After cutting its teeth on melee combat and kung fu action with Absolver and Sifu, I don’t think anyone expected Slocap’s next game to be an arcadey alternative to EA Sports FC. But that’s precisely what the French developer has crafted with Rematch: a football game that embodies the spirit and chaotic energy of having a kick-about with friends. From the wayward passes and the goalkeeper who decides he’s now a striker, to someone popping up with an incredible goal out of absolutely nowhere, Rematch constantly reminded me of my childhood and the countless hours spent playing football. When I was at school, I would forego food just so I could play for the entire hour-long lunchtime; when I was off school, I would inevitably get together with friends and head down to the local park, using jumpers as makeshift goalposts. Other games have done this kind of five-a-side style of football before, but none have come as close as Rematch does to capturing the essence of my footballing heyday.
Rather than taking control of an entire team, Rematch puts you in the boots of a single player in 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 matches. There’s a short prologue and some training minigames to play on your own, but beyond this you’re always playing with and against other human players. Each match lasts six minutes, and there’s a mercy rule that immediately ends the game after one team has taken a four-goal lead (I guess Slocap never saw Newcastle vs. Arsenal circa 2011). The only stoppages occur when a team scores; otherwise, Rematch plays fast and loose with the rules. There are no fouls, offsides, or handballs, and throw-ins, corners, and goal kicks are nonexistent due to the pitch being surrounded on all four sides by giant transparent walls. This quickly establishes a chaotic pace. Sometimes it’s messy, while other times you feel like Messi. There’s also no progression or skill points to help improve your player’s attributes. Everyone is on a level playing field, so only the most skillful will rise to the top.
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There’s a fairly steep learning curve to overcome in Rematch. Part of this derives from its tactile, physics-based design, which, among other things, prevents the ball from sticking to your feet when sprinting down the field. Another part is related to the game’s perspective. In EA Sports FC, for instance, there’s a camera option that follows closely behind your player in either Pro Clubs or its player career mode. I’ve never known anyone to actually use this view, though, as being able to see the full pitch from the classic sideline angle is much more effective. Rematch doesn’t give you this option. You have full camera control, similar to most third-person games, but it’s always positioned just behind your player, placing you directly in the thick of the action. The presence of a mini-map ensures that you don’t need to have your head on a swivel like a Premier League midfielder, but it’s still an uncommon way of playing a football game. Couple this with an enclosed playing field and futuristic stadiums, and there’s more than a little Rocket League about Rematch. If Rocket League is football with cars, then Rematch is Rocket League without them.
Like football, it’s a relatively simple game, but one that’s incredibly difficult to master. Even if you’re a veteran of games like EA FC and Pro Evolution Soccer, Rematch’s control scheme takes some getting used to, as it breaks from the familiarity other games have codified over the past 20 years or so. Just look at shooting as a prime example. In order to get off a shot, you need to pull the right trigger while aiming a reticle with the right stick–something more akin to firing a gun than kicking a football. If you’re waiting to receive a pass or a cross, your natural inclination is to watch the ball, but hitting the target requires you to turn your player’s head and aim directly at the goal. If you’re looking at where the ball is coming from, you’ll simply hit it back in that direction. Fortunately, there are indicators that make shooting without looking at the ball possible, and it also feels intuitive to consider your positioning to ensure you can see both the ball and the goal when preparing for a shot. It’s something that takes time to adjust to, but is all the more rewarding once you start scoring with some regularity. Plus, some of the outrageous volleys you can score look like they were pulled right out of Shaolin Soccer.
Passing isn’t quite as tough thanks to a slight hint of aim assist, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be pinging the ball around like you would in EA FC without a degree of prowess. There’s still skill involved in applying just the right amount of power to thread a through ball to one of your teammates, just as careless aiming will result in plenty of misplaced passes and angry teammates. However, sometimes accuracy isn’t needed. The walls surrounding the pitch give you the option to potentially deflect the ball to a teammate or even set yourself up for a shot. Nothing befuddles the defence and goalkeeper more than an intentionally mishit shot that rebounds back to you for a surprise volley. Slick passing moves are still the most satisfying to pull off, but trick shots aren’t too far behind. I just wish there were an in-game way to save or rewatch replays.
