Top Spin 4 Preview (Kotaku)

[Steve_OS]

Kotaku's, Owen Good has posted his Top Spin 4 hands-on preview.

Quote:

"Playing against a user-controlled Rafael Nadal with Roger Federer, I didn't take a game off my opponent in the first set, but fought back to force a tiebreak in the third once I realized that playing a baseline game against Rafa was only tiring me out. I started mixing up my shot type with slices and coming to the net. In a Pete Sampras-Andre Agassi matchup, with me taking Agassi, the AI played Sampras' serve-and-volley game to type; I responded with lobs, sending Sampras back to the baseline on lung-bursting runs for a point full of drama. And that's where Top Spin 4's other noticeable improvement came to the fore: The crowd is livelier. 2K Czech has worked in reactions that get progressively more intense, giving a sense that the spectators actually are watching. As Sampras sprinted back to the baseline to keep the rally alive, fended off a smash to prolong it and then won it with a torpedo down the line, the patrons at Arthur Ashe Stadium (one of seven licensed venues) got louder, punctuating the hard-fought rally with a long roar. There is no broadcast commentary in the game - possibly because the most identifiable voices of the sport have contracts with ESPN, which has an agreement with 2K Sports' competitor. For a genre warring between simulating what one plays and what one sees on television, I didn't miss it that much. Though 2K Czech says they're opting for creating an immersive you-are-the-player experience as opposed to being a spectator to your own performance, there are some awkward silences, especially in pre-match animations where you are a viewer, watching your player enter the court. Of course, with no commentary, you'll notice things like crowd "sweeteners," the linesmen's calls, and the chair umpire speaking in French at Stade Roland Garros."

[rspencer86]

I love tennis (watching Murray/Melzer right now), and this looks like it is shaping up to be a very solid game. I'll definitely consider picking this one up.

[prowler]

I'm curious to see the tournament setup; Top Spin 3's setup was lackluster at best.

[Money99]

Not a huge fan of tennis, but love tennis games.
I might pick this badboy up.

2011 is shaping up to be a good year for sports gaming.