Rematch is slated to be released this June, and as we speak, the game is undergoing testing phases with prospective fans worldwide. It comes from Sloclap, the studio behind titles like Sifu and Absolver. That’s an immense pivot, but strangely, Rematch works very well as a high-octane sports game that’s not a world away from the action sequences of Sifu.
Rematch has been compared to Rocket League, and it’s easy to see why. If Rocket League were to remove the cars and focus on the sport, you’d have Rematch, which stands on the precipice of becoming one of the hottest new esports games on the market.
A New Perspective on Football
Sloclap has modelled Rematch on the concept that it’s ‘a new perspective on football’. It takes the world’s most popular sport and makes it more intense, with a focus on skill-based gameplay mechanics and teamwork. It also has a charming aesthetic and a nice visual palette that pop on-screen.
Insider Gaming’s Mike Straw was able to get hands-on with Rematch a few days ago, explaining:
In Rematch, every match feels different even if you’re playing with the same teammates. With each game you find yourself getting better and better with a willingness to try more outlandish play ideas or shot attempts.
Whether you want to try an intentional pass off the wall above the goal or make a pass to yourself off the side wall, the thrill off successfully pulling off these moves is something that other sports games rarely replicate.
The twist is that the game never stops in Rematch. The pacing is continuous, and nothing stops the flow – there are no fouls, no offside flags, and no breaks in play. That’s one reason why Rematch has great esports potential.
The sports scene in esports is relatively underappreciated. That’s mostly because they offer almost nothing different from simply watching a real sport unfold on television. Why would someone want to watch an EA FC match when they can just watch football as it exists in the real world?
Rematch offers something unique while also retaining the core principles of football (yes, soccer).
Sloclap has already set to work standing up a competitive ecosystem for Rematch, which perfectly accommodates ranked play and league mechanics.
If we market this esports title as Rocket League without the cars, there’s no reason why it can’t succeed. I can see this becoming a decent esports title based on that concept alone.
Rematch is set to be released on June 19 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that the full schedule for the Esports World Cup has been revealed
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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