Everything WRONG with TOPSPIN 2k25 (2 Months Later Review)

[@mikmobile]

100% agree . Gameplay gets boring. Everyone is playing the same style. Never played again a Serve & Volley Player.....

[@machetegaming]

I've been messing with Serve & Volley recently, and it's been fun! A nice change of pace, though hard to pull off consistently (at least for me).

[@pelnapkins4379]

I've played against one, and it was a really fun match up. And then it was back against the power players again 😔

[@MinuteMaidMak]

You’re also a part of the problem since you play like everyone else just play serve and volley yourself and you’ll enjoy it much more

[@grunchlk]

I am an old man, I do play serve-and-volley. Works best with Sampras, if you get the first volley right.

[@h-dawg1876]

@@machetegaming I’ve been playing Sampras in every topspin game. Topspin 4 I was ranked 90 in the world with Sampras. I’m ranked 500 with Sampras. And there are only certain players that are impossible to beat as a serve and volley player. The half volley in the game is broken and the only players who would have a chance to return Sampras serve and get into points are Andre, McEnroe and Federer. All of today’s players would have a hard time returning and being able to handle the volley. Just uneven players

[@superjarri]

The game is fun at first, but it gets old super fast. It doesn't have enough depth to keep you engaged for more than a week or so.

[@markpillans5670]

Agree.I was a topspin 4 fan and was excited for this but got bored after 2 weeks.Haven't looked at it since.

[@BajroSlatina]

As someone who recreationally plays tennis for over a decade, this feels nothing like tennis. Tennis elbow has much more of the game's essence in it's few GBs if even that much.

[@larryfitterman]

The wide servers are what completely ruined it for me, im sticking to offline games now.

[@h-dawg1876]

@@larryfitterman non of the players who play today should have good services. Only the serve and volley and Federer should have the best serves. Pretty bad when sinner, Williams and sharapova are better serves then Sampras and Federer

[@pablolr4632]

Completely agree. This should be a must to watch before buying the game

[@arenni13]

I loved topspin 4, actually only stoppes playing it on xbox when 2k25 was released. At first I thought yes they have got this right and I was going to be happy but I was wrong. I agree with everthing you said. I loved the ability to play defensively in topspin4 and have the chance to beat the power hitters through excellent timing and tactical shots. 2k25 has taken this away, particularly with Sharapova, Williams and now even Sinner. Power attribute is overly rated and it is simply not possible to beat an average or above average player who just play power with any of these characters and this combined with the out wide serve from hell is just unplayable 95% of the time. I eventually just stopped trying online and leave the matches if these are my opponents. Secondly another problem is Agassi, the slow short angled shots are not played in real tennis and if they were the opponent would just blast them away down the line for a winner.... but guess what even with the overrated power in this game it suddenly fails to work in this scenario and Agassi just hits another slow short angle to the other side or he blasts one down the line powerfully even though he has no power.....😂 so frustrating. Lastly i'd say I'm a pretty good topspin 4 and 5 player and I only really lose to those power characters or much better gamers, but I am convinced theres hacking/cheating and boosting in this game! Players can run faster and hit shots that I just cannot hit and I have been playing the gameplay since 2008, its definitely not me - Im a decent player and some of these players shots are just not possible with the attributes they have. It almost feels like theres some sort bug/boost/hack where ypur opponent boosts their attributes and nulls yours, everything gets a little worse, less width, less power and more mistakes. I hate it now and will probably go back to my Jankovic, Roddick and Serena matches on topspin4 😂 Thanks for the video.

[@zakki8308]

Yes players use boost, i lose sometimes VS players with 30 stats everywhere, and im around 55 everywhere, and i cant do anything.. . . .

[@kurama294]

Recently I am playing top spin 4, everything of it is better than 2k except the old generation graphics. Your perfect timing shots are rewarding, you can choose tons of licensed players including the "big 4" back in the 2010s'. Perhaps they can consider to release a remake version of TS4, rather than making a new trashy game with their budget constrains. Good job dude! solid review!

[@dhenderson1810]

I don't know why they don't just re-release that, but with 2K25's roster and graphics.

[@fadiwolley6509]

Totally agree. Very boring. Full ace and tennis elbow cannot even be compared in terms of gameplay, they are far ahead.

