Great rally, high frustration potential

First, I like the graphics of Top Spin 4. Both the stages as well as the faces of real role models are implemented properly. Moreover thrilling rallies are possible, which I was able to produce at even no other tennis simulation. However, Top Spin 4 has for me also some weaknesses that duly rob me a lot of fun.

-The Control-
The controls are clearly hakelig for me. Although it is realistic, that if you have already decided on a direction, can not walk as fast in the other direction, this "effect" is for me but clearly too strong. In addition, the AI ​​seems partly independently for a direction to decide which you can not influence.
Example: I serve and then storms the grid, my opponent returniert, I play a scruffy volley that lands weak in the middle of the opponent's court. Now the AI ​​can virtually choose the side on which they can bring myself to a Passierball. I know the course and wants me to take sides. I push the stick to the left, but the opponent is right. What is my character? Charges also flies to the right and the ball with an animation success afterwards. Huh? I have yet pushed to the left? Then run if you please on the left. Animations are indeed great, but if you set the player's decision aside, this is simply corrosive.
It also depends on luck, as does many steps the player by an input with the stick in a certain direction. Time you type the stick and the player runs only a Tippelschritt, sometimes it runs equal to 3 meters, without that you can do something about it. At baseline duels often occurs while ugly scenes. If you tap the stick in to bring up a few small steps back into position, the player rushes into the desired direction and a corner of the field completely free.

-The Audience-
Small but annoying thing: the audience know whether a ball lands in the field or not, before it ever comes up on the field. So clapping or murmur of the audience is always a much too early, and you already know whether you made a point, even though the ball has degree only happens the net.
The same phenomenon can be admired on impact. Fabricated to a power scooter, the referee calls already for "Service First", even though the ball is still in the air and actually is not even clear whether he lands out or in the field.

-Zufallsfehler-
It may be realistic, that random errors that are not related to the timing or the player's position happen. Unfortunately, I can not deny that these errors are partly inevitable set by the AI ​​the impression. So it happened to me too many times clearly that my players "good / excellent" and thrashes the ball despite timing in spite of a secure object to the ball somewhere in the no man's land. Preferably, when one degree is in a tight game situation and it comes to a break or the set win. Sometimes I even have the feeling that AI determined in advance which of the two players (CPU or human) a service game wins. Long rally ends then often with some random error of the human player who is not rationally explain. Just for fun, I sat down with a friend and announced him when I on my part suppose a random error and behold, in 8/10 cases, it actually came to one of these errors. Sometime these errors cause you no longer even dares to play risky Power balls because you just in certain situations know that the AI ​​this jockeyed for a corner.

-The Ladezeiten-
Loading times have bothered me from the beginning. Almost on every call of a menu item is followed by a "Loading", accompanied by the nervötenden, monotonous menu music. Does it have to be that way? I have the game yet installed, so that is not what happened. Instead, I hang on every fumbling in a charging process and will have to wait.

-Multiplayer-
In multiplayer I have already beaten some battles. What I do not like the Bugaufschlag almost everyone uses (from the outside to the outside), the. Can Returnieren If this namely just that one then releases his entire playing field. Exciting rallies are often in short supply, usually the service game runs always the same from: surcharge outward Return, point Aufschläger. Exciting ..

-The FAZIT
Overall, I love Top Spin neat fun. Especially in pairs against each other beautiful battles are possible. Against the AI ​​makes the game fun though, for the above reasons is fun but often frustration. Nevertheless, Top Spin 4, particularly in view of the release date, is still a good buy for those who like to chase the yellow felt ball.