Top Spin 4 [Giveaway!]

Top Spin 4 is the latest entry in the popular tennis series from 2K Sports released on the XBOX360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii consoles. The game features a laundry list of officially licensed professional players, equipment and venues. Most of the usual suspects have returned (Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, etc.) from the previous installment and 2K have actually stepped it up by incorporating Playstation Move compatibility as well as 3D support for the XBOX360 version.

There is a copious amount of content here that can be appreciated by tennis fans, players and sports gamers alike. Top Spin 4 allows you to create a character to participate in a professional career mode where you can customize facial characteristics and utilize clothing and equipment from real companies. This gives your character a sense of identity and offers a real incentive to invest your time in the game moving forward.

Read on to find out how you can win a copy!

Character customization is on par with most next- gen titles and the vivid graphics are immediately evident once you select to play in actual venues like Arthur Ashe Stadium and other international grass or clay surfaced courts. Factoring in which surface you are playing on also helps determine strategy of gameplay during tournaments and exhibition matches. For instance during a match, your player will be more inclined to slide on clay surfaces allowing you to hit a previously unreachable ball on a grass court. You will also notice 2K’s attention to detail adds to the games’ realism and overall immersion.

Simplicity was key in making a tennis title accessible to all types of players. 2K Sports kept it basic with menu navigability, control scheme and targeting mechanisms. However, I did find the timing mechanism of return shots to be slightly problematic and rather arbitrary. The left analog stick determines the location of the shot and also moves the position of your character. This can get rather frustrating when trying to return cross-court volleys while instantly moving laterally.

Fortunately, Top Spin 4 will provide you with the means of ironing out those kinks in your game! Contributing to player accessibility is the Top Spin Academy, which lends an entire mode to player tutorials, refining your technique and educating yourself on basic strategy.

Arguably, the gameplay presentation is a tad bland and could use some additional pomp and circumstance to give the player a sense of purpose or objective besides just winning a match. Top Spin 4 also never does quite give establish an urgency to fulfill an ultimate goal however this may be a positive for the casual gamer.

For the hardcore gamer, there is an endless amount of replayability to enjoy with this game. Online and multiplayer enthusiasts will be able to jump right in, explore and compete in world tours, tournaments and doubles gameplay. One of the qualities that really makes Top Spin 4 distinguish itself is its ability to make an ancillary sport seem accessible to all demographics. It’s versatility, simplicity and fun-factor will give you a realistic and rewarding tennis experience that currently no other tennis game can rival.

Interested in a free review copy? We’ve got a copy for the Xbox 360. Leave a comment about your favorite tennis player, and we’ll pick one of you at random sometime at the end of next week. Good luck!