[@davidross6782]

I played all of Topsin except 2k25 and thought the series was good until I found Tennis Elbow. The ball physics was amazing. I played TE2013 for years. When TE4 arrived, it was much more difficult to play, but everything was better, shorter rallies closer to real life. In TopSpin I realized how every shot felt like it was scripted or on a track if it makes sense and 2k25 was still the same. In TE4 each rally feels different. In TE4 you get wrong footed, you're most likely going to lose the point. You actually have to use strategy to win. My character is a counterpuncher and I played a match where the opponent used all my pace and hit harder. Once I stopped the powerful (acceleration) shots, I was able to be competitive. My opponent still had 3-4x my winner (and error) count each set. I won 1-6 7-6(7) 8-6, saving 1 match point. Talk about mentally taxing, but fun.

[@dhenderson1810]

Is Tennis Elbow on PS4/PS5?

[@kevinlatina2165]

try also Full Ace Tennis Simulator, very very very good...

[@pelnapkins4379]

Slice is pretty much the only way I can effectively return the wide serve. It doesn't always work but it gives me a chance to get into the point. I like mixing up my serves, been having alot of success with kick serves tbh. I think everyone is expecting wide slice so it catches a few players out.

[@MyStupidYoutubeHandle]

Your supposed to hit a wide serve back with top spin that’s tennis 101

[@pelnapkins4379]

@@MyStupidKZbinHandle yes, but the game doesn't mirror real life.

[@MyStupidYoutubeHandle]

@@pelnapkins4379 not every time but most of the time you just have to play it properly

[@Kevin-tr6js]

Thanks for reviewing this game critically. Tennis fans like myself desperately want a modern tennis video game, so I understand why some people accept TS 2k25 for what it is. I couldn't do that because I saw within the first 15 minutes of playing the game that it was a low effort cash grab intended to take advantage of desperate tennis fans. I immediately got a refund. I won't buy another 2k sports game until they stop their predatory monetization practices that make their games worse to play, which means I'll probably never buy another 2k sports game lol.

[@Tohhmo1]

I am sorry about it. I didn’t play the tennis game but I just want to tell You that 2K has 2 excellent sports games: PGA Tour and MLB the shown

[@TheDiceman56]

Yes I gave up on top spin 2K after seeing the terrible career mode. Rallies take no skill at all. Boring. I play Tennis Elbow 4 and It is so much better. Presentation is not as polished, but it takes a lot of work to understand the strategies, but it feels so good when you outwit your opponent. It is hugely deep. Mods and updates are making it better all the time.

[@flaw3dgenius222]

I loved the Top Spin series but i just couldnt bring myself to buy 2k25, Such little content for such little content and a game stuck in 2014 not 2024. The problem Topspin has is its fans will defend it to the hilt and think everything is amazing. The series cannot get better with these kind of fans.

[@Sontaves]

Completely spot on with the gameplay analysis. I was so hyped to play this game but it’s been a severe let down . I definitely would think to myself while playing that the devs need to grasp tennis matches better, wide serves and power shots aren’t all it takes win . I hate to bash the devs but this game does seem like a lazy cash grab

[@NehemiahsMusic1]

Great video that outwide serving and serving in general is ridiculous ....why mess up a good thing ....Topspin4 was just perfect !!!!!

[@KnightMD]

Phenomenal review. I stopped playing the game entirely after the first month. As you said, every single game felt the same, online was a horrid experience, and offline had no content (designed to push you online to make them more money) even though I paid full offline pricing. Lighting and graphics were stunning, animations were great, but that's pretty much it. I tried getting into FATS because someone told me it was "the FUMA (full manual) tennis equivalent of PES 2021", and it might very well be, but it's just so low budget that I need to push myself harder to get into it (I have it modded on my steam deck). I hope Tiebreak fixes the ball physics and maybe hires the FATS guy and buys out his engine, but that is just a pipedream.

[@machetegaming]

The sad state of tennis gaming :/ There are games with decent (for tennis genre standards) production budgets (Topspin & Tiebreak) and then there are games with with passion, care and deep gameplay (Full Ace & Tennis Elbow 4). If only we could get one game combining the best aspects of both...

[@skyfuzzball8312]

TE4 without assistant + Incredible 10 + elite physics = Dark Souls of tennis game

[@JEM-fo6rs]

Everything you said 👍🏾. I will add that slice shot doesn’t have that outside curve to it on either forehead and backhand side. However, the poison slice skill set has worked for me at times. Still, I’m disappointed in the title. Spent way to much money on this💸💸💸😞. Now I’m waiting for Tiebreak Tennis to save me. Man if Tennis elbow had better graphics, 2k probably would not have bothered with this game. Money pit 🎾⤵️🕳️

[@machetegaming]

Tennis Elbow with proper funding would be a dream!

