We were impressed with the build of Top Spin 3 we saw a few months ago. The way the players would lazily opt to stretch their arms rather than always run onto the ball, the new but potentially risky control system and just the sheer amount of care and realism that PAM Development seemed to be packing into the game was encouraging. Back in issue 29 we said it could potentially be the most accurate tennis sim ever created. And it seems we were spot on.

The first thing you immediately clock about this latest appendage to the Top Spin series is the impressive overhaul that’s occurred to its looks, which is apparently all down to its new spinsounding ‘evolutionary visuals‘. Now, as much as we enjoyed Top Spin 2 it has to be said that the game didn’t really make any sort of visual leap in our eyes when it made its shift from Xbox. It was most evident in the replays, which still felt a little baron, slightly clinical and was helped none by the tennis players looking like they were on loan from Madame Tussauds.

Well, it seems some brave chaps at PAM have snuck into the homes of sleeping tennis stars to take clay moulds of their faces because the visuals have drastically been ramped up. The spookily realistic looking player models now sweat (quite profusely), their cheeks become puffy and even their eyes begin to look tired. There are also refinements to the player’s animations too. As we said, the action has been slowed down a shade, players are less eager to run at the ball and will instead opt to stretch their body to make a return if it’s feasible, and their clothes will realistically crease and catch the wind.

Giving us a glimpse as to how the developer came to create such realistic looking models, Top Spin 3 comes packed with the type of create-acharacter mode that anyone could marvel at, no matter how much you know or care about videogames. As well as the usual customary preset options like tweaking facial hair, nose contour and how much forehead you wish to bless your creation with, you now have the new ‘morphology’ function which plots a number of points over your model’s face and allows you to nip and tuck them to the nth degree.

So what about the tennis itself? Well the main structure of the game remains relatively unchanged from Top Spin 2, you again have the option to try your luck in an ad-hoc tournament, step into a quick game via the exhibition mode, or chew on the real meat of the series in its Career mode where you’ll start out as a lowly amateur working his way up through the ranks until eventually a bunch of people start naming hills after you. No, where the biggest change to the series has occurred is the controls. The main difference is that instead of returning the ball with a quick jab on a face buttons you can now determine the power of your shot by holding it down (which will draw your player’s arm back) and then strike the ball by releasing it. Admittedly it does take a while to get your head around but you soon start to realise how much more immediate control and influence over the ball this gives you. Timing and position also play a much bigger role in success and getting your player back to the centre of the court to perform more comfortable returns now feels more governing. The ‘risk’ shots also make a return, but now they feel like they’re in a game that wants you to continually make use of them, a deliberate notion we suspect to try and counteract the slower pace of play.

Just to give some weight to the amount of precision and control that can actually can be teased from Top Spin 3, the game comes with its own Tennis School to take you through the many techniques, shots and styles that are available. Even seasoned Top Spin 2 veterans are probably well advised to make it their first stop as while the changes might sound slight, they make a considerable difference to how you play the game.

We’re not completely convinced that this is still a tennis game people can pick up and play, but we always knew this day was going to come to the series eventually. Top Spin has always tried to differentiate itself from Virtua Tennis, it’s always been seen as the more ‘sim’ like of the two big tennis franchises but also retained an ounce of accessibility. That’s not to say Top Spin 3 puts up any kind of brick wall, it’s just finally captured the skill and fortitude that comes with playing a real game of tennis, an achievement we sense it’s always been working towards.

Stuart Hunt