At its core, tennis is a game about heritage. Names such as Billie Jean King, Pete Sampras and the Williams sisters are immortalized by legendary matches, triumphs on the lawful and tournament dominance that have marked the history of the sport. So it seems fitting that the Top Spin series has lived with the same reverence since Top Spin 4, which was released and critically acclaimed over a decade ago. Now, with developer Hanger 13 at the helm, Top Spin is making its long-awaited comeback. It serves as an ace in the most important aspects of the gameplay, but the double errors in the content and the disconcerting focus on microtransactions mean that it is still far from a grand slam.
The gameplay occupies the middle of the lawfulyard in the last entrance and it is excellent. Moving around the lawful is pleasant thanks to a strong feeling of momentum and weight. This is especially true for various surfaces, since the solid base of a hard place gives way to sliding on sand. It looks authentic and taking into account the different starts and stops on the many types of surfaces is an important aspect when playing a game.
Different strikes are assigned to different keys and perfectly convey how sophisticated the volleys are. Whether you’re hitting a hard forehand, bending discs, or hitting a ball with a hard-to-handle top turn along the line, the different options are very different. With a simple timing system, you can tap or hold for controlled returns to generate power, with both options depending on the release at the right time to determine the accuracy. It is easy and honouring to perform. There is a place and an app for everyone, such as deliberately striking a slow-rolling blow to reposition yourself on the playing field, or sending a lob high over the head of an opponent who has come too close to the net.
This strategic element of tennis is the biggest triumph of Top Spin. Exchanging powerful blows when you send your opponent across the entire field with energy is exciting thanks to the sense of speed and impact. To get out of the same situation by throwing a ball back to an uncomfortable place with an involuntary spin and creating a foul of the other player is a devilish joy. There is a “chess, but with rackets” quality in tennis that transafters well into Top Spin 2k25, and dominance on the lawful depends as much on decision-making as on pure batting abilitys.
The most essential mode is My career. Here you create your own tennis pro and turn her from a newcomer to a champion. Their time is divided by months and each is divided into segments for training, special events and tournaments. Training is usually a good setup, as you will be immersed in mini-games that will challenge you to perform certain strikes and decently hone the basic abilitys. Special events are one-off games, often with a specific goal, for example, reaching 10 target areas during the game. These can be a good choice for Farming XP, and also unlock sponsorship packages, which, in turn, will increase the selection of purely cosmetic items in the pro shop, with which you will dress up your character.
The main feature is tournaments where you compete against other high-profile players to compete for victory and a chance to climb the tennis ladder. There are different levels of tournaments, and access to more prestigious events means increasing your status and moving from not known to legendary. To improve your status, you need to complete a checklist of goals and can include such things as winning a series of tournaments, passing your training or moving up the tennis ladder. The system is well tuned and does a good job of making sure that it is difficult, but not insurmountable, if you are ready to participate in higher tournaments.
As you earn XP and increase the level of your character, you will receive points that you can spend to increase the replants of your player, including speed, endurance and reaction speed. Your maximum level is limited to 30, so you cannot exceed all categories, which is a limitation that encourages building with specific goals. For example, increase your player’s serve, forehand and power, and you will be able to dominate the lawful with crushing smashes, while a speed/volley combination with angles and positioning can wreak havoc. But no player can dominate in all facets of the game.
As you progress and win special events, you will get props for your racket such as strings or a new frame. These give replant bonuses to your player and are available in three quality tiers, with higher tiers offering bigger bonuses. Desirable coaches have a similar effect, giving boosts after achieving some goals on the field. Together, these systems reinforce one of the game’s great unwritten rules: sports games are secretly RPGs. And in the matter of Top Spin, it’s pretty good.
One of the most important considerations is a fatigue system, which adds an interesting level of long-term planning. Every game eliminates your player’s fatigue. If it falls below a certain level, you acquire the potential for a minor health issue, which reduces certain replants until it heals. If you continue to play without resting, this can lead to serious injuries that will make you pause for several months. It is an interesting harmful/honour to decide when you can switch to another event and when you need to take a break to recover. After all, if you burn the candle for too long at both ends, you can miss a career-defining tournament.
There is no ready-made story mode, and I think that’s the best thing in this matter, since not all sports games need to be scripted to deliver an engaging drama. Top Spin does an excellent job of creating an environment where the stories told on the lawful through tennis shine. At some point, my player was exhausted after consecutive tournaments and had only slightly health issue himself. I was ready to rest him for a month or two to recover, but then I realized that Wimbledon was the next event. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pbody up, which resulted in the five hardest innings of games I had ever played. Competing against the best tennis players with my health issue-linked power play meant that I had to rely on cunning, finesse and good old moxie to reach the end. The struggle through the challenges for victory in a highly competitive final far exceeded any contrived scenario.
The problem with Top Spin 2k25 is that there is not much to do in my career other than spinning through the three monthly activities, and the worn out presentation wears out quickly. It doesn’t take long to develop your player to such an extent that you can easily win any game, at which point you really feel like going through the moves over and over again, ticking off goals to raise your status, and sitting in the front row. Every tournament, from the small cup competition to the most prestigious middle finger, has an identical victory scene, with the same person giving you exactly the same trophy. There is no announcement team, and lead tracking graphics packages like strike Spot are used sparingly, which is a pity. There may be some interesting surprise games that we won’t spoil, but these are limited and only appear deep in the game.
The options outside of my career are extremely simple. It’s somewhat understandable, which effectively totals to a fresh start for the Top Spin series, but it’s striking when other sports games, including NBA 2K, have so much more modes. Outside of my career, the local game is limited to the list of single and double exhibition games, as well as the tutorials of the Top Spin Academy. The latter is narrated by tennis legend John McEnroe, and while it’s a good insight into how to play, it doesn’t offer much value after a first stint,
The online assortment is not much superior. The exhibition mode is limited to single games. No way to play against friends or team up with them to play doubles is a big shortcoming. The 2K Tour allows you to play ranked matches to climb a seasonal ranking, but the small list of 11 men and 14 women lacks many notable athletes, including Novak Djokovik, player No. There are also no obvious honours for a good place on the tour, so there is no clear incentive to play except bragging rights.