[@kemanci5971]

I've been playing Smash Court Tennis 3 on the PSP recently and it's insane how a game made in 2007 has better animations and more varied styles than this game 😂

[@ThiccRopes]

Nice review, a someone who has played tennis. A game that lacks in having the ability to use you shot selection and type of shot to set up points sounds terrible. It’s sounds like only power shots matter.

[@gouedallica]

You can face a player with 30 stats, and he plays like a 80 stats and beat you easy.. Very STRANGE, i think already a lot of cheater use a BOOST Only good thing is Topspin are animations.

[@h-dawg1876]

@@gouedallica their is also a timing cheat. Where players can hit perfect shots every time. And the OP players in pro tour are a joke

[@gouedallica]

@@h-dawg1876 yes, i uninstalled the game

[@nibloe4104]

I completely agree, at first the gameplay was fun but it’s gotten boring very fast. The wide serving on every point as you mentioned is extremely frustrating especially when standing in a good position to take on the wide serve. Seeing people full power shot down the line over the high part of the net after a cross court low slice is hilarious. A lot of things don’t make sense, I know they said they are working on the wide serves but for it to not be addressed in the first major patch was extremely disappointing.

[@h-dawg1876]

@@nibloe4104 the serving in the game is BS. If you are serving and standing out almost to the doubles like any shot hit down the line should be an automatic winner. Also the baseline hitter are OP. Williams, sinner are not good servers they just over power them in the serve. Players like Sampras who overpowered and hit aces because they depended highly on their serve should be able to hit the outside shots easily.

[@StingrayMk1]

I love and hate this game. You play an awesome approach shot. You follow into net, and by rights your volley into the open court should be assured, as it would be in life. But no! The 2K committee decided your first volley actually goes within reach of your opponent! But wait theres more! They now play a shot that is virtually impossible. Somehow passing you with a crazy angle, EVEN THOUGH you read it right and moved in thst direction. No! You didn't reach the ball. You lose. Sorry! Gotchya. You thought you were gonna break serve? Aha! Denied.

[@maurosudati453]

Gotta thank 2K for the free trial because if I wanted to get the game now I'll probably wait and get it when TB comes out. Yes there's things done well but at the moment it feels super unbalanced and ball physics are off. Plus content is a joke. I'll eventually get it but they managed to kill my hype I had since this game was announced

[@ajirhussain786]

at 8:10 in the video you can see an example of bad gameplay. that should clearly be a winner but for some magic reason the opponent can run like sonic

[@ralliman320]

That's the network catching up between clients. It happens in games when the client and server aren't communicating well ("Your opponent has a bad connection")--the game is essentially trying to predict on your screen where your opponent will be based on the info their game delivers to the server. It's likely the opponent is actually in position to make the shot on their screen and the info is just being delivered slowly/badly, which causes the lag and sudden inhuman speed to make seemingly impossible shots on yours.

[@cedd9043]

@@ralliman320not at all, because it also happen on my side when i hit X at the right moment the player run like flash

[@ralliman320]

@@cedd9043 Oh, seriously? It looked like classic netcode to me, but if it happens locally, that's.. oh, that's bad.

[@h-dawg1876]

This game is broken. It’s the definition of people making a game that know nothing about the sport. Players like Sampras and McEnroe are unplayable. And why dose Federer only have skills that target serve and volley players. The patches only ruined the game and favored certain players. Waste of money. Topspin4 is better by far.

[@sigmakaka4567]

love your tennis videos. i agree with you, imagine in 2024 2k can't make the ball bounce differently on clay and grass surfaces!!!

[@DSN262]

Wide serve abuse is so lame in this game, people would rather win so bad than have a good match, people are strange. Are we sure people don't cheat in the game?! I've had people quit on me in a ranked match and I don't get the win but if I quit a match then it counts as a loss

[@grunchlk]

Happened to me several times, 'xyz left the match' - ' game set and match xyz' 😮

[@derll]

70 winners and 1 unforced error in my last matcht of 13 games total, this is a sci-fi game not a tennis game, too much unrealistic

[@xXMrDeeXx]

I remember having so much fun playing topspin 3,4 back then. I used to have hundreds of hours on those games and honestly it had never been boring for a single moment. What happened to tennis games recently? Does no developers care about this type of game anymore?

[@teteskone41]

Well now I must ask what your opinion on Top Spin 4 is/was. Just to get my thoughts right before buying the last installment of the series.

