You have eight skills in which to distribute your points (serve, return, volley, forehand, backhand, power, speed, and stamina). Any category can go up to 100 points, but you can only have 560 points total, so you’ll have to focus on which areas you’d like to have as strengths. This dynamic leads to a variety of player types, like baseliners, power-hitters, quick players that cover a lot of ground, all-around players, and serve-and-volley players, and it allows for realistic play no matter which combination you choose. Stamina is extremely important, too, because as you work harder in the match, your ability to get to balls and to make accurate shots diminishes based upon how tired you are.

The graphics are stunning. The players are immediately recognizable, with the more prominent ones adorned in signature gear while hitting their motion-captured strokes. In action, the game looks like it does on television (albeit at a more deliberate pace, but still fast enough for smooth game play), with players visibly sweating during the match and reacting with varying levels of emotion between points. The environments range from the authentic to the fantastical, with grass growing out of crevices in the amateur locales to the pristine courts at Roland Garros or the U.S. Open. The areas surrounding the courts are picturesque, although there’s a bit of stutter during the pre-match fly-by of the arena. The crowd is identical in make up to what is found in other 2K Sports games, and although they are of the cardboard-cutout variety, they fill the venues appropriately. The only thing missing are the ball boys (they’re actually present, but they don’t run out and get the balls that are hit into the net).

There are nearly forty players in all, counting current and legendary male and female professionals. Some notable names are missing – especially from the ladies’ roster – like the Williams sisters and Ana Ivanovic. There aren’t many legends, either, although it appears that some players will be added in the future via downloadable content. This is offset by a robust create-a-player, where you can base your player off of several preset body styles and a large variety of options for your look (presets for the face, hair, tattoos, etc.). This flexibility is compounded by the ability to “morph” several precise points on each feature by using the right stick, leading to the most flexible create-a-player tool found in any sports game. Sadly, you only have slots for five players, despite the hefty storage capacity of the Xbox 360.

With a little more ambiance, a more robust lineup of tennis professionals and legends, and some practice/training exercises to improve your skills in career mode (instead of just being awarded points), this would just about be the perfect tennis video game - the perfect game for those that can stomach the realism behind the complex control scheme, that is. You will have to spend time to get a feel for the timing and momentum of the controls, and you should expect to be frustrated early on. Once you learn it, though, it feels like the real thing. This is a must buy for students of the tennis game, because it’s the best simulation on the market. Arcade and action-driven players should rent it first, but it’s definitely worth a look.

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