Those of you expecting to recreate Rafael Nadal’s astonishing Wimbledon victory straight after picking up a pad on Top Spin 3 (TS3) should think again. First of all as Nadal’s not actually featured in the game, but secondly because TS3 takes practice. A lot of practice.

Top Spin has always erred on the side of simulation when it comes to tennis, as opposed to Virtua Tennis’s over the top arcade feel. In this third entry to the series, that leaning is more apparent than ever.

Whereas most previous tennis games rely on twitch reactions and shot choice, TS3 also requires you to take into account positioning, movement, timing, swing power, pinpoint placement and even stamina. To perfectly finesse your game will require use of almost every button on the controller.

At first, this control system can seem over-complicated, sacrificing accessibility and fun for realism. Fortunately, there is an extensive Top Spin School to perfect your lobs, serves and slices. It may see a bit of a slog to work your way through, especially when you just want to pick up and play, but it eventually becomes worth it.

If you’re willing to put in the time, you’ll soon believe you can go out on the court for real and give Roger Federer a run for his money. Not that we encourage that kind of behaviour of course, as you’ll end up looking silly. But such is the depth of TS3 that you do genuinely start to get a better feel of the sport.

As opposed to the ‘hold and hit’ mechanic usually featured in tennis games previously, TS3 requires you to charge your shot before timing your release for that perfect swing. It’s impressive how much this adds to the game, the terrific player animations alone giving you your timing prompts.

The game as a whole is something of a looker. The player models are impressively muscular and defined, but the real visual stars are the courts, some of which are strikingly beautiful. The smaller courts in particular are well-imagined, beautiful warm sunlight basks the courts in intricate shadowing. And gorgeous features such as a tumbling waterfall are enough to put you off your backhand.

Other touches add immeasurably to the game, from both a visual and gameplay point of view. Players will realistically stumble if their footing is all wrong on a difficult shot, and after a particularly tough rally, players will be drenched in sweat, obviously flagging as their shots go wayward. It’s all a very impressive recreation of tennis, which extends to the lengthy career mode. In fact,the only real criticism that could be extended to TS3 is that it’s all perhaps too austere. It could be too much for some more casual tennis fans.

There’s none of the wackiness that makes Virtua Tennis so instantly accessible, so those looking for arcade thrills may be better served by SEGA’s offbeat take on the sport. However, those who religiously follow the late night showings of the US Open and like their tennis realistic, tough and incredibly satisfying couldn’t do any better than this excellent simulation.