TopSpin 2K25 Review: Gameplay Impressions, Videos, Top Modes and Features

TopSpin 2K25 from 2K Sports marks a bold reentry into the sporting game sphere for one of the genre's hibernating elite.

More than a decade ago, the 2003's original release made waves as an Xbox exclusive before the series migrated to other platforms. Along the way, it married top-class presentation with a suite of options and refined gameplay that easily topped the sport's video game offerings and set the bar high for sports games as a whole.

Missing in action since 2011, the series looks to retake old ground near the genre's peak by capturing those same elements again on next-generation hardware with modern gameplay and customization.

No easy feat, but a past great coming out of retirement can achieve it given the solid foundation that has likely withstood the test of time.

Gameplay

Indeed, those veteran players who experienced the series in its heyday will largely feel at home with TopSpin's revival.

There's a weight to the movement and satisfying application of spins on hits that feels all too familiar. For the most part, this applies to the controls too, which are sensible enough for pick-up-and-play sessions, but hide some big skill-gap depth when mastered.

But notable exceptions apply in terms of feel. The serving mechanic is a little odd at first because the meter is tough to get a feel for at the start. It feels like second nature soon enough and it's easy to see the why behind the functionality, though.

To fit with modern times and likely to better regulate lengthy back-and-forths, there is a timing meter on every type of shot, sort of similar to shot meters in basketball games. Like players new to basketball games, the meters themselves can detract from the action at first as they command attention. But again, it becomes second nature and more control over whether a shot lands true or misfires is a good thing, as opposed to leaving it to RNG.

There's an inherent risk-reward that is fun as a result. The game rewards perfect shots with a slight uptick in angle and power to make the opponent work harder, whereas riskier power shots that end up mistimed have a better chance of hitting net.

This old-new mixture feels modern enough. And it hits the critical part of any sports game—it's fun. There's a layered understanding a player develops, too, that eventually lets them feel natural at applying certain spins or styles to better manipulate the opponent and surface.

Those surfaces—hard court, clay and grass—are important, too. Each manages to feel distinct, which is a nice touch of realism and variety, the latter of which a video game needs and the former a must to be a true "simulation." Clay, for example, makes for slipping and sliding when changing directions.

It's important, especially in a (re)debut of a sports game, to properly nail star attributes. That way, the game emulates real life properly and gameplay feels different based on what stars a player lines up against for a match.

Thankfully, TopSpin accomplishes this, with some opponents able to go on extended rallies that will keep players on their toes (thumbs?). Playing a superstar server, though, requires a whole different thought process and approach.

The implementation of the TopSpin Academy certainly helps. Essentially a tutorial, it offers a nice range of lessons, from the most basic positioning fundamentals to the strengths or weaknesses of each playstyle, permitting mastery of forehands, backhands, and so much more.

This balance throughout the gameplay of old and new, plus welcoming new and experienced players alike, is a veteran-esque feat of a performance, to say the least, that typically sees a series enjoy massive success.

Graphics and Presentation

At its peak, the TopSpin series was a powerhouse presentation-wise, and this effort won't be taking that crown in the genre—for now, anyway.

It's understandably and easily the best-looking game in the series to date and there are some impressive star-specific animations and movements that differentiate male and female stars.

But there are hiccups that, for now, are understandable. There are not a lot of animation or expressiveness to player faces and this worsens when one focuses on some of the members of the audiences observing matches.

Overall, though, the movement of characters on the screen is impressive, which includes the physics of things like hair and clothing. The shortcomings aren't uncommon for annual sports games in other areas, so it feels like a matter of time on those.

The familiar-feeling broadcast camera angles do the job well, though. Plus, there's some really creative camera pans and sweeps across venues at the start of matches and during breaks that keep the simulation feel. And, silly as it might sound, there's an impressive visual depth to a match when the camera is behind a player and viewing the opponents and crowd beyond.

As an added bonus, the user interface (UI) itself is clean and minimalist, displaying the necessary info but otherwise letting the graphics and stellar lighting and shadow work flex. Helpful gameish elements, like a yellow "x" on the ground to designate where a ball will land and shot feedback such as "perfect", are non-intrusive.

