It sounds like a prank: Rockstar Games, creator of the most notorious and influential video-game series of its era in Grand Theft Auto, has turned its attention to a budget-conscious, E-rated ping-pong game. No hookers to slap around, no gang-bangers to shank, and penned-in environments as modest as a bar backroom or a high-school gymnasium. And yet Table Tennis displays as much commitment to artistry as the GTA series, only it's buried in mechanics so silky-smooth that it feels like virtual reality. In a market filled with overstuffed sports titles, bogged down by superfluous career modes, trophy rooms, and mini-games, the game stands out for its rudimentary pleasures. It only needs to get two things right: The ping and the pong.
The no-frills aesthetic starts with the options menu, which invites you to play an exhibition or a short tournament. It's that or pound sand; without an Xbox Live subscription, the single-player experience doesn't add up to much. The game's Zen-like simplicity owes a lot to the controls: You move your player and direct shots with the left analog stick, and you swing and modulate spin with the right. The basic moves aren't natural, yet there's considerable nuance involved in playing well, including distance from the table, anticipation of an opponent's counter-shots, and subtle strokes of creativity and deception. And adjusting to a specific player's strengths (or seizing on your own) keeps you from going through the same motions ever time.