Alternatively, you can also dig into a repertoire of skill moves to try and bypass defenses with some Brazilian flair. Whether you’re rolling the ball to one side to sidestep a slide tackle or using a rainbow flick to knock the ball past a hapless defender, these moves are flashy and can be effective… in the right circumstances. A successful rainbow flick might give you breathing room from a single opposition player, but it also slows you down enough that another is probably right on top of you. There’s a time and a place for skill moves, but this isn’t something everyone understands. As such, one of the most significant detriments to your enjoyment of Rematch will be the people you’re playing with.
This isn’t uncommon in team-based multiplayer games, but at least early on, Rematch is full of people who think they’re the hero. To be clear, I’m not completely innocent in all of this. Just like in my school days, there are times when I think I’m Thierry Henry and not an oaf who’s better suited playing closer to his own goal. But my occasional one-man crusades aren’t nearly as bad as the players who refuse to pass at all costs, shoot from the halfway line with no hope of scoring, and completely abandon their goalkeeping duties altogether.
There are no set goalkeepers in Rematch. A new player is cycled into the role each time a team scores, but it also utilizes “rush ‘keepers,” so you can swap goalkeepers at any time. Cycling through players is a solid idea as it ensures that no one player is stuck in goal for an entire match, but I’ve also lost count of the amount of times my team has conceded because the keeper decided to run up the pitch or started trying skill moves just outside their own box. The hope is that this kind of ball- and glory-hogging will fade away over time. I’ve already seen much less of it in ranked matches (which you can play after accumulating enough XP to reach level five), so the early signs are encouraging. Playing with friends is obviously still the best option, although cross-play’s delay makes this more difficult than it should be. It’s also a shame there isn’t an option to party up if you manage to find a match with good teammates via the game’s matchmaking.
I’m much more sympathetic to goalkeepers who concede while at least attempting to keep a clean sheet. Successfully getting your hand on a shot feels like a crapshoot at times. There’s no way to control your dive, other than choosing which direction you’ll go, and even then you’ll inexplicably dive the opposite way on occasion. The ball also has a habit of tricking underneath your flailing body or sailing over your head, giving goalkeeping a more luck-based feeling than anything else. Sometimes you’ll make a bunch of saves, other times you’ll completely miss shots you think you should’ve reached. It can be disheartening.
Defending is in a similar state due to Rematch’s wonky netcode. There are times when you’ll attempt to make a tackle and phase through your opponent, or successfully win the ball back, only to see it teleport straight back to the opposition’s feet. When it works, tackles feel suitably crunchy, but lag and desync issues are a hindrance. Slocap has already fixed a few issues, so it seems like it’s on top of things, though that hasn’t prevented me from entering matches with uneven teams or experiencing the odd crash to desktop on PC. It also needs some kind of reporting function to penalize intentional griefers, otherwise it’s far too easy to ruin a match for everyone without any repercussions.
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There’s also the matter of longevity. Slocap has already announced new features coming in the future, including a tournament system for ranked games and new quick-play game modes. Obviously, it’s impossible to judge these additions at this point, but the current hook of leveling up your rank to unlock cosmetics in a battle pass isn’t particularly engaging. Whether it’s a new tattoo, hairstyle, or jacket to wear, the cosmetics look good, and the game’s painterly art style is gorgeous, but it’s difficult to overlook the fact that it just wants more of your money. Alongside a premium battle pass, individual cosmetics are also available for purchase, including a Ronaldinho skin at launch. Presumably, more players will be added over time, but it’s a FOMO approach to microtransactions that feels just as gross here as it does in other games.
With missing features, server issues, and some gameplay quirks that need to be ironed out, in many ways, Rematch feels like an early-access game. Its foundation is strong, though, capturing the chaotic energy of playing football with your school pals. It’s disorganised at times, and the people you’re playing with might be frustrating, but there are very few moments when you’re not having fun. It’s a different kind of football game, yet it’s intuitive, and the allure of improving your skill level is captivating. If Slocap can sand off its rough edges, Rematch could be something special. But even in its current state, saying “no” to one more match is a challenging proposition.
