Top Spin 3

Not everyone can be Tim Henman – some might be thankful for that. But, if Wimbledon taking over the TV gives you a hankering for a spot of racket sport, 2K Sports has something to oblige you.

Developed by 2K’s PAM Studio over in gay Paris, Top Spin 3 emphasises realistic play. To this end, 2K has included a raft of professional players, including the likes of Andy Roddick, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova.

2K has put the power to shape your player in your hands. Top Spin 3 offers a deep character customisation tool. Not only can you make use of the freeform face-sculpting editor, you can also customise swing animations, hairstyles, makeup, tattoos and grunts. Yes, grunts! We’ve all wished we could make our in-game tennis player’s grunts a bit more to our own grunting taste, haven’t we?

2K has also built in situation-specific behaviours to enhance the realism, along with revamped audio and fine-tuned crowd reactions.

The controls are built for precision. They can be demanding, but when you hit a sweet shot – oh so rewarding.

The game comes with a World Tour online mode to take Top Spin 3 beyond the single-player experience. It features the usual leaderboards, but also throws in seasons that will change every 15 days. At the end of each season a new champion will emerge, but then it all resets to allow newcomers the chance to step in without a severe disadvantage.

Save yourself a bit of effort, hit the court from your living room.