Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis review

From the creators of Grand Theft Auto comes... Table Tennis? It was an unexpected announcement, to say the least, resulting in a huge "huh?" throughout the gaming community. Rockstar being the beacon of violence in games (and subsequent target of Jack Thompson), Table Tennis is not the type of game you'd really expect from them. With this in mind, many have already dismissed Table Tennis without even playing it, uttering dismissals like "it's only a bit of ping pong". These people are going to miss out.You see, Rockstar have crafted quite a wonderful title that should proudly sit next to their lucrative GTA series. Oddly, this is a very authentic game, which may shock people expecting something slanted towards arcade play. Instead of over-the-top characters you get just a bunch of ordinary-looking people that come from all corners of the globe. Unfortunately, the realism does come at a cost and the game can seem very mundane at times. The sim-like nature of it also extends to the unlockable content which consist of arenas, some new characters and a change of clothes - not anything to get terribly excited about.The graphics are also somewhat underwhelming, though undeniably polished. Other than the players themselves, who sweat (which is apparently the big thing with Xbox 360 games) and have clothes that sway realistically, there isn't much else to look at. Understandable really, Table Tennis does only take place in a small arena (there's that realism again) so don't expect an enormous coliseum with dancing cheerleaders. But what is present looks good, and that's all that matters.The gameplay can be described as simple yet deep: it takes no more than five minutes to get to grips with the controls and the accurate ball physics, but extended play shows a much deeper layer to the game. A training mode is present and recommended for first time players as it guides you through all the main controls and can even earn you the much loved Achievement Points. You'll start to utilise different types of shots in order to beat your opponent and, during later stages of the game, perfecting spin shots becomes crucial. Then there are the focus shots which are more accurate, and if you manage to get an enormous rally going, the lights in the arena seemingly dim and all your attention is focused on the table (a simple but effective visualisation).Sadly, some of the characters (particularly the Swedish Jesper) are completely unbalanced. Jesper has enormous power, and while Rockstar have tried to balance that by giving him an awful serve and other average attributes, they've failed in stopping him from becoming a powerhouse. His power shots are virtually unstoppable, making the game hit a terrible difficulty spike as soon as you face him, and the only way to avoid the inevitable confrontation is to control him yourself.Despite this, beating said character gives you a warm feeling inside, and while the single player can be a challenging experience, we're glad to say the online game completely overwhelms it. Get a good rally going with a friend and the sweat will start to pour and the jubilation of winning that point is a fantastic experience. It really does feel like you're in the arena actually playing the 'sport' yourself. The online mode is only marred by slight lag which can come into play if you find yourself up against a poor host, but that's generally true of any online game.While not the most riveting game experience ever, Rockstar have still done the table tennis community (if there is one) proud with this game. Being of fairly niche appeal, though, it probably won't or sell to a great many people; but as an accessible "mid price" release, it should still find a sufficiently-sized audience. Rockstar's Table Tennis is definitely a game everyone should at least give a chance, particularly those with Xbox Live enabled friends.