When TopSpin 2k25 was announced, tennis enthusiasts like myself couldn't contain their excitement. Finally, a new entry in the beloved series! However, while it's a step forward for tennis gaming, it falls short of the mark set by its predecessors.

Let's serve up the big issues first:

Online multiplayer / playing with friends, the heart of any sports game, is strangely absent at launch. It's like playing a tennis match without a net! Sure, the developers promise it'll arrive end of May, but why wasn't it ready from the start? Launching an incomplete game at a premium price feels like a double fault. Sorry, I'm a little tired of game companies releasing uncompleted games and charge AAA price for it.

You can play with people randomly in the world but the matchmaking is far to be fair. I watched various streamers navigate these matches revealed a frustrating trend: as soon as they won a few points, their opponents mysteriously vanished from the court, 80% of the time. Not fun when you want to play a game!

Now, onto the career mode, where the promise of crafting your own tennis legend is overshadowed by tedious grinding or a hefty paywall. It's slow, repetitive and not super engaging. The energy system feels like a forced march, draining the fun out of what should be an exciting journey to the top.

Visually, TopSpin 2k25 is a mixed bag. While the stadiums shine with authenticity, the character models—especially their faces—leave much to be desired. On PC, the lack of visual customisation options (2 settings for visual with High or Low) is a letdown, reminiscent of hitting a lob only to watch it fall short of the baseline.

Controls, however, are in a much better spot. Once you get the hang of them, they offer an ok level of precision and responsiveness. But for newcomers or those still climbing the ranks in MyPlayer mode, mastering the mechanics can feel like trying to return a serve from Serena Williams herself. Your main focus is the power/timing meter and often, you lose focus on the rest. It gets better if you are higher level but... not fun to start with.

In the end, TopSpin 2k25 serves up a decent game of tennis, but it's not quite match point. With some much-needed tweaks and additions, it could become the ace of the genre. But until then, it's more of a double fault than a grand slam.

Saturday April 27 Edit:
2k servers are down AND the whole game is unplayable... even the solo career mode! No offline mode available. BEWARE!

When TopSpin 2k25 was announced, tennis enthusiasts like myself couldn't contain their excitement. Finally, a new entry in the beloved series! However, while it's a step forward for tennis gaming, it falls short of the mark set by its predecessors. Let's serve up the big issues first: Online multiplayer / playing with friends, the heart of any sports game, is strangely absent at launch. It's like playing a tennis match without a net! Sure, the developers promise it'll arrive end of May, but why wasn't it ready from the start? Launching an incomplete game at a premium price feels like a double fault. Sorry, I'm a little tired of game companies releasing uncompleted games and charge AAA price for it. You can play with people randomly in the world but the matchmaking is far to be fair. I watched various streamers navigate these matches revealed a frustrating trend: as soon as they won a few points, their opponents mysteriously vanished from the court, 80% of the time. Not fun when you want to play a game! Now, onto the career mode, where the promise of crafting your own tennis legend is overshadowed by tedious grinding or a hefty paywall. It's slow, repetitive and not super engaging. The energy system feels like a forced march, draining the fun out of what should be an exciting journey to the top. Visually, TopSpin 2k25 is a mixed bag. While the stadiums shine with authenticity, the character models—especially their faces—leave much to be desired. On PC, the lack of visual customisation options (2 settings for visual with High or Low) is a letdown, reminiscent of hitting a lob only to watch it fall short of the baseline. Controls, however, are in a much better spot. Once you get the hang of them, they offer an ok level of precision and responsiveness. But for newcomers or those still climbing the ranks in MyPlayer mode, mastering the mechanics can feel like trying to return a serve from Serena Williams herself. Your main focus is the power/timing meter and often, you lose focus on the rest. It gets better if you are higher level but... not fun to start with. In the end, TopSpin 2k25 serves up a decent game of tennis, but it's not quite match point. With some much-needed tweaks and additions, it could become the ace of the genre. But until then, it's more of a double fault than a grand slam. Saturday April 27 Edit: 2k servers are down AND the whole game is unplayable... even the solo career mode! No offline mode available. BEWARE!