Rematch is an impressive effort from Sloclap Games, a studio better known for creating action-focused titles like Absolver or the more popular Sifu. This time around, the studio has attempted to craft an arcade-style multiplayer experience that is aimed at casual players looking to enjoy a round of digital football with their buddies, or with strangers online.
The result is a solid, entertaining experience that’s easy to learn but harder to master in the thick of the action. However, the game’s early access period certainly had a few kinks to iron out. Fortunately, Sloclap is on the job, releasing patches that fixed several issues while mitigating others, an indication that the studio is focused on making its football debut a successful and memorable one.
But does that mean Rematch can hold the attention of a player base that can be quite discerning when it comes to their favorite sport? Let’s find out.
“By avoiding a more traditional rendition of a football match, Rematch makes things quite easy for its players, allowing them to use the field’s walls to line-up passes and even shots.”
Rematch makes it quite easy to get into the action, with a well-implemented prologue section that wastes no time in introducing players to a simplified control system that we found quite effective at getting the job done. With the basics out of the way, players are given the option to dive right into a quick game, choosing between teams of three, four, or five players. Winning a few games and levelling up soon unlocks the option to play ranked matches, giving players a lot of options right off the bat.
As far as its controls go, Rematch eschews the bells and whistles of its popular counterparts, with Sloclap opting for a control scheme that makes passing, shooting, tackling, and staying in control of the ball a breeze. For players who find football to be a little more complex than they would like in other well-established franchises, Rematch is an excellent option that allows for a gameplay loop that quickly becomes addictive – and quite rewarding.
By avoiding a more traditional rendition of a football match, Rematch makes things quite easy for its players, allowing them to use the field’s walls to line-up passes and even shots. Taking the lower number of players on the pitch into account, the game does away with offside penalties and the like. Heck, there isn’t even a referee on the pitch, which makes things light and breezy just like Sloclap intended.
“There were many moments where we were left scrambling to find a teammate to pass to, the pressure to retain possession mounting and leading to forced errors that served as lessons in hindsight.”
Its progression systems are quite generous, allowing players to quickly level up while collecting two in-game currencies that they can then use to unlock cosmetics for their character, or new arenas to dive into.
Depending on which game mode you choose, Rematch can be either very easy or difficult. Playing a game with just three members on your team requires strategic use of positioning, possession, and picking your moment to shoot your shot. Given that you can only control your character on the pitch, your mileage may vary depending on how good your teammates are at the game. Things get a little easier with four or five players, giving you more options while also making things more challenging when you’re up against an opposition that plays as a well-coordinated unit.
We were lucky enough to be pitted against a few teams that left us gasping for air as we tried to chase them down even as they kept a firm control of the ball, forcing us to stay on the defensive and keeping the pressure up almost all the time. However, other teams were less threatening, allowing us a lot of freedom in the way we approached our own strategies.
Although the game’s controls are simple enough, you will need precision and excellent timing to ensure that the ball goes where you want it to be, a challenge when you have two or more opposing players doing their utmost to take it away from you. There were many moments where we were left scrambling to find a teammate to pass to, the pressure to retain possession mounting and leading to forced errors that served as lessons in hindsight.
Irrespective of the game mode you’re playing on, Rematch is undeniably entertaining which is both a good and bad thing.
“While there is no specified timeline about when crossplay could go live, Sloclap has assured its players that it remains among their top priorities at the time of writing this review.”
That’s because matchmaking in Rematch was a mixed bag, with 5v5 matches barely getting started in the early access period. A lot of our time in the game was spent playing with either three or four players despite our efforts to get into a 5v5 game. However, the other two modes were reasonably quick to find us a team and get started with a few exceptions. We recommend switching servers to your specific region as opposed to leaving the auto option selected.
In a few matches, we found several instances of lag which marred the experience to an extent. It can be quite annoying to line up your player to receive a pass only for the game to stutter and ruin what could have been an opportunity to score a goal. At times, it felt like our teammates were teleporting across the field but switching server regions alleviated these problems to a large extent.
It can be a tricky balance between finding teammates to play with and then actually getting to play the game. We also encountered a single instance of desync on one of the few 5v5 matches that we managed to get into, and were unable to rejoin it even after restarting the game.
Sloclap has since acknowledged these issues and has promised to iron them out along with adding crossplay support, which should alleviate matchmaking issues in the coming months. While there is no specified timeline about when crossplay could go live, Sloclap has assured its players that it remains among their top priorities at the time of writing this review.
“There is a lot of potential for Rematch to become a popular alternative to more mainstream football titles.”
On the performance front, Rematch performs brilliantly, with nary a dropped frame in our time with the game. We also did not encounter any crashes although one bug that showed opposing players celebrating one of our goals was both amusing and confusing at the same time. Menus in the game are quick and snappy, intuitively arranged to allow you to get where you need to go with just a few clicks.
Sloclap has brought over the cel-shaded art style it used in Sifu, utilizing it to great effect in its latest outing. Arenas are vibrant with colors popping out both on the field and off it. Eschewing the need for ultra-realism has worked very well in Sloclap’s favor, allowing it to present a visual style that is both unique and effective at bringing Rematch to life.
As far as audio is concerned, the sound effects and music are certainly serviceable but do nothing to complement the visuals and set Rematch apart. The game’s music quickly fades into the background as you dive into the action, while a powerful kick doesn’t feel as punchy as it does in other football games. While the game’s audio is synced quite perfectly, it does nothing to enhance the experience. Fortunately, it takes nothing away from it either.
As Sloclap is quick to state in the game’s main menu screen, Rematch is just getting started. There is a lot of potential for it to become a popular alternative to more mainstream football titles, serving as a viable option for players looking to enjoy a quick fix of football without having to dive into field arrangements, substitutions, and the like.
That simplicity does not take away from the experience that Sloclap intended, however. Rematch could be a great game for players with a more competitive approach, with its ranked mode allowing them to take on equally talented opponents. If you’re a pro at football games, the simplified controls and mechanics can allow you to quickly rise up the ranks and establish your domination on the pitch.
“For players who play a lot of football on their consoles or PCs, Rematch is definitely worth a shot.”
In our time with the game, we saw quite a few players who clearly knew what they were about, making good use of the walls and rebounds to set up truly incredible shots that left us cheering for them irrespective of whether they were out teammates or not. Rematch could be a solid competitive experience if Sloclap can fix its matchmaking and lag issues.
For players who play a lot of football on their consoles or PCs, Rematch is definitely worth a shot. It does what Sloclap set out to do, and does it quite well with a few minor issues that are likely to be addressed in the near future. If you don’t mind diving into it with strangers, it’s easy to recommend Sloclap’s take on football.
However, if you would like to dive into it with your buddies on other platforms, we would suggest waiting for crossplay to go live. Perhaps there may even be a sale that could save you a bit of cash at the time.
Either way, Rematch is a lot of fun and is very easy to recommend to both casual football players and veterans alike.
This game was reviewed on Xbox Series X.