[@machetegaming]

Right, that's actually an excellent question to gauge how similar our tastes in tennis games are. For me, the TS games have an arcade-ish take on tennis and were never my favorite approach in terms of being an actual tennis sim. If you loved the gameplay of TS4 and want to scratch that particular itch, TS 2k25 will probably do it for you. Though, TS 2k25 doesn't do anything better than TS4 did. I think the gameplay was better in TS4. I liked how there was no timing bar, as it made the game more challenging in a good way. TS4 was also a better product without the nonsense that comes with monetization. Leveling in career mode was faster and shorter; you had way more outfits for free, etc.

[@nightmanlol]

one of the best tennis games is hot shots tennis on the psp

[@illuminated1158]

Number 1 for me is a shallow career that's only purpose is to introduce ways to spend money to upgrade your character, even swapping traits costs mycoins, tournaments don't feel like tournaments and hitting the ball as hard as you can is the best and only meta way to play.

[@DVDKC]

Tie Break was a joke months ago in comparison with Top Spin but recently with last updates i have a lot more fun playing Tie Break. Ofc the animation arent as good as Top Spin but the gameplay is improving significantly update after update! The price comparison is a lot in favor of Tie Break too… so my choice is easy, i go for TB, expecting more major updates.

[@dhenderson1810]

Can you download extra players on TB? I want to add Legends players so is there like a creation suite to download created players?

[@skyfuzzball8312]

TE4 and FAT has this

[@dorpezarker6894]

Well i agree with you this game is lack of content, and i agree the licensed player is a joke and the career mode is boring, but the gameplay is good. First of all i have in the 2k tour 150 wins and and around 20 loses... It is true that people use the wide serve meta, but i beat those kind of player too.... I agree that if you guess the direction of the serve, your shot should be more precise and strong, but it is possible to beat them. Second, not all of them, including me playing only with flat power shot, actually, control shots are more effective if you use them correctly. Also it's difficult to return good ball from the feet and it is matter where you stand to take a shot. Taking the ball early also have an advantage. Plus they fixed the world tour, you won't play against 30 level anymore if you are 2, maximum 10 level above you. But i do agree that the game needs more updates and frequently. But it's definitely the best tennis game right now ( i use console so I don't have tennis elbow or the other one). Tiebreak is a game that we should put an eye on.

[@soysaucehairdye7869]

Good info

[@loc7909]

Nice sober view of the state of tennis sims currently. The only thing I think the video gets wrong is it is ENTIRELY focused on online play but that's not every player's focus. It's NEVER mine. If the offline game is really good, then maybe I'll try the online. Feels like we are reviewing in reverse by going straight to ALL the online problems. I do have MAJOR gripes but this is 100% a step in the right direction. It's really crappy it takes a decade to get the slightest improvements in tennis sims but hey, it's more than we've had for a LONG time. I'm also console only so AO2 was good but just didn't feel quite right. This feels more like the Topspin of old, & Topspin 4 was & maybe is still the GOAT but it had a lot of issues people tend not to remember in both online and off...

[@jespPH9196]

I agreed. People need to know the learning curve of topspin. Its a bit harder than others, but when learned, its very enjoyable. I disagreed with some of the reviews above. It doesnt reflect the real capability of topspin.

[@zavaletamiguel]

Agreed... it gets super boring... serves are unreal, no game tactics besides flat power shot work... slice does NOTHING... topspin same, its nothing but boring... a shame.

[@5ammy13]

I echo the same feelings. I am sure the people who adore TopSpin gameplay are the people who don't watch a lot of tennis and who don't play Tennis regularly. Full Ace Tennis Simulator and Tennis Elbow 4 are the best so far. TieBreak looks promising but still a lot of work left to make it feel lot more realistic.

[@dhenderson1810]

I find it hard to believe low budget independent companies have the finance to make good tennis games when big budget ones can't. Maybe the independent ones are bribing KZbinrs to give their games good publicity. Besides, why don't the independent ones release on consoles? Of course any game can be good when you can mod it on your console.

[@5ammy13]

@@dhenderson1810 well, I for one wish I was paid to promote anything, let alone a tennis game. The difference is how passionate about tennis these low budget individual developers are compared to big budget companies that have a variety of people working on a project, and I'll be surely surprised if any of those who worked on Top Spin or Tie Break are as passionate as the guys who developed Full Ace and Tennis Elbow. When you look at these low budget games you'll notice that they don't look as good as their big budget counterparts. That to me is where all that extra money went into. The low budget developers concentrate on gameplay and physics... And the community does the rest by creating mods. I think Tennis Elbow 4 and Full Ace Tennis Simulator wouldn't have been this successful if it wasn't for the community recognising the passion put behind these games and supporting it through mods. So it's not just the KZbinrs praising these small games, but the proof that they are amazing games for real tennis fans is the community that's got their back.

