TopSpin 2K25 Review – HOLD MY RACKET

Can you believe this is happening? I had to double take when the last entry in this franchise launched—13 years ago in 2011! It’s certainly been a minute, that’s for sure. In all honesty, I didn’t see the reveal of TopSpin 2K25 coming in the slightest. Nor did anyone else, I suspect. That being said, tennis fans should keep their emotions in check here.

Been There, Done That

This entry does have an awesome gameplay system that feels very hand-crafted and intuitive, yet it falls short of the net in several key areas. Namely in it’s suite of game modes, or lack thereof in this case. From launch, the main features are MyCAREER/MyPLAYER, TopSpin Academy, Exhibition and online matches. A little dull, if you ask me. I would’ve loved to have seen some silly modes like FC 24’s House Rules or more involved minigames than the ones found in MyCAREER. Something to ramp up the arcade factor, rather than just traditional tennis for days.

I say this because MyCAREER feels flat in its execution. After you’ve customised the look and build of your avatar, they’ll soon fly up the ranks, competing against the same generic-looking players again and again. But at the same time, you will have already seen each and every iteration of the limited minigames on offer. Like the ‘break a window’ or ‘land a ball on the target’ events. Hence, there isn’t much in the way of staying power.

The only major aspects to keep track of are: your player’s energy (so they don’t get injured), Attributes (like Forehand, Stamina, Power, etc.) and Fittings. These also affect said Attributes but can grant special rally bonuses like more precise drop shots or enhanced serves as a contest progresses. There are match challenges and extra ones provided by your chosen coach to improve your player’s performance and cosmetics with XP and Virtual Currency. But thankfully, it doesn’t seem like Topspin 2K25 is trying to shove VC microtransactions down your throat too aggressively here.

Even better is that the game features full cross-play support between each available platform and for every online mode allegedly. I wasn’t able to confirm these claims unfortunately, as I couldn’t matchmake with anyone online during the testing period. But to hone your skills until then, Tennis legend, John McEnroe can guide you through the fundamentals of the game in TopSpin Academy, including some advanced strategies and tactics. Although, he isn’t bringing much of his trademark sass here.

“You cannot be serious?!” I hear some of you saying—and for good reason. There’s only a teensy, tiny portion of players at launch, and they all look and feel as clay as Roland Garros. It’s impressive how they secured so many official stadium licences and tournaments, but couldn’t pick up the likes of Alex de Minaur or resident hothead, Nick Kyrgios for day one. Forgive my Aussie bias, but it seems like a host of players were left hanging here. Thankfully, future athletes will be added at a later date, free of charge.

Just One More Game

While it does take a bit of practice to time your hits and get all the different shot controls down, it won’t be long before you’re serving aces like nobody’s business and lobbing those cheeky, cheeky power players that venture too close to the net. Very satisfying. It’s also incredibly intuitive to to set up a topspin or power-serve with the right stick, then move straight into a serve & volley offence from the start of a rally. In addition, transitioning over to an inside out forehand or backhand (depending on a player’s Attributes) is relatively consistent too.

Albeit, there were times where my player would simply not move towards the ball, or strangely let it pass for a gratuitously gift-wrapped point. So infuriating. Considering that the essence of tennis is about rhythm and mind games, these bugs threw me for a massive loop whenever they occurred. I can see why people break rackets now… In a similar vein, it can be tricky at times to physically see the ball on grass surfaces like Wimbledon’s. Plus, you’ll most likely witness random screen tearing at points too. The surface textures aren’t particularly fantastic either. At least, not on PlayStation 4.

But on a more positive note, the game’s tracklist showcases an immensely strong selection of 18 house, trance and dance tunes from Drake to Armin van Buuren. Those familiar with music pioneer, BT will be happy to hear that he’s scored several in-game tracks that play in support of the other artists’ songs—and they are pure ear candy. I’m normally pretty mixed when it comes to licenced soundtracks, though this is easily one of the best collections of music I’ve heard in a sports game, hands down.

Decision

While my sentiments about this title may seem overly negative, the core gameplay of TopSpin 2K25 is nothing but addictive. Seeing those timing metres land in the ‘Perfect’ zone, as you smack a winner down the line after an intense rally really gets the blood pumping. It’s practically everything else around 2K25 that stops it from being amazing. Whether it be the bland MyCAREER mode, clay-looking graphics or completely missing matchday commentary, these aspects inherently diminish the overall package.

By Anthony Culinas – Reviewed on PlayStation 4

Good

TopSpin 2K25 is a solid tennis sim with little else going for it. At the end of the day, the gameplay is almost perfect, aside from a few blemishes. However, these don’t excuse the blatant lack of game mode variety and match commentary you’d expect from a modern sports title.

This game was reviewed using a download code provided by 2K. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however, this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website.