Not really better than the original
You've seen this game before, it was called Top Spin 1. Seriously I'm disappointed with 2K sports, there was a two years and a half gap between this game and the first one and this is all the improvements we get? There's hardly any improvements, and I'd go as far as to say that we get the opposite!
First, this is supposed to be a next gen game, but it sure doesn't look like it. The graphics engine looks the same as the one in Top Spin 1. Come on you can't fool us, the first one looked awesome but this is on the 360! Sheesh.
On the gameplay side, there were some improvements. In the original all you really needed to use was the A button, the flat shot. But in Top Spin 2, if you don't use the Top Spin shot and the slice, you'll most likely get burned. Also there are the new advance shots which are kinda cool, especially the slice advance shot. But in the end, the game feels exactly like the first one.
Soundwise there's nothing to say really. The music is forgettable but the use of custom soundtracks can easily override that, the rest of the sounds seem pretty good.
The game is a pretty good value, especially since multiplayer gaming is great with this game. It's just weird that you can't play ranked doubles matches with a friend on live. One thing to mention though is that the career mode is really brain dead compared to the career in the first game, it feels like you're on a rollercoaster ride; absolutely no control on the thrills you get. It's linear, slow, slightly boring, and very long.
All in all, Top Spin 2 is good, and if you haven't played the first game to death you might actually love it. But for those who have played the first game, be prepared for more of the same.
(review written in July 2006)