[@jesperhuybrechts]

@@dhenderson1810 It's quite simple, skill and quality are not rewarded in this world. The only thing that matters is making products as cheaply as possible and selling them as expensively as possible to people as dumb as possible.

[@rayo.]

I notice in your gameplay that you are getting burnt with wide serves because you are not running to the center of the baseline instantly after hitting the ball. That's essential in real life and I can see it does here as well.

[@wally19]

The game it's ok, but there are a few things that are still better in TopSpin 4 which make no sense... and somethings feels like there is an scripted play that you can't win. Like a rank 23103201203 that suddenly plays some incredible 4 ace in a row or some awesome shots.

[@minoagaiby]

When tiebreak comes out on console full game I’d love to see a comparison video TB and 2k with your opinion on the matter you seem an experts more than I ever be 😂 bought 2k and got a bit tired as everyone online use the same players, not sure if TB is worth it but at least they have the players 😂

[@machetegaming]

I will defo do a comparison video between TS and TB when TB is fully released! Something tells me, though, that TB will be delayed, but that's just a hunch.

[@mknimmo]

I've actually been playing 'Topspin 3' from 2008 and honestly its the best game ever made in the tennis world. Topspin 4 was good too but player errors in that game are rare too and as a result the rallies are too long.

[@Fenecek007]

Absolutely agree.

[@ssh7579]

Enjoy all your videos. You put a lot of time into them. I was so pumped for Topspin and preordered it. I stopped playing after a week. I'm a huge tennis fan and play tennis myself. I can't put my finger on it but the gameplay was not fun for me at all. The developers cut so many corners on this game. Player models and roster are a joke. Sampras and Alcaraz look terrible.

[@machetegaming]

Thank you kindly! I'm doing my best to produce as good content as I can! Player models are bad indeed 😬

[@kenschiavo191]

great review...since this review, the latest patch finally addressed some things well. THE FIRST one that actually improved gameplay and what you're talking about. It's a decent playing game now, don't you think? THEY NEED TO ADD GAME MODES like tournaments, etc. It's pathetic...all I play is occasional exhibition matches or the my career....online was a joke, like you said...not sure if it has improved any.

[@DjTinnio]

6:59 Of course you should expect a hard hitted shot from your opponent, after you played a slice. But it should be a hard hitted top spin, at least on sand, because the ball will have way less rotation. The opponent has to counter that by hitting it harder, which , if you know that, is actually an advantage, because you can go full power. But it can be so unusual having to hit the ball so flat above the surface, and still perform a top spin. You can also play it like a half volley, but with forehand grip of course, and not hitting it too hard, because it will have much trampoline effect anyways, because you are hitting it a bit flatter, not doing a full top spin swing. A slice does not always bounce low, especially on hard surfaces. On carpet it actually bounces off with more top spin rotation, because the carpet inverts the rotation into a forward one. During that inverting, the ball gets energy upwards of course. The main thing i want to tell you, is, if the slice bounces off high enough, you can fully send a top spin. You even have to, kinda, otherwise it might go into the net even, because you didn't counter the less forward spin of the ball.

[@loc7909]

This should be an online only review. I have not touched online matches & I won't til they put WAY more effort into them. I'm not singing it's praises bc to me it's Topspin 4 w/ some minor improvements (also played the snot out of AO tennis) but it's at least a step in the right direction. Did you dislike TopSpin4 also? No other sim has had all the majors officially. First tennis game to make net play viable at least offline. I'm playing career on hard having a great time, I hit every shot type (I rarely hit flat unless it's a slow high ball) &, not flexing, it's a bit too easy. Your list of gameplay components to a tennis shot, absolutely all make a difference in the timing most importantly & shot selection. The PC consistently hits an out ball if I go at the w/ power & depth. I understand the online frustrations but it's just a different game online. If they don't have offline in a good state, why would you jump into online where things are always much trickier to balance? My biggest gripe is the lack of customization with UI & sensitivity & a high risk button is missed. I loved TS4 but it was not a perfect game the way people romanticize it. Turn off the timing & power meters, you'll get the timing eventually & this is just more screen litter distractions.

[@danielturner7213]

I hate the stamina system. Because if play you on legendary you always get a major injury after a grandslam tournament then your out for 5 months. You can't French open then Wimbledon

[@Matthew_Broderick]

Still the only playable tennis game in the modern era. All the alternatives are even worse!

[@VladKyu13]

Have you tried Full Ace Tennis Sim or Tennis Elbow ? (both modded)

[@cheoresono3896]

The problem with the tennis games is that one seemingly insignificant flaw in the game can ruin the whole game and makes it pointless to play.

