Rematch

If Sloclap can rightfully be considered a small forge of ideas, then Rematch is undoubtedly its most ambitious project to date. However, this ambition, when confronted with the reality of execution, sees the game struggling to shine as brightly as hoped—at least initially. That said, it provides a solid foundation to build upon, update after update, with the goal of engaging and growing a community—something that is essential for a project of this kind.

Great arcade football with a strong concept, however technical execution and uneven balance put the brakes on the fun. Rematch urgently needs a few months of fine-tuning.

Rematch, especially with friends, is an immediate, exhilarating caricature of football. Its pared-down mechanics inject joy back into a sport that's been hollowed out, both in real life through surrender to capital and geopolitics, and as simulation, in the gears of service-game profit-making machines. [Issue#413, p.118]

Rematch is a much more fun soccer game than EA Sports FC, but it's basically just Rocket League. And as a rocket league like game, Rematch does everything right - at least within the lines. The teamwork is satisfying, the games are short and intense, and the feeling of control over the ball is indescribably good. It's especially the play outside the lines where Rematch still has to prove itself. There's still a lot of video game missing from this video game, especially for a game that costs 25 euros and relies on a battle pass. Fortunately, that's easy to fix, so hopefully this figure won't age well.

A clever and hugely enjoyable online team game, even at this early stage in its career -although it feels more like a rival to Rocket League than EA Sports FC.

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.

Rematch has good bones. It’s full of energy, raw and unbridled. But it’s a rough diamond, and rougher than most. The game has serious issues that border on rendering the game completely unfun. But if players stick around for long enough for developer Sloclap to polish those defects, to improve the servers and make goalkeeping feel responsive, then we might just have something here. At the moment, it’s a bit of a mess. But it’s a mess that keeps you coming back, that forces you to play ‘one more match’ in case it’s the one where you finally net a hat trick of bicycle kicks. And it’s a game I’d prefer to play over EA FC any day.

Rematch may not be the most complex game ever, but it offers a unique take on multiplayer football, which, with the right team, can be an enormously fun time, at least when things work. Currently, however, there are too many issues, and the community has too little interest in playing the game correctly for me to recommend it to most. If you have a crew of friends who all want to play together and love the sport, then it becomes an easier game to recommend, but most players may want to wait and see what updates Sloclap has planned for Rematch’s future before jumping in.

Rematch is a strong, almost addictive soccer game with an arcade feel. However, its fundamentally good foundation is severely hindered by technical issues that prevent it from reaching its full potential.