Along the way, the Grand Slam Tournaments ATP Masters 1000 venues and others look true-to-form. And while there are only a handful of different times of day to play each of the 40-plus courts, nighttime is included and the immersive effect of all is impressive.

That's not the only place attention to detail shines through, either. Clay courts, notably, change in appearance as stars slide and sprint, only to be swept smooth again during a break between sets.

It helps that the sound design is fantastic, especially when it comes to ambient noise like reactions from the crowd and noise the competitors make. A Fall Out Boy-backed soundtrack seems fitting and the voice acting is solid, topped by John McEnroe himself guiding things along in the academy. Match announcers will even say a player's name, provided it's in the database, to top off the robust experience in this area.

MyPLAYER and More

TopSpin 2K25 rattles off a litany of 2Kisms found in the company's sports games umbrella, headed up by MyPLAYER.

Those familiar with the mode in other sports games won't be shocked here. There's a rather in-depth character creator, followed by the ability to build out preferred attributes. That means the ability to create an unstoppable serving machine, a baseline monster or something else. It's nice to have that much control over the little things, considering there aren't as many "positions" to experiment with compared to a team-based sport.

Along the way, players will earn coaches, fittings and licensed gear from companies like Nike. There's not a groundbreaking narrative to the happenings there or in MyCAREER, but that's (to borrow a cliche from golf) par for the course when it comes to 99 percent of sports games.

Hitting expected notes for a sports game isn't a bad thing in this area, especially when there's so much content here for solo players. The path to improvement alongside the created character is a nice goal to chase alongside the accolades and that's before complimenting the game on its solid suite of multiplayer options.

Multiplayer exhibitions support up to four local players in doubles action, a welcome throwback at a time local functionality isn't a guarantee. That said, online play with friends won't be ready at launch, though it's promised before the end of May.

Otherwise, the presence of online exhibitions with skill-based matchmaking at launch and cross-platform play is a welcome necessity in today's environment.

Beyond exhibitions, 2K Tour is head-to-head with different pros and objectives daily, a rotator system of sorts that should help to keep things fresh. The World Tour features a player's created character going up aginst others too, so it will be fun to see other player's creations (visually and skill-wise).

Regarding additional in-game purchases, there's a battle pass here dubbed the Centre Court Pass, which comes with 50 tiers. Players can buy a premium pass by the season or even an all-access pass that includes six seasons. Each season lasts 8-10 weeks.

The additional cash requirement atop the initial investment and a battle pass at all in a sports game will settle as polarizing. It is admittedly, though, interesting that the passes center around the real-life tennis calendar, complete with properly themed daily and weekly challenges. It's one of those rare occurrences in gaming right now where these elements feel designed to keep players engaged, not exploited.

In a nice touch, the FOMO-driven expiration date on the court pass isn't present here, taking after recent releases such as Helldivers II—players can continue to work on them even when a new season begins. Ditto for being able to go back and buy old ones and instantly unlock all progress made.

Another mark in the positives column at launch is that further roster additions beyond the initial 25 pros available at launch will be free to all players.

TopSpin launches with a wide range of options worth exploring, plus a somewhat staggering seven difficulty settings, a few of which are locked at first. Performance is solid, too, which is a non-negotiable in a timing-based game like this.

Conclusion

Tennis can be a strange sport to capture in a video game, which somewhat explains why, besides the Mario Tennis offshoots, none of the early-2000s games really remain.

But it speaks to the timeless formula TopSpin previously achieved that the revival can draw so steadily from an old foundation and fit so near-flawlessly on new console tech. Make no mistake, gamers have seen sports games bellyflop hard while attempting to make the jump to new-generation consoles.

TopSpin does the opposite, to the point of achieving that racing-game-simulation feel where an onlooker might not be able to tell the difference from a real match broadcast and the game were it not for shot meters and such.

A rare feat, but not unexpected for the series. And if this is the new foundation for the series to draw from now, the staying power is immense. If nothing else, it's simply nice to have the top tennis series back properly navigating the modern sports game space while landing near the very top of the pile already.