Developed by Sloclap and published by Sloclap and Kepler Interactive, Rematch is the fast-paced arcade 3-5 a side football game that has got tongues wagging. With the simplified football game with very few rules like FIFA Street or the rush mode on EAFC25, combined with the fast-paced energy of Rocket League, it has made a cocktail that generates tense moments and bags of fun… mostly.
This gameplay takes on a more arcade style, so if you want pure realism then look elsewhere. It has visuals somewhere between Roblox and Fortnite, and they are customisable too. There are no extra stats to contend with, so everyone is the on the same playing field, which gives you the freedom to express yourself creatively; male or female; with or without prosthetics; heck, even without boots if you wanted (which I did). But although the visuals are not the most impressive thing in the world, it is still very crisp and goes to show a lot went into making the gameplay impressive.
It might seem a bit unusual perhaps, but doing the tutorial is important. Diving straight in will leave you confused as the controls are not as simple as you would think for a simple-looking arcade football game. But that is done on purpose, and it will all become clear. Ball control is trickier, so the game doesn’t become an end-to-end bore fest. Shooting is not straightforward as you have to look where you are aiming and then maybe add some curve to it to keep the goalies guessing. Positions are mixed up after every goal, but they are flexible. Everyone will have their turn in goal, which is an interesting and usually unforgiving experience, but if they run out of the goalie area, they lose the goalie gloves and anyone left in the box (or the first person back) will instantly get them. Therein lies an interesting dynamic, and this is where communication and tactics are key.
The controls are set up in such a way that it always leaves room for error and vulnerability. Everyone has a sprint meter, so you can’t just hold it down; otherwise, you get slower, and you will be no help to anyone. You do get a little bit of special sprint meter called extra effort which allows you to move very quickly for about 2 seconds before it’s over, so it needs to be used wisely in breaking away or getting back to defend. Tackling and dribbling are tricky to master at first, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes a game of outsmarting the opponent. The attacker can dribble and roll the ball in different directions to keep it away from the defender if they are close. Or you can perform a rainbow flick to lift the ball over anyone coming in hard with a slide tackle. Alternatively, you can pass to a teammate in more space, even if it is the goalie. The defender, on the other hand, has the job of doing everything they can to block the shot and not let the attacker get past them. With the use of jockeying, tackling, slide tackling or jumping like a salmon (up the salmon – ed), you have to use everything in your locker. Goalkeeping does seem like the easiest thing to master, but it’s trickier than you think as you always have to be on your toes and try to outfox the attacker. The goalie can jockey, and as long as the ball is within catching range, they will automatically save. But shooters will often try to shoot either side of you forcing you to dive, which you have to time just right. You can also bear down and dive at the attacker’s legs on those who are hesitating to claim the ball and kick-start an attack.
So, with passes and shots being tricky to aim, it adds to the random element, which keeps the game tense and interesting. You could be two against a goalie, but if you don’t score and the goalie claims it, then you are left empty at the back, and the attack can be quickly turned around. As there is no offline play or bots, you are always playing with other people. So, some teams can only be as good as the players playing. This is where the biggest frustration comes in, but this is no different to EAFC’s Rush mode or Rocket League. There is always someone who “thinks” they are the best and will always be trying to dribble past everyone. It seems the pass button doesn’t exist on their controller (something brilliantly conveyed in this article – ed), and there are only so many times when they get tackled and a goal is conceded before steam starts coming out of your ears. Unless you are communicating with a headset, the only other communication you can do is calling for a pass or one of 4 stock phrases, which are good job, sorry, thanks, or we got this. Any poor goalkeeping or mavericks who refuse to pass lose the ball are met with a lot of passive-aggressive “good job” messages.
There is also a strong social media presence with Rematch as they have their Discord channel where people can report issues or things they would like to see, and it seems the developers are on hand to make notes and confirm patches. Some find quirks in the game-to-game advantages and perform special dribble moves and shooting methods which I think makes the game more interesting as you stretch the game mechanics to gain an advantage.
But that is the risk if you are playing solo, you just don’t know what sort of people will be on your team. Playing with friends or even others you connect with is the optimum way of playing. Communication is key to having an advantage as you can call plays, ask how and where to pass and coordinate movement. You will also be usually more forgiving of your friend at making a howler than some random person you don’t know (usually…).
The games can be played with either 3 vs 3, 4 vs 4, or 5 vs 5. With each mode the dynamic changes a little as the game gets busier with more players, although the pitches are bigger with more people but less shots usually occur. You can choose a quick match of any size and matchmaking is usually very quick. Sometimes you’ll join a game part way through where someone has disconnected but more often it will be a brand-new match. Every match you play will earn you experience points and after so many you will level up your rank. As you level up you can go to the season tab and unlock rewards like backgrounds to the match, celebrations, victory poses and clothes to customise your character. Once you have achieved a certain level (I think 10) you can then jump into ranked 5 vs 5 matches. This pits you against other players who should be more familiar with the game. Depending on if you win or lose it affects the division you play in and hopefully it means you are placed with those that are at a similar level to yourselves for a fair and fun game.
There are other seasons which you can see are time dropped to show how the game will be constantly updated with new items. There is also a store option if you want to buy extra items with the credits you have earned whilst playing. Or you can use real money to buy special custom bundles like a Puma bundle or a Ronaldinho bundle. There bundles contain unique items to customise your character for those who like to spruce things up.
Second Opinion
Jamie – EIC
I was not expecting to enjoy Rematch at all. I played some of the betas and just did not find a groove with it. However, I’m always up for another go so when it launched I found myself jumping back in, both with others and solo, and have had a cracking time. I love that it forces everybody (much like Gray says in his review) to be on the same page a’la Rocket League. There’s no buffs or stats to worry about, no gung-ho solo kings, and with no teamwork it very quickly devolves into an arse kicking from the opposing team.
Shooting and passing are not simple, but reward finely paced plays and tactics. Get a few players on the same wavelength and the plays and goals the result can be nothing short of glorious. Even some of the somewhat iffy tactics that have come out since (ricochet shots, rainbow flicks etc) are all fair game really, as the only thing preventing the from being deployed the other way is a lack of practice.
Get a few friends together and this is just as much fun as any multiplayer game I can think of in the last few years. It’s got that real ‘pick-up-and-play’ energy, though it’s far more than skin deep in the mechanics to learn and the skills to master.
Conclusion
Rematch may not knock Rocket League off its perch for a competitive soccer game, but if you are not a fan of cars and prefer the instant arcade action then this is a game that can get you hooked. I am a massive football fan, and I also like Rocket League and Rush from EAFC, so I am impressed with this offering. I have played many times with friends, and it is so easy to lose hours of fun to this game as it’s a joy to win and not that painful to lose.
This game was reviewed based on Xbox S|X review code, using an Xbox S|X console. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by publisher.
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