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Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis Review

Chris Leyton

23/05/2006

Ping Pong balls aplenty and there's not a Thai woman in sight...

When Rockstar Games confirmed the development of Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis, everybody thought the controversial publisher behind the likes of GTA and Manhunt, not to mention the furore surrounding the infamous "Hot Coffee" mod and the forthcoming Bully, had finally cracked. Perhaps the many years of single-handedly squaring up to protest groups, right wing lawyers and politicians, eventually caused Rockstar to crumble and turn towards less contentious issues with its next-generation debut.

The truth is perhaps far less sinister; Table Tennis suits the world of videogames since the very first day that PONG appeared on the scene, and we're also led to believe that Rockstar have an insatiable passion for the sport, with rumours of Rockstar's President Sam Houser's office equipped with his very own table.

So the studio behind the Midnight Club series and Red Dead Revolver, Rockstar San Diego, has been tasked with bringing the idea to fruition... a task that they have easily and stylishly accomplished. Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis is perhaps the most addictive title we've had the pleasure to enjoy for many months, perhaps even longer then that; it's the type of game that oozes pick-up-and-play, but at the same time has more depth than the Mariana Trench to master.

Part of the joy to be had with Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis stems from the intuitive control system that Rockstar San Diego has devised, capturing the core elements of the sport in Spin, Speed and Strategy. Given the average table tennis player doesn't move around the room as much as say for example a tennis player, a larger focus is placed on the shot you're attempting; though that's not to say you're not desperately lunging around the table, trying to catch balls and often flicking return shots from positions that just don't appear possible. Using the left thumbstick to move the character, the stick also provides a great level of command over the placement of your shot by charging it up in a certain direction. The masterstroke is the subtle rumble the joypad makes when you're baking the shot, indicating that it's all about to go tits up and likely to fly wildly away from the table - there's a fine line between perfection and pants throughout the game. Shots themselves are grouped into four different categories, representing side, top and back spins, each of which are mapped onto the four relevant face buttons, or more intuitively onto the right thumbstick.

Within minutes you're caught up in 30+ rallies, lunging around the court to make a return and quickly realising this is one game that will be hard to drop. This concept is rammed even further with the satisfaction that comes from developing your skills; it seems there's always something new to try out thanks to the sheer level of freedom provided by the game. One example is the serve system which emphasises both the power and the spin, providing players with a vast spectrum of serves to perform, from blisteringly fast screamers, to subtle drop shots that barely inch over the top of the net.

There's nothing more beautiful then knowing how to place a perfectly executed back spin shot, which clips the net, agonisingly rolls along it and finally drops dead on your opponents side with the most subtle net animation you've ever seen this side of real life. Equally there's a great sense of frustration when you know you've made a mistake and there's nobody else to blame but yourself; you can visualise it before the points already been lost, moving the wrong way or perhaps overcharging a shot and knowing it's all over before you've even hit it.

Popular in the Far East and certain European countries the sport of Table Tennis is nonetheless less well-known amongst mainstream circles then the likes of Football (both variations), Basketball, Rugby and even Cricket. So it comes as little surprise to find Rockstar haven't followed the traditional model with sports titles, which focus entirely on authenticity, official licenses, real-life players, etc... instead concentrating solely on delivering an unbelievably entertaining take on the sport. So replacing the likes of the ITTF current World No.1 Wang Liqin we have racial stereotypes such as Jeurgen from Germany, the Gallic styles of Luc, China's Liu Ping and many more. Rockstar San Diego have evidently spent a great amount of time ensuring that each character feels distinctly different to others, with many different strategies on offer dependant on which character you're playing as. The difference is quite profound within the game, and you'll quickly find yourself favouring certain characters over others because of this.

Away from the actual game mechanics, Rockstar San Diego has done everything to make this a truly defining take on the world of Table Tennis at the first attempt (ok PONG probably made a good stab at it). The game easily captures the sheer intensity of the real-life sport, often you'll find yourself in a heated 50-point + rally, eyes streaming as you're unable to blink and trying to focus on the white blur being zinged about from both sides of the table. This element of the game is heightened by the inclusion of Focus gauges, which slowly build up during the course of the game. Three different levels of Focus are achievable within the game, which when activated allow your character to have an even greater command over their shots, applying outlandish amounts of spin; being able to hit rapid returns before it seems the ball has even appeared on your side of the table and enhancing their key attributes even further.

Presentation is also one key area of the game that emphasises the general atmosphere of the game. Upon reaching a 15-hit rally the dynamic music kicks into gear, lifting the action onto the next level of intensity and progressively getting more dramatic as the rally develops. This is nothing until you're in a 100-hit+ rally with both players activating the maximum Focus ability, where the lights of the stadium die away, the crowd noise silences and a spotlight focuses purely on the table - if your heart rate hasn't doubled by this stage it's probably because you're already dead!

The crowd helps to build the atmosphere and dramatise the situation, chanting the country names in various different manifestations, boastfully at an easy match point, or tensely at a crucial stage of the game; cheering the players on and, not to forget, the impatient umpire who'll wait for no one when it comes to serving.

For a game that's being released at £29.99 compared to other 360 titles at £49.99, you'd be forgiven for believing that Table Tennis would be inadequate in the visual stakes compared to other next-gen titles. Wrong. Table Tennis joins the elite group of Fight Night Round 3, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, demonstrating what the next-generation has to offer and easily surpassing more expensive titles on the Xbox 360. Admittedly we're getting a little sick of saying things such as the "most accurate character models to date", only to back up on our claims with the latest next-generation release; however, Table Tennis does exactly this, with character models that look and move more convincingly then anything we've seen before. Notoriously hard to replicate, the power of the Xbox 360 is providing developers the chance to bring authentic skin to life, which benefits the creators of sports titles over any others. With hairy legs, sweat that develops on the characters brow, back and armpits, Table Tennis captures all of the ugly details and it's never looked so good. Visual quality is only one aspect to the stunning presentation Table Tennis has to offer, with sublime animation behind every motion (highlighted by the game's close-up camera shots) and the most believable cloth dynamics on the player's shirts we've seen in a videogame, period!

The overall structure of the game could, perhaps, be viewed as simplistic, with the basic repertoire of modes consisting Tournament, Exhibition, Training and Xbox Live. The truth, however, more so than with any other sports title is you don't need any other gloss to obscure the pure action that occurs on the table; when it's this exhilarating who needs detraction?