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Top Spin 2 Review
Chris Leyton
07/04/2006
PAM and Indie Built return with a compelling blend of arcade immediacy and the substance of a simulation...
Under new management, Top Spin makes a return later this week with the series (and the sports) next-generation debut on the Xbox 360. Providing a host of modes Top Spin 2 certainly aims to be the most exhaustive option available to tennis fans, with enough to keep you busy until Wimbledon begins later in the year.
Top Spin 2 stays faithful to its predecessor on the court, which in turned borrowed heavily from SEGA's pivotal Virtua Tennis series. Providing normal, slice, lob and top spin shots on the face buttons, Top Spin 2's main setup revolves around the normal shot guaranteed to be in but unlikely to win a point, whilst the others offer a greater degree of precision and power, but at the risk of being hit outside of the court. This dynamic provides a good setup to the game of tennis, opening up the scope for frenzied rallies, lurching across the court with the normal shot because you're confident it will be returned successfully; whilst further play will have you placing shots with incredible skill. Further depth to the basic controls are provides by the shoulder triggers which act as modifiers to the basic shots; the left trigger opens up a variety of additional shots such as passing shots, side slice shots, dump shots and counter shots, whilst the right trigger performs "risk shots", a technique that requires precise timing to perform techniques such as drop shots, power shots, cross court shots and the risk lob shot.
Initially control over your character can feel a little automated and restricted, however you'll soon find yourself easing into the way Top Spin 2 sets itself out and enjoying the game for its accurate rendition of a sport that always provides a good source for videogame adaptations. Much like its predecessor, Top Spin 2 maintains the immediacy and pick-up-and-play nature of SEGA's Virtua Tennis series, but at the same time adding a further layer of sophistication that provides greater depth and appeal to fans of the sport.
The main bulk of the game lies in the Career mode, which begins with the customary Create Character mode. Incorporating Digital Identity technology (yes another buzz word), Top Spin 2 provides an exhaustive supply of options covering every possible area you could possibly ask for, from the marks on your character's skin to the size of his/her nasal septum. Given the sheer number of options the setup isn't entirely clear and it can take a little while before your character resembles exactly what you want, however the scope to which you can create players certainly helps in the online stakes.
Traditionally tennis games are not particularly renowned for their depth or substance, however Top Spin 2 looks to remedy this with a Career mode that provides as many challenges and variety as its Create a Character mode does. Split into different weeks, each of which allows the player to select between Training, Tournament or Special Events, . Progress through the first season can be an arduous affair, due to the fact you have to spend most of the time in training sessions because you're not eligible for the competitions. This wouldn't be particularly much of a problem if it wasn't for the fact the training sessions are over very quickly and sandwiched between brief but noticeable load sequences; the result is a stop-start experience that doesn't particularly warm to you at first. Thankfully the various training sessions prove to be a compelling distraction, challenging the player with a variety of objectives to improve attributes, such as knocking over a wall of blocks to returning the ball to designated areas. Amateur competitions come around occasionally during the first season, however by the end you will likely have had the opportunity to play in a few professional tournaments. Top Spin 2 has a plethora of competitions and tournaments as you aim to rise through the world ranks, along with "Sponsor Challenges" posing such objectives as "Becoming No.1 for two consecutive years" or "Playing for the national team"; further neat touches include the establishment of a fan club once you've risen to a certain profile and . It takes a few seasons before you're really off and flying with the Career mode, and despite some inadequacies the mode generally provides enough entertainment to keep you hooked and certainly has plenty of depth and substance to really get stuck into.
Embracing both the Create Character and Career mode, playing Top Spin 2 via Xbox Live provides the chance to take your character and their stats online to carry on their career. Playing against opponents from across the globe, Top Spin 2 does a good job of balancing the action, rewarding or deducting points and ranking from a global score dependant on the comparable match-up between two opponents.
Away from this Top Spin 2 provides the obligatory Exhibition and Tournament mode, allowing you to play as your own character or seasoned pros such as Lleyton Hewitt, Roger Federer and Tim Henman. A small selection of Party Games for up to four players is also presented, a minor distraction but one that suits the overall complete package that Top Spin 2 presents.
Although a nice looking game with crisp visuals and plenty of detail, Top Spin 2 isn't a title that will have you desperately wanting a 360 if you've yet to get one. Despite the defined presentation, there's a lack of realism to everything due to the lack of true next-gen techniques; leaving you to ask questions as to why there's a static lighting/shadow system, when a dynamic technique along with HDR effects would have looked so much more impressive. One thing that can't be faulted however is the game's animation, which is simply sublime. Top Spin 2 contains an unbelievable amount of sequences which leads to a very believable game; players slide to get to the ball convincingly and jump for smash shots, resulting in a game that has a definite sense of variety to the proceedings.
Oneleggedpig
Date Added:Sun 5th Aug 2007 15:45