Slimy but satisfying
Now think of Top Spin 4 as the Hyde version - superior physics but no substance; it lacks inspiration and feels sometimes like a chore rather than a game. The physics are unparalleled, motions are accurate to the tee, and you really do feel like you're playing a real tennis sim. But it falters in the entertainment factor. It's like they spent 99% of the time refining the gameplay elements and 1% on the rest. There are also a few annoyances that you may ignore the first time, but get under your skin with repeated playthroughs. For instance, some players do not have their actual real life serving motions included: when you first play with Agassi, you notice that is NOT the way he served when he played...And Rafa Nadal shaking the clay off his shoes on a hard court?? There's no ball boys, which was a complete oversight IMO and the serve speed radar at roland garros is broken for some reason. Another minor quibble is the commentator. When a match completes and you've 'bageled' an opponent, he often (but not always) utters zero instead of love. He also pronounces Djokovic , Djoko-vik instead of Djoko-vich. For a tennis purist, that's just downright annoying. 2k sports also didn't obtain all the licenses for the tournaments, most notably Wimbledon, which has been renamed the 'Dublin Open'. Furthermore, it would have been cool if the equipment available to players could boost or diminish attributes across the board, because I'm pretty sure not all rackets and sneakers offer identical performance. Instead you have to rely on coaches to give you the extra edge when leveling up in career mode.
Graphics are 'smashing', stadiums and players are well detailed. There are over 40 courts to choose from and some are breathtaking. So visually they've got you covered.
Roger Federer is widely considered the greatest player of all time. The man is just nothing short of invincible - may not be all that in the personality department, but he's Swiss, so that's understandable. In this game though, he sucks. I don't know if it's the way he is programmed to play or due to his surprisingly low ratings in several skill categories, but I beat him every time and by a large margin. He moves like a slug and makes gratuitous errors. I had a lot more trouble taking on Serena Williams than Roger. There is no way his backhand rating should be 12 points lower than Williams'....Even with a fever and a broken wrist I'd put my money on Fedex over Williams in a real life match. So yes, the rating system and player on court personas are a little flawed.
I haven't tried the online because 2 years on it's rather hard to find any users out there.
All in all, Top Spin 4 caters to the tennis enthusiast and can wet the appetite of the casual gamer, if only in short bursts. What it really lacks is Soul.