TopSpin 2K25 Analysis – Game, Set and Match

Technical section

Being a 2K game developed by Hangar 13, we have very high expectations with the graphics section. It is true that the level left by NBA 2K is very high and very difficult to reach and reproduce and, although TopSpin 2K25 tries, it fails in some respects. Especially in minor display errors (hairs that disappear or form strange patches of baldness) and we have noted in particular that the sound turns against him on certain occasions. We know that it’s not a big handicap when we play, but they are annoying mistakes.

On the other hand, the game works great in 4K on Xbox Series X|S (console on which we played it) where we found no problem with FPS drops, stutters or game crashes. In addition, graphically the game has a good level of design. Maybe not excellent, but with a superb finish on the faces, rackets, balls, courts… Everything is detailed to perfection

In relation to this, The lighting and ambiance of each piece are very well done. An overwhelming effect is achieved when the entire audience becomes silent and gives the feeling of completely watching a match on television.

Gameplay

Concerning the gameplay, we see that TopSpin 2K25 takes the playable base of TopSpin 4 and raises it to the tenth power. In other words, he manages to improve what was already working in his time. An intuitive game system, easy to learn and understand, but it will take us several hours to master it. To learn everything about the gaming system we have TopSpin Academy, a kind of tutorial mode where we will receive different lessons from John McEnroe, one of the legends of tennis, who will teach us all the ins and outs of tennis, its different shots and the art of hitting the perfect shot.

A system that works with a bar similar to that seen in TopSpin 4 and games like NBA 2K that will allow us to achieve perfect shots. On this occasion, We only have four options: too soon, good, perfect and too late. The quality of the shot will only depend on when you release the button for the shot you have chosen (you have up to five depending on whether you want to do powerful shots, deep shots, cuts, drop shots, lobs,…) and on various factors. Among them, there will be the fatigue of our player, the position, if the opponent’s shot was good or bad…

All of this influences our ability to hit better or worse. Something very obvious because the bar can go very fast if one is tired or if the opponent has hit a perfect shot (or a combination of both) or very slowly if one is in an ideal position. A whole set of factors that we must take into account, in addition to choosing the appropriate shot for each situation, which make the system a deep and diverse game mode.

But in addition, we have the different playing styles of each tennis player. Depending on this, they will be specialists in defending from behind or attacking from behind, better at getting to the net or considered all-rounders, capable of defending themselves in any situation. Depending on the player we choose, we will have one style or another (all well executed according to reality) and they will allow us to adapt to this mode of play.

An idea which is transposed into the creation of our own player, which we can improve as we wish. Once we have created him with the complete character editor, we will be able to raise him up to level 30 (we will gain experience by playing with him and completing various objectives in MyCareer mode). Each time we go up we will get 6 points to spend on the different attributes (serve, resistance, strike, strength…) up to a maximum of 70 (we start with 30 in each).

We can make improvements as we see fit, but the game gives us options to automatically increase each skill point depending on the style of tennis we like. This way we won’t have to worry about which points to spend on what, but we can do it easily. Do you want to play like Federer? You just have to choose the off-road option and your character, as the levels progress, will resemble the legendary tennis legend in the way he plays.

These styles of play are well represented with each of the players present on the initial roster. A fairly comprehensive selection of legends and current players, where we find figures like Alcaraz, Federer, Selena Williams and many others. This, yes, some greats like Nadal or Djokovic are missingto name just a few, which could arrive in the future, since Hangar 13 and 2K have confirmed that over time they will expand the cast of players available completely for free.

Duration

Talking about duration in a sports game is always complicated, because Much of this depends on how much time each player wants to spend on it. The case of TopSpin 2K25 is no different and your proposal is designed to offer hundreds of hours exciting matches on the field. Promoting our player to the top of the tennis Olympus in the MyCareer mode will take us a few dozen hours, while we have different online game modes where we can compete to prove that we are the best.

These modes have leaderboards, both with our player and with some of the stars present in the game, which invites us to improve and continue playing to reach the highest positions. In addition, these follow the official tournaments and we can participate in them at the same time.

However, a negative point is that, at least for now, we do not have the possibility to play tournaments like Roland Garros or Wimbledon. Yes, the game is licensed and can be found in MyCareer mode and online mode, but there is no option to simply play it against the AI ​​outside of either of those. two. They might be added in the future (as new players have already confirmed), but for now it’s something that’s missing.

On the other hand, the game offers Season Passes in which you can obtain purely aesthetic cosmetic products. These will be based on tournaments and moments in the current tennis circuit calendar and will allow exclusive access to these cosmetics. Of course, even if a period of 8 to 10 weeks is planned between each visit, we can carry them out whenever we want. We will only have to choose the season pass that we want to promote and the points that we obtain (by winning matches or completing tournaments) will go to that one.

As for VC, the virtual currency of 2K sports games, it is also present. In this case it is used to reset our player’s experience points and be able to change their play style and purchase different cosmetic items or experience boosters in the in-game store.

conclusion

TopSpin 2K25 is the return to the tennis courts. A highly anticipated return and it does it brilliantly, taking everything that worked in TopSpin 4 and improving it. Especially its game system, based on this title, but much deeper. A gaming system that feels very good at the controls, which is easy to understand but difficult to master and with a pretty good learning curve. At least that’s the feeling we left after several hours of play, that little by little and by trying, we improved the precision of our shots, even in unfavorable situations.

Perhaps the most negative point we see is the absence of some iconic players and, above all, more game modes. We only have MyCareer and exhibition matches (1vs1 and 2vs2) in non-play modes. online and we don’t have the opportunity to only play at Roland Garros or Wimbledon. Of course, the online modes are very varied, both with pre-made players and our custom player.

Published by:
Hangar 13

Price :
$59.99

*