[@machetegaming]

Hmm which of these types of flaws you have in mind when it comes to Topspin?

[@cheoresono3896]

@@machetegaming Don't get me wrong, I was only mentioning the specific characteristic of tennis games in general. I haven't played top spin yet and was exploring the reviews before putting money in it. I was just reacting to the flaws you were mentioning. The main idea is that for me having any of those flaws, you yourself were talking about, is sufficient to be hesitant to buy this game.

[@machetegaming]

Gotcha. It is an interesting thought so I was just curious if you had something specific on your mind. I didn't take it wrong in any way.

[@Eriatarka8]

Bro, i like your videos! Totally agree with you, i'm a fan of TS4 but i hate TS2K25 because of micro-transactions, bad gameplay and ugly player's faces. This game deserve a 12/20, not a 16 or a 17/20 like i saw in some reviews (i leave in France). Tiebreak's gameplay still clumsy mais it's a real simulation tennis game : good career mode, beautiful and numerous players, gameplay much closer to simulation...

[@CrazyAboutVinylRecords]

Having character models where the players look like they are made out of Play-Doh was the deal breaker for me.

[@101noz101]

2k has your money, you are now useless to them until next year's release comes and they pull you in the promises of better gameplay and graphics.

[@dwnxx4974]

Honestly I'll just keep playing Top Spin 4 (which can played for free on PC with emulation) and wait for a true sequel that evolves what makes Top spin 4 so great rather than spen money on this half baked junior dev team product disguised as a game

[@henrynguyen4315]

Monetization is rampant in 2k games not just in this particular game, look at NBA 2K lol you get like 600 VC per career mode game and it cost over 200,000 VC to get your character to an 80 overall

[@umangramsuroop732]

This is my first ever tennis game and to be honest I really like it. Of course the meta tactics such as wide serving can be annoying but for me I can easily counter it (fully dependent on perfect timing).

[@psintedrock9025]

2K have a big problems with the timing in his games ... We don't need a timing shoot in a fcking a tennis game man like ... why ? The online its literally unplayable , the servers are trash and evereybody spam the same thing over and over agian , it's so fcking BORING AND REPETITIVE and ppl don't care , they still spamming all the time , they don't even care about having fun in the game , they only care about WIN thats it, it's ridiculuos man i can`t understand this new generation of players " competitive pro players " everybody its a competitive sweat now , you can't enjoy online game anymore and having a good time , it's fucking frustrating

[@ItsZerothehero]

This was a good video, I think I'll be taking my money over to topspin 4 lol

[@KingOfTheSkies1]

Love your opinion on basically everything cause this game is a typical cash grab, now im praying with everything i have that Tiebreak fixes its issues and becomes even better than it is now

[@MitchellJBrown]

Speaking on the Career mode: It’s horribly made a the energy system is a horrible design choice. For example I could start in the ATP Finals in December with 100% energy and by the end of the first match I’d have 70-80% stamina and by the end of the group stage I’d have 30% risking injury (happens when you are 35% and below). Basically it’s impossible to play ‘real tennis’ mode or ‘topspin’ mode because they are too long and EVEN when I did ‘short set’ I sometimes found myself losing 25% a game. Yes I upped stamina but it really doesn’t matter. Also the wide service meta is used by the ai to somewhat of an effect as if I’m playing someone like sinner for example, who has a great serve attribute, it’s almost impossible to win that point if his serve is correct (which from hard difficulty up which is what I play on is 60% of the time) Finally the only takeaway I have from Topspin2k25 is that the ‘Topspin Academy’ is actually very informative and good at teaching playstyles, the devs vision was to definitely make this game tactical but instead the usual 2k money grabbers decided 50-80 pounds wasn’t enough. Shambles but it’s the only tennis game I’ve played in a hot minute so I guess it’s in the same boat at the situation with EAFC

[@machetegaming]

Give a shot to Tennis Elbow 4 and Full Ace if you're not too bothered by low polygon graphics. Tennis Elbow has the best career mode on the market, great AI, physics and shot variety, with different gameplay formula than most games Full Ace is more of a typical gameplay style with time-based shot release and precision aiming, but good physics and shot variety as well. Plus both are challenging and competitive online, if you like that.

[@desmopatrick]

Played 100% Career. For me it was a lot of fun, BUT: In every turnament i played in the last rounds (semi/Final) against Alcaraz, Fritz or Medvedev, sometimes (previously) againgst Tiafoe and Shelton! Berrettini and Murray hardly ever. The first tournament rounds against fictional opponents. That fact was pretty boring! Tournaments with such less real Players! 😬 Support Team and Coaches with tasks are good, trainings and special events too!

