After a thirteen-year hiatus, TopSpin 2K25 finally comes through.
TopSpin 2K25 is finally here, and the Top Spin series makes a wild return after over a decade. Imagine that this franchise has skipped a video gaming generation, and a lot has happened since the last game in 2011 (Top Spin 4). Technology in gaming has advanced drastically since then, so one would wonder how the latest game will be. But it looks like it’s back due to the recent success of sports games by 2K over the years, such as NBA 2K24 and their latest great title, WWE 2K24.
But whatever the reason may be, it’s great to see a legendary sports franchise come back to us, in the form of their latest game, TopSpin 2K25. And it came at the perfect time as we are getting ready for major Tennis tournaments this year, such as next month’s Grand Slam, and later after that, of course, the oldest Tennis tournament in the world, Wimbledon. Or even one of the current tournaments, like the Madrid Open.
More importantly, we get to play as some of our favorite iconic players such as one of the most decorated retired professional players and 310 weeks reigning #1 in the world, Roger Federer, and also one of the most decorated and retired professional players, as well as reigning #1 for 319 weeks, Serena Williams.
But is TopSpin 2K25 worth the wait, and is it all that it’s cracked up to be? Stick around and let’s find out together, as we go through the content, gameplay, a few of the mechanics, visuals, and so on. Boy, this is going to be fun. And I feel it’s best to start with the base roster. You’ll be playing on any whopping 48 courts the game has to offer. However, the majority of them require you to unlock them.
TopSpin 2K25 invites you to enjoy 24 actual playable professional players to not only create your memorable matches but also create your legacy. Frances Tiafoe, Iga Swiatek, Andre Agassi, and more to have matches with, whether it’s online or local. I would’ve liked there to have been a bigger roster. Although there’ll be more licensed players to come post-launch.
If you prefer, you can use the MyPLAYER feature and create your soon-to-be legend. I applaud TopSpin 2K25 for having a sizeable customization to suit your needs and make your pro player exactly how you’d want it. You can also assign a play style that fits your profile and readjust your character’s attributes. Moreover, you can eventually unlock new coaches and attire from well-known tennis sponsors such as Lacoste, Nike, Adidas, and many more. As well as new fittings for your player.
By the way, in order to use and reap the benefits of the online features, you need to sign up for a 2K account or if you already have one, sign in to it. The online mode allows you to play casual exhibition matches with either a pro player or your custom MyPLAYER character and face other players in skill-based matchmaking games.
The 2K Tour mode for you to play in ranked matches with real-life pro players and compete against other players. Plus, every day features the likes of you having to complete objectives to earn points and climb up the 2K Tour ladder.
And my personal favorite in this section is the World Tour mode for you to play in Men’s or Women’s Tour tournaments with your MyPLAYER. And crossplay is available on TopSpin 2K25. Albeit it does take a while to find a match sometimes. There’s also another Exhibition mode where you can play in as many casual single and double matches against your friends or the AI as your heart desires.
Remember when I spoke about being prepared for upcoming tournaments earlier? Well, now we go on the local mode, and MyCAREER is the main feature to help you so. Along with enjoying an exciting story mode whilst taking your custom MyPLAYER and circumnavigating the globe as a rising star looking to make a name for themselves as they battle against the best in the sport and enter the sport’s biggest competitions, such as the aforementioned Wimbledon.
To learn how to play TopSpin 2K25, the TopSpin Academy is where you need to go. You’ll be coached by the Tennis icon and one of the greatest tennis players of all time, John McEnroe, as he provides his voice to give you the tools you need to be a top player in the game.
You’ll get three types of lessons: Basic, Advanced, and Playstyle. The Basic lessons feature the game’s fundamentals and you’ll learn about serving, hitting groundstrokes, timing, and positioning, and more. For Advanced lessons, you’ll learn the harder techniques that will take you to the next level. The PlayStyle lessons teach you the strengths and weaknesses of each play style in the sport. Note that you’ll have to complete a lesson to advance to the next one.
There are other game modes for you to go through. Like the Centre Court Pass mode, where you can unlock more in-game goodies by earning Season Points from completing matches, as well as challenges. Every season a brand-new Centre Court Pass will launch, which will give you to chance to earn more goodies. Thankfully, you don’t have to rush on these, because, unlike many seasonal contents in games, your progress towards an existing season will not reset.
To explain more elaborately, to be able to earn rewards, you’d need to pick a season first by activating it in the Centre Court Pass menu, which will be located in the main menu. After doing so, you can take on the available challenges in the ‘Show Challenges’ section, and you’ll receive Season Points for the season.
The mode is pretty flexible, as you can view your progression, and you can toggle between seasons at any point, but you’ll need to activate another season to do so. If you’re still starving for more, there is the Premium Centre Court Pass for you to instantly unlock all premium rewards after purchasing it. And speaking of purchasing, the game’s Pro Shop allows you to buy a variety of items to improve your MyPLAYER’s fit, abilities, and more.
Now, we must discuss the mechanics, because although TopSpin 2K25 has a decent amount of immersive content, the core gameplay itself is one of the main downsides. Especially when it comes to the shooting mechanic. When it’s your turn to shoot, there’ll be a bar that’ll appear. To make a good to perfect shot, you must land the marker in the green zone right before you serve, volley, and so on. At first, you may find it very difficult to make your shots consistently, which will cause immense frustration.
It’ll take some time for you to get used to the system and time your shots. However, even after you’ve mastered the mechanics and controls, the experience will indeed get better, but you still can’t help but stare at the bar when it’s your turn to swing. This will certainly have you lose some sight and focus on where your opponent is and possibly which side of their half of the court is best to shoot towards. You can see the vision of the realistic approach they’re going for, but the execution didn’t match at all.
The visuals aren’t much better. The courts are nice to look at, but this can’t be said for the players, especially the licensed ones. Take a good look at their faces, and they look like they’ve been designed with playdough. It must be said that TopSpin 2K25 has an incredible music library. Whether it’s in the main menu or matches, I would always find myself vibing to the tracks.
Furthermore, the majority of the animations and player movements are inconsistent. Some are smooth, whilst the rest seem rough. It’s rather disappointing that a game that made a grand return couldn’t have a better presentation with the gameplay.
It’s good to have Top Spin return after a 10+ hiatus, and you’d have fun playing Top Spin 2K25 whether you’re alone or with a friend. Unfortunately, you should probably wait for a sale because the price for this game is unjustified, especially when it comes to the gameplay you’re getting out of it.
