and published by Nacon tries to be the tennis game every tennis fan craves. With some mediocre entries by different developers in recent years there is certainly a demand for it.
While I have fond memories of Mario Tennis on the Game Boy Advance, comparing Tiebreak’s realistic approach to Nintendo’s iconic arcade-style game wouldn’t be entirely fair. However, it’s important to emphasize that sports games, regardless of their style, live or die by their gameplay. Tiebreak: The Official Game of the ATP and WTA aims to cater to players craving an ultra-realistic, fully licensed tennis experience. In this regard, Big Ant Studios does deliver, featuring an extensive roster of pro players that fans will appreciate. Visually, Tiebreak meets the high expectations we have for a major studio release, offering polished graphics that can certainly attract a broad audience. Unfortunately, while the gameplay initially showed promise, it didn’t take long for the flaws to surface, marring what could have been a truly outstanding game.
Strange physics and overpowered shots
Kudos to Big Ant Studios for including an extensive tutorial to help players master the controls. With a focus on realism, executing shots precisely requires practice. You’ll need to coordinate movement, shot power, and timing while aiming to place the ball strategically on your opponent’s side. The game offers a variety of shot options, so mastering a wide range of techniques—like slices, volleys, and drop shots—is crucial to outsmarting your opponent. However, once I got the hang of these mechanics and played my first match, I began to notice some inconsistencies in the gameplay.
The ball physics occasionally felt off, particularly with drop shots that had an almost unnatural minimal bounce. The slice return, in particular, seemed disproportionately overpowered, making it too easy to win points on your opponent’s serve. Maybe these features can be tweaked enough in future updates.
Additionally, some animations appeared to defy the laws of physics. Certain shots triggered automatic animations where the player would be positioned for the intended return. While these were likely designed to smooth out movements, they sometimes led to unrealistic gameplay. For instance, if you’re in a full sprint to one side of the court and realize the ball is heading to the opposite side, you should have little chance of stopping, turning, and returning the shot. Unfortunately, in Tiebreak, you can initiate these nearly impossible manoeuvres, and the game will seamlessly transition into a near-perfect animation, resulting in an unrealistic yet epic return.
Career mode and Djokovic challenges
I’ve always been a fan of career modes where you start as an up-and-coming talent, navigating the hurdles to reach your full potential. Tiebreak delivers a commendable effort in this regard, incorporating a career mode complete with visually impressive cutscenes featuring tennis legends. The level of customization available for your player is also noteworthy, allowing you to tailor their appearance, right down to your favorite tennis clothing brands. Mapping out your own path to glory in this mode was initially the most engaging aspect for me.
However, despite its potential, the career mode feels somewhat unfinished. While the cutscenes are visually stunning, the gameplay mechanics, which should be the core focus, reveal areas where corners were cut. For instance, leveling up your player doesn’t seem to significantly impact your stats, reducing the incentive to progress in this mode.
The game also features “Djokovic challenges”, where you can relive some of the greatest moments of Novak Djokovic’s career. These challenges are quite demanding and require you to master a variety of shots. Successfully completing them unlocks different versions of players, adding to an already star-studded roster.
Conclusion
Tiebreak aspires to be the ultimate tennis game of today, and visually, it certainly looks the part. However, to truly shine, the gameplay requires significant tweaks. As it stands, the experience feels somewhat underwhelming and in need of further refinement. During my time with the game, I received a first update, indicating that the developers are aware of these issues and are working on improvements. With continued support and updates, Tiebreak has the potential to grow beyond its current mediocrity and reach a level that matches its impressive visual presentation.
