Following its announcement in December 2024, Rematch launches to much excitement and intrigue. Is this unique take on football worth a shot? Or should it receive an immediate red card?
A Fresh Perspective
Sloclap have become developers I truly admire as they’re not afraid to take risks with games. Absolver and Sifu proved that this small team knows how to make great games, so when they announced Rematch, they instantly had my attention. It’s a very bold move for a team to pivot so dramatically in genre for their next game but my goodness, have Sloclap seamlessly transitioned! Rematch is an online only football game that is played from a third person perspective. In a world with a multitude of sport simulation games, like EAFC and the Madden series, it’s so refreshing to see a developer craft a game that’s vastly different. The term that keeps getting thrown around is Rocket League without the cars, but I think that does this game a slight disservice.
Upon loading up the game, you are thrust into a character creation screen which has a decent amount of customisation on offer for players to craft their ultimate footballer. From here, the game introduces the prologue, which is short and sweet but gives the player the fundamentals for how this football game will be played. The prologue also serves as the only real story with some small, but wonderfully animated cutscenes of your player, who shows great talent, but needs to understand how to play in a team. Sloclap flex their storytelling muscles briefly, making it memorable, but from then, it’s time to get into the game. At launch, Rematch sports 3v3, 4v4 and 5v5 online PvP modes, along with a ranked version of 5v5. The games makes it clear the fewer players, the lower the skill ceiling, so its highly recommended you start in the 3v3 games and learn the basics of movement, defending and attacking. If you are not too comfortable going straight online, there are some mini games and practice opportunities, known as workshops that will help you understand the basics better. This is what Rematch currently has to offer but Sloclap have promised more modes and additions as the game continues to grow. With this in mind, it’s important for Rematch to have a gameplay loop which is addictive and satisfying – and boy, it really delivers this!
One More Game?
The gameplay in Rematch is without doubt, simply superb in its design and execution. The controls are extremely simple and easy to use but hard to master. Everyone will be able to pick up and play this game, but if you want to get to the higher ranks, you’ll need to master your craft. In every game mode the rules are the same; there are no rules besides scoring more goals than the other team. This creates such fluidity and excitement as apart from a goal going in, the game never stops ticking over. It feels so frenetic and fast paced that it’s brilliant. The dribbling, the shooting and the passing are easy to use, yet hard to master and this is a recurring aspect of this game. Shooting, in particular, feels unique in Rematch as the game allows to you to hit the ball off the walls of the arena, creating rebound opportunities. You can use skills and tricks to bamboozle opponents or fly by them with the sprint burst- the options are varied and vast. The camera position plays a huge role in shooting and makes the gameplay feel so different to the likes of EAFC.
Each mode has one person to start in goal but this can be changed at any moment, as you can swap out of the box by simply running out and the player running back into the box will gain the gloves. It’s genius but can also be frustrating if you’re playing with random players, as communication is key. Goalkeeping is a game of chess with the opponents but the diving and sweeping mechanics feel responsive and solid enough to make you feel in control. EAFC and other football titles have never really captured the fun of being a goalkeeper but Rematch makes sure every single position on the pitch is an absolute blast. The three different team modes feel vastly different from one another. 3v3 feels slower paced and deliberate in attempts to allow the player to dip their toe in, whilst the 4v4 and 5v5 feel utterly chaotic at times as 7 or 9 other players swarm around you. Like Rocket League, this game captures the magic feeling of ‘Shall I play one more game?’ Countless times already I have thought I was done for the night, only for myself or a friend to utter that line and play another game. It captures the pure addictiveness and enjoyment players today are so desperately seeking, but there are also some minor downsides.
A few days before launch, Sloclap announced there would be no crossplay at launch. Whilst this is understandable, and their message is appreciated, the lack of crossplay support really hurts this game. The sooner that component is added, the better, for its survival and longevity as a live service game. Speaking of live service, Rematch does include the usual battle pass and store but thankfully the microtransactions in this game are purely cosmetic for the player or the arena. The in game chat system could use some additions to help create more communication and teamwork, but I suspect, unfortunately, that most of these additions may be added into the in game store as a cosmetic.
Unfortunately, the game has also suffered from a fair few bugs and glitches since its release. In my time with the game so far, I have experienced freezes, server drops and some hilarious bugs. The worst bug being when I had scored a goal in ranked mode, for the remainder of the game I could not see the ball or the goals! These will be ironed out in time but will affect players’ enjoyment. Overall, the gameplay in Rematch is simple, yet difficult to master but it is a lot of fun. I challenge anyone to pick up this game and not have a good time!
The Theatre Of Dreams
In the departments of visual presentation and character animations, Sloclap have achieved something incredible. Every single arena and player look stunning in this animation style that the developers are now known for. Arenas can be customised with unlockable themes, whether its space, jungle, desert or even underwater! These environments are truly breath-taking. When the game starts and these visuals encompass the arena, it’s an explosion of colour and beauty hitting your eyes. I cannot praise them enough! Along with the games visuals, the player animations are top notch. Every run, pass, shot or save have been animated to perfection in this unique animation style Sloclap are known for. As previously mentioned, the level of customisation on offer for players is superb, allowing you to craft and create different kits for home and away games and mix and match colours-a monumental effort in visual presentation.
Conversely, the sound design and score warrant mixed results. The sound design has some great audio cues for players, such as the sound of an opposing player’s footsteps behind them or the blast of a shot from the foot of a player. The problem with the sound is that it’s inconsistent, and bizarrely, too quiet or too loud at times; the mix is all over the place. Hopefully, this should be ironed out in future patches, but for now it’s frustrating and hinders the game. Whilst the musical score suits the tone of the game with a fast paced electronic score, it’s also extremely short, creating a repeat of the same track often in games. This made me (and I suspect other players) view the music as white noise and it’s disappointing more effort wasn’t made in producing a memorable score.
Verdict
At its best, Rematch shines as an absolute blast of a football game. Unique design, great controls and just downright fun gameplay will keep players coming back for one more match countless times. Stunning visuals and animations also help solidify Sloclap as true masters of graphical presentation. Sadly, some bugs, audio miscues and a disappointing soundtrack will dampen the spirit slightly but thankfully not terminally. Rematch is a bold attempt at mixing up the format of sports games and I applaud Sloclap for taking a leap of faith. I just cannot wait to go back in and play another game!
