Top Spin 4 Review

The sun is beaming down onto a sizzling hot tennis court. The ball is tossed into the air, drifting against the Earth’s gravitational pull. In the blink of an eye, the player swings his racket, smashing it into the ball and serving it to his opponent. “Fault!” The anxiety builds. Losing this point would be game, set and match. Will you whither under the pressure?

Welcome to Top Spin 4. Here the players relish these moments. It’s an authentic tennis experience. Be prepared for tense moments like this as you make your way to the top. Top Spin 4 has an extensive single-player Career mode for you to create your own tennis star and work towards becoming the best player around.

If you are not one for starting your own tennis legend then you can hop right into the quick play where you can select from current and former tennis greats, both male and female. Whether you want to play as Serena Williams, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi or Roger Federer, they are all here and playable from the start.

The part of Top Spin 4 that I find the most enjoyable is the multi-player. You can play with a friend on the same television or you can take the career online by challenging other players. I personally enjoy being in the same room as the person that I am playing so I can talk smack, but at least it has the option for online play for those that are interested.

As far as controls go, the game feels smooth, although the players move a little slow. It seems like they made the female players noticeably less athletic, which is probably unfair. Overall, though, you can pick up the controller and play without knowing any of the buttons. It will take some learning, but it is at least accessible for most people, even if they are not terribly familiar with tennis.

I was impressed by Top Spin 4’s level of realism, the atmosphere of the stadium, the accessibility of the controls and the depth that you see in gameplay. While you definitely can jump in without prior experience, it will take a good deal of playing before you can actually say that you are good at the game. The computer is actually pretty good, too, so don’t expect them to bend over. Depending on your level of interest in tennis, Top Spin 4 is either a solid rental or a safe purchase.