[@dtpkoweb]

Top spin 5 is a really great game, but what I don't understand is that since top spin 4, players have been knocking the surface off their shoes even on hard surfaces, and no one cares to fix it with an update. This is something I'm really ashamed of in this game, but the authors should be ashamed ;-)

[@RampageRobbie]

Top spin 2 was always the king for me. Disappointed it was never made as a backwards compatible game for Xbox.

[@scatmancrothers]

i would have bought it, but the graphics are so bad. graphics on a tennis game should be top tier as it's single, small location.

[@hansyali_]

lol if that’s your complaint that’s dumb game looks lovely in motion it’s jus crap gameplay over time

[@cookiemonster2189]

I have been playing more of top spin 4 better game then top spin 5 just more enjoyable games vs the Ai and taken off the bars like shot bar stamina bar etc i agree what you saying about top spin 5 . I have also been playing Tiebreak but I think still too many issues to be a enjoyable game but I think the game is improving all the time with their patches

[@machetegaming]

Ah yes, the unnecessary addition of shot timing bar. Forgot about it for the video! Topspin 4 had higher skill ceiling thanks to that. I wish that bar was not a thing, at least in online matches.

[@TheWokeSportsFan]

Amazing video my boi! Love your content and editing! What editing software do you use? Your vids are so high quality

[@machetegaming]

Thank you! I am glad you're enjoying my content :) I'm using Adobe's apps (Premiere Pro, Photoshop & Audition) for most of content things.

[@indominous117]

Theres also the fact that volleys in this game straight up are useless. In topspin 4, since the ball was a lot shorter playing net was actually viable. Nowadays you can just hit a 100 mph flat shot that'll stun the opponent for 30 years, js to hit another one down the line lol.

[@Testbeeld001]

Don't get me started about the slow serve drop volley McEnroe players. Cheesy as hell!!

[@cowboy68]

The complete edition is on sale for 39.99 and all these comments tell me to buy another game on sale

[@tobiasrieper384]

Clothing/gear being locked behind VC and the ridiculous stamina mechanic in career mode pretty much ruined the entire game for me. And the cherry on top of the shit sundae….. my game’s bugged and I can’t even launch the damn thing while connected to the internet. It crashes every single time I try to open it. I submitted a ticket to 2K Support over a week ago and they still haven’t replied. This game is a buggy, rushed cash grab that’s riddled with microtransactions. Don’t bother with it.

[@machetegaming]

That sucks. Have you tried posting on Reddit or reaching out to 2ks community person there? She seems to be quite responsive (forgot the nick,sorry)

[@tobiasrieper384]

They actually released an update on Monday that fixed the issue for me, but at this point I’m so annoyed at the game and 2K that I just don’t have the heart to play it anymore.

[@StefaanLeleu]

You haven't even mentioned the absolute joke that is Career Mode. You start at ranking 100, which only allows you to play 250 tournaments. As you rise through the ranks you're not even allowed to enter higher tournaments until you fullfil some other ridiculous conditions. By the time I was eligible to play 500 tournaments I had leveled up so much that I won every match 3-0 3-0 on lv hard. Only when I reached world ranking 3 was I allowed to participate in Grand Slams. Imagine being nr 4 in the world you are not yet eligible to play a Grand Slam. I recently started playing Tennis Elbow 4: that's what a career is supposed to be like. Interesting to see how one indie developer put a behemoth like 2K to shame.

[@rasss556]

Still the best tennis game right now..

[@zlatana8472]

I agree in everything said here, i was at day one of release very dissapointed...

[@corpse0666]

6 months later and still the same. Feels like they gave up on this game. It’s ridiculous they still don’t have licensed male players like Djokovic, nadal, kyrgios, tsitsipas, etc etc added. No game modes, more packs to buy than game options to play… Such a shame.

[@VinsyGaming]

Hey guys. I see that we are all disappointed with the game. Think the same way about the game. And that season 3 brings nothing new, no gameplay improvements. Hope the release of TieBreak next week will open a new fresh era ✌️

[@richardburedi]

This review is spot on. Wide serve and power cheese is so boring.

[@whiterabbit8243]

tennis world tour 1 is underrated. I can't believe people hated that game. still the best tennis game of this generation

[@bilalkhichi6554]

Please tell us about single player content review? Your only focus is multiplayer ?

