Rematch review — Arcade sports action without the fumes

In the world of sports games, you have simulation and arcade styles. NBA Jam for flashy, high-flying antics, for example, and the NBA 2K series for more stats-based realism. Until now, soccer fans have had FIFA on the simulation side and, well, the gas-powered acrobat Rocket League as the go-to title for arcade-style football action. For the first time since 2015, the team at Sloclap has delivered a viable challenger for that slot. Could it take the cup?

With most soccer titles, like FIFA, you’re controlling the action of an entire team. You’re switching to different defenders or passing the ball to yourself. Either way, you’re typically at the center of what’s going on. With Rematch, you’re only ever controlling a single character. You’ll have to be mindful of your field position, your own matchups, and so on, as there’s no way to swap off and let the game make those adjustments for you. This makes everything – the steals, misses, and goals – that much sweeter (or more agonizing).

Once you fire up the game, you’ll be run through a crash course on the controls and mechanics of the game. You’ll learn how to dribble, pass, shoot, and defend. The moment-to-moment gameplay relies on timing and targeting. A defender can slide tackle or make a play for the ball, for example, but proper dribble timing will allow you to out-maneuver the attack. Passing gives you 360 degrees of control to put the ball where you want. Shooting employs a sort of focused-targeting reminiscent of a shooter game that initially felt odd, but I actually love the degree of control it requires to nail a tight corner shot. 

In typical arcade fashion, you’ll have a limited amount of rechargeable turbo, allowing an extra boost for a period. You’ll also have a sort of afterburner boost you can kick in, granting you a short period of breakaway speed. This can be crucial in chasing down a lone attacker or beating the defense to position.

Your role in Rematch is positional in a dynamic way. You can literally step into the goal box to be given the gloves and take on the role of goalie. Should your team need you on the attack, you can peel out and assume the same role as non-goalie players. This lets you position yourself in the way your team needs most for the situation.

Before jumping into your first match, you’ll want to customize your playable character. Like its competitors, this gives you a wide variety of options to choose from for everything from skin tone and hair to custom uniforms. They even let you design the color schemes for both your home and away paraphernalia. This is a major aspect of the online experience, since it’s your character everyone will see, including all the bells and whistles. You want the details just right so those goal replays look good. Stack that up with the fact that more gear is unlocked through season passes and purchases, and it bears out that each character will be truly your own.

After learning the basics and creating your character, you’ll be able to jump in queues for three separate player counts: 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5. Each of the three recommends you work on perfecting different aspects of the game. 3v3 suggests your skill work will be tested, 4v4 advises you learn how to best position yourself, and 5v5 recommends you learn to pay attention to the field. Given my time with the game, each of those tips bear out. With fewer players, there’s more pressure on your shoulders to play well, whereas the higher player count will encourage you to pay attention to the flow and position to best capitalize on those rare scoring opportunities.

From a visual perspective, Rematch feels like Sloclap took the work they did with Sifu and cross-bred it with Rocket League. The character design feels like it’s straight out of their book, but the uniforms, pitch, etc., are full of bright colors and flashy effects. It’s a lot of fun, but I’m hoping there will be a little more variety in the fields and effects moving forward.

The most notably lacking aspect, in my opinion, is the game’s soundtrack. While it has one or two tracks that give that stadium-sort of feel, the variety is pretty limited. When every other notable sports title gets licensed music or something to fill out their catalogues, it makes Rematch’s offering feel like a desert, and all I want is some audio hydration.

Rematch feels like a great arcade sports title for both hardcore and casual fans looking for something a little more grounded than the competition. While you can’t run on the ceiling or fly fifteen feet in the air, there’s plenty of action here for fans to get their dopamine fix. The controls feel great, and the visuals are striking. With continued love and attention, I could see Rematch becoming a serious long-term eSports mainstay.

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