Top Spin 3 was a game I looked forward to for a long time, as I've always loved tennis games, and the thought of playing online against other people was something worth salivating over. When I finally got it, I wasn't disappointed, but that's not to say that the game isn't without its flaws.
Online Lag
Much like Battlefield Bad Company, Top Spin 3 can suffer some really, really bad online lag. Seeing as Top Spin 3, unlike other tennis games and previous Top Spin instalments, relies on timing to hit your shots, it can become very difficult to hit half-decent shots when you suddenly get 3 seconds of lag in the middle of a point. It's as if the system simply freezes, but then restores a few seconds later, and can quickly turn a point that you were about to win into a point that you have to attempt to salvage all of a sudden.
Menu Soundtrack
This wouldn't normally be a gripe that I'd have with a game, but listening to the same 2-5 songs over and over again in every single menu, every single time I play the game is really, really infuriating. I understand if they don't want to shell out to get songs by 50 Cent, Eminem, U2, whatever, but surely they can just get some songs by “up and coming” bands, like the FIFA series does quite regularly. Not only does it provide variety and save money, it also gives a lot of small bands a chance to showcase their sounds.
Andy Roddick's Serve
This may seem like an odd complaint, but it really isn't. If you've played as Roddick, you'll have found that it is incredibly easy to beat any player in the game, if you can master his serve. If you've played against someone who has mastered either his wide slice serve, or tight power server, you'll realise that getting a break against him is one of the most rewarding gameplay experiences of all time. I understand that Roddick's serve is incredible in real life, but when you compare Roddick's serve with Federer's, Nadal's or anyone else's in Top Spin 3, you find that they quite simply can't compete with him.
All in all, Top Spin 3 is a very good game, probably the best tennis game to date. If you're into tennis games, you should definitely own this one. If you're not so much into tennis games, you mightn't be willing to put in the time to learn the intricacies of the perfect swing. Seeing as I'm a tennis nut, I'd have to give this came 8.4 out of 10, a must-own for any sports fan.