[@darthyautja3442]

Was round a friends on the weekend and we ended up playing Virtua tennis 3 had an absolute blast and that game came out in 2006, anyway got the I need a tennis game bug, started looking into what was about, was going to get this game last night as is on a black Friday deal £35 for the grand slam edition ( am on xbox one) good deal however looked at some of the reviews and the game description, it put me right off especially under the description where it says that online features are planned till December 2026, what does that mean, considering you have to be online to play career and other modes, some people in the reviews said it means you will only be able to play exhibition matches after that date, I mean what the actual f*** kind of practise is that. Also you have to have create a 2k account to play the game.

[@PhatTok]

I was about to buy this. What would ppl suggest is the best tennis game for pa5? Im leaning towards Tennis World Tour 2.

[@markpillans5670]

No no no

[@peterstaklis3712]

Quadruple no. World tour is just janky in movement and the Ai is an unbeatable robot. Try AO 2 before wtour.

[@PhatTok]

@@peterstaklis3712 Thanks. That's really helpful.

[@markstanding8538]

I downloaded the demo, and it said I needed to create an account to play. Why would I do that? I just assumed it's been a game created to fleece people out of money, (and their details, to net them even more money) and I can't be dealing with that scumbaggish shite.

[@sp123]

requiring an internet connection to play my career is a huge turnoff

[@Stylizing4You]

@4:42 - So on point. The game lacks mechanical depth and gameplay variety. @15:25 - "Go get yourself pair of new socks!" LOL

[@The_French_ie]

Dude...just early access of Tiebreak do better ! for the moment...but there are too much work again, am agree

[@cedd9043]

Funny i am around 200, at the moment only players that can beat me are players playing precise shot, most boring play , i rather play hitter than precise defensive game as with precise your never go at fault , and waiting opponent to get tired and doing a fault

[@marchmadness76]

I agree 100 percent!

[@Jaydee71172]

Sounds like you are just not very good at playing it. Precision shots are easily played. Power shots shouldn’t be a winner every time you hit one.

[@jespPH9196]

Right, his review just confirmed he is not good at Topspin. His reviews doesnt reflect the real capability of the Topspin. Others agrees which indicated they also have similarity with the reviewer.

[@gameave]

1 million percent agree

[@nenoroalzafen30]

Then i'll wait for under 25 euros because i'm not going to waste money i'm tired of AAA being expensive also because i love Top Spin series

[@ymav100]

I just bought it, I don't mind it but ya it's not great, I just wanted to play a tennis game, it does seem better the Tiebreak, but it's nothing more than 7/10

[@mafickz6008]

been on the top 100 both seasons in World Tour. Cant stand the gameplay anymore... Also, WHY ARE MY PERFECT TIMED SHOTS AND SERVES HITTING THE NET

[@Brentley97]

Game doesn’t touch the original

[@grunchlk]

Close to the platinum trophy now - and will nevwr play it again after 😂

[@vahanboyajyan7407]

Tiebreak and other games suck in their graphics. Topspin is very good in graphics but lacks players and different career modes

[@1maticsportsandGames]

Is there cpu vs cpu????

[@Billiehoyle]

the only quality of this game is that they rushed to get it out BEFORE tie break there is no real career mode and servers, omg, are awful like we're in 2005

[@machetegaming]

To be fair, Tiebreak's online experience is not better than TS5 lol In Tiebreak 150ms delay makes the ball and players teleport all over the place :/

[@Billiehoyle]

@@machetegaming the new version is gonna be released August 22nd if I’m not mistaken

[@gayatrin9983]

Top spin 4 game play >> top spin 2k25

[@zakki8308]

it's not on PC

[@returnofmerenguespersempre]

No Djokovic, no money from me.

[@machetegaming]

Gotta give you props for consistency 😁

[@Ashish-k7s]

Me too did not buy the game cause the Goat of tennis is not even in the game!! What a joke!!

[@knewkid404]

He’s basically saying you can play another tennis game that has its own faults and lacks polish in different categories than TopSpin. In short pick your poison.

[@machetegaming]

The sad state of tennis video gaming.

[@peterstaklis3712]

I disagree. As long as a tennis game has the shot variety and physics close to the real thing the graphics aren't as important. A game like Chris Evert tennis on the NEs is totally playable because of the way the shots flow like real tennis even though the graphics are basic. When it comes to tennis games it's the play accuracy that makes a game great. TE4 and tennis elbow have this?

[@davidcharpentier3045]

For me it's just a matter of will i guess the serve right ... its so boring

[@themetalicious7195]

Top spin 4 had way better gameplay

[@menegheli303]

When I Go to play Myplayer, says error. “This feature is not available When streaming instala is active” Anyone can help?

[@joshuazippan294]

The movement is so shit you tell it to hit a ball to the left, and it hits it down straight