Tennis, despite being an extremely technical and strategic sport, has always struggled to be faithfully reproduced in video games. Major titles like Top Spin made an impression, but since then, the quality of tennis games has declined significantly. In 2024, Big Ant Studios offers us Tiebreak : Official Game of the ATP and WTAwith official licenses and a plethora of professional players under contract. After more than twenty hours spent on PlayStation 5 exploring this new game, it is time to take stock of the successes and weaknesses of this long-awaited title.
Solid gameplay
From the first minutes of play, Tiebreak offers intuitive handling, an undeniable asset to attract novices while allowing those accustomed to the genre to adapt quickly. The range of shots, ranging from topspin to slice to flat shots, is wide, and in theory allows you to adopt different strategies. However, this richness is quickly tarnished by a frustrating imbalance between shots. For example, the flat strike, which is supposed to be powerful but risky, is not effective enough to justify its use. Conversely, topspin, much safer and just as efficient, is quickly becoming the norm. The result is a repetitiveness in exchanges which limits strategic variety.
Additionally, the playing surfaces don’t seem to have the impact they should on matches. In reality, the behavior of the ball differs significantly between surfaces such as grass, clay or hard. In Tiebreakthis nuance is almost non-existent. Matches on grass, which are supposed to be faster, or on clay, which are often slower and based on patience, lack this crucial distinction. This aspect undermines authenticity, particularly for purists who appreciate the subtleties specific to each surface.
That said, despite these imbalances, the game manages to capture the essence of tennis during certain key moments. The fluidity of the exchanges, particularly during long rallies, successfully conveys the pleasure of placing a beautiful cross shot or executing a well-placed passing shot. These moments are rewarding and can quickly captivate the player. However, they are sometimes disrupted by mechanical weaknesses, such as artificial intelligence (AI).
An AI that leaves a little to be desired
Artificial intelligence in Tiebreak oscillates between two extremes. At high difficulty levels, she becomes relentless, making it almost impossible to surprise her. She anticipates every move, particularly serves, which ruins a good part of the strategy. As soon as you select a slice or flat serve, the opponent instantly repositions, eliminating any surprise effect. This renders certain types of services completely useless, and introduces frustration for players looking to add variety to their game.
Conversely, at lower difficulty levels, the AI becomes almost passive, barely reacting to basic hits. It’s difficult to find a happy medium between these two extremes, which poses a problem for players looking for a balanced challenge. We would have liked to see a more nuanced AI, capable of making human errors or adapting more realistically to the opponent’s playing style.
A promising career mode
Career mode in Tiebreak is probably one of the most anticipated features among gamers. This allows you to create your own avatar and climb the ranks of the ATP or WTA circuit, by participating in officially licensed tournaments. However, despite this promise, the player’s progression lacks dynamism. Winning or losing matches seems to have little impact on the player’s skill development, creating a feeling of stagnation. Unlike other sports games where each victory results in a tangible improvement, here progression is almost fixed, which diminishes long-term interest.
Furthermore, the narrative aspect of career mode is largely under-exploited. Post-match interactions, such as interviews or interacting with other players, are almost non-existent. This makes the whole thing a bit sterile, where more immersive scenarios could have strengthened the experience. Options such as hiring a coach or a physiotherapist are present, but they bring little added value to the gameplay. We would have liked these elements to contribute to the player’s progress or add additional realism.
Visuals and atmosphere
Graphically, Tiebreak offers careful modeling, especially for big tennis stars such as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Naomi Osaka. The characteristic gestures of these players are well transcribed, which will delight the most dedicated fans. Unfortunately, this attention to detail is not as present for less famous players, which creates a sometimes annoying visual imbalance.
The courts and stadiums are also well modeled, but the general atmosphere leaves something to be desired. The spectators lack life, and their reactions often seem offbeat or non-existent. This takes away a lot of the atmosphere of big tournaments, especially when the applause starts late or at the wrong time. In addition, the absence of visual details, such as bullet marks on the clay, harms immersion.
Sound-wise, Tiebreak offers a functional, but lackluster, experience. The racket noises and the exchanges are correct, but the soundtrack remains behind, without providing any real support to the atmosphere of the matches. Sometimes audio bugs crop up, including no sound during certain shots, which completely breaks the immersion.
Game modes and content: A lack of depth
In addition to career mode, Tiebreak offers classic game modes: quick matches, tournaments, and online multiplayer. The latter is stable, but lacks advanced features. There is no real global ranking system, and the lack of custom tournaments limits the online mode’s longevity. However, the idea of organizing tournaments between friends or within a community could have prolonged the interest in the game.
The “Slam Challenge” mode, which allows you to relive certain key moments in Novak Djokovic’s career, could have been an excellent addition, but its content is too limited to sustainably captivate.
Licensed players and tournaments: A great asset
One of the undeniable strengths of Tiebreak lies in its impressive cast of licensed players. There we find stars like Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, as well as legends like Roger Federer or Maria Sharapova. The diversity of talents represented is a real asset, even if we can regret the absence of certain tennis icons from the 80s and 90s, such as Björn Borg or Steffi Graf.
However, despite these licenses, we deplore the absence of Grand Slam tournaments. The inability to play at Roland Garros, Wimbledon or the US Open is a major disappointment for any tennis fan. These tournaments are pillars of the circuit, and their absence is difficult to justify, even if the Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 are present.
Conclusion: A promising game, but in need of refinement
Tiebreak is positioned as an ambitious attempt by Big Ant Studios to bring tennis games back to life, and while the result is far from perfect, it nevertheless has some solid merits. The gameplay, while imperfect, manages to capture the essence of tennis rallies. The cast of licensed players is impressive, and there are moments in the game that are truly rewarding.
However, notable weaknesses, such as unbalanced AI, lack of distinction between surfaces, and lack of major tournaments, tarnish the overall experience. Tiebreak has the potential to become a benchmark game for tennis fans, but it will require adjustments, especially in post-launch updates, to truly shine over time. If you are passionate about tennis, Tiebreak worth a try, but don’t expect perfection yet.
