For a start, you'll realise there's no longer a power meter to fall back on, meaning you have to rely on good old-fashioned judgement and timing. However, once you take the time to progress through the extensive series of tests in the Top Spin School, it slowly starts to fall into place. It's the anti Wii Sports Tennis - a counter-intuitive tennis game that only the committed hardcore player will be able to play. Serves will fly limply off target, returns won't go anywhere near where you want them to, and you'll lumber along like a complete chump struggling to win a single point.

Even against the rookies in career mode, you'll struggle pathetically and wonder what on earth you're doing wrong. Initially, the refinements to the control system feel like a terrible decision.įor the first time in possibly the history of tennis titles, Top Spin 3 is almost impossible to simply pick up and play. Strangely though, PAM has almost gone back to the drawing board rather than merely tweak a few things, and manages to make an equal number of good and bad decisions along the way.

To rival or even usurp the mighty VT, all PAM had to do was refine a few key areas in the playability department and the throne would finally be theirs. As good a game as it undoubtedly was, there was always the nagging sense in the back of your mind that you'd rather be playing SEGA's ageless offering.Īt the same time, though, online play was always Top Spin's ace in the hand - and still is, thanks to SEGA's utterly botched online implementation in last year's otherwise excellent Virtua Tennis 3. Last time around, PAM slightly overcooked Top Spin 2's controls with layers of added complexity which appeared to add depth at the consequence of making it far less intuitive and playable than its deadly rival, Virtua Tennis. First they giveth, then they taketh away.

Win and spin pc game