Rockstar has now taken a new approach from their previous games, such as the Grand Theft Auto series, and has now created a table tennis videogame. This ping pong simulation has surprising depth, and is $40 at retail. Table Tennis may not appeal to many, but you have to give this one a shot.
The graphics are stunning, some of the best on the Xbox 360 to date. The player's faces look great, and their expressions change throughout the game. Eventually, you will see sweat come through your players shirt, and sometimes unfortunately their pants. Nonetheless, the graphics are very good and add to the enjoyment.
The gameplay is fast, and very high-paced. There are four different spins you can put on the ball, which correspond with the four buttons on the Xbox 360 controller. If you hit A you will hit a top spin, Y a back spin, X a left spin, and B a right spin. This works very efficiently, because the directions translate exactly into the position of the buttons. There is also a focus meter, which you can deplete when you want as long as you have a certain amount locked in. If you choose to wait, when the focus meter gets filled, you enter a focus mode which makes all of your shots more effective. If both players enter the focus mode at the same time, a "focus duel" is established and the lights turn off everywhere except on the table. It is dramatized, but it is exciting, because your focus meters both deplete slower than they normally would in the aforementioned focus mode thus making it a "focus duel."
There is no direct career mode. However, there are a bunch of tournaments you can enter which essentially start from easy and work up to expert. The gameplay itself cannot compensate for the lack of a career mode in these tournamenets. They get tedious quickly but to the player's benefit, they do not harness the enjoyable experience of the overall game.
The online play is where this game really shines. You can do online doubles, 8 people tournaments, and the one-on-one ping pong we've all come to love. There is also a spectator mode, which can help you get better at the game by watching the techniques of others. It also makes the players feel as if they are actually playing in front of people (maybe that was just me).
Rockstar Presents Table Tennis has great sound to accompany the gameplay. The sounds of the ball clunking on the table emanates very realistically, and echoes like it should in the games' auditorium. The crowd cheers are also well-done, including chants for whoever is currently in the lead. How's that for hopping on the bandwagon?
There are unlockables to keep you occupied for a while. You can unlock characters, and all characters each have their own shirts you can unlock, as well as home venues. Overall, there is a very shallow learning curve but with that provides fun gameplay for almost everybody. The lack of a definitive career mode is disappointing. However, be sure not to overlook Rockstar Presents Table Tennis; it contains surprising depth in online play, great graphics, many unlockables, and a new game experience. You won't regret it.