Though I was only able to play for a few hours during my limited time with the game, one thought kept coming back to me while I was playing Rematch: this game is really fun.
Rematch is the upcoming online soccer title from Sloclap, the developers of Sifu. Featuring 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 online matches, players control their individual player on the pitch. Think of it as Rocket League but for the actual sport it’s based on.
You can control your player either using mouse and keyboard or controller. I attempted to use both, but found a few bugs with the mouse controls that left me going back to the controller for most of my time. The bugs, like not being able to fully turn the camera with a mouse, I expect to be flushed out in future betas and with the full release on June 19.
In the beta that I had access to over the weekend, we were able to play 4v4 and 5v5 matches, private games, and see some of the customization options. The customization options are a solid way to differentiate your player on the field, but it’s not something I care too much about, personally, with games like this so I didn’t spend too much time see what was there. One thing I did notice with the customization, however, is the ability to have prosthetic arms or legs. It’s a nice little touch that is sure to make those with prosthetics feel seen from a genre that they may not normally go to those lengths.
The Fast-Paced Gameplay of Rematch
On the field is where you see everything with Rematch come together. The field size changes based on the team sizes, and the environments of the fields are unique and just make the game feel special.
From the fluidity of your player’s movement to the responsiveness of the controls and everything in between, everything feels polished. Even in a beta state, there weren’t really any moments where I felt like my player didn’t do what I had intended or what I felt it should’ve done.
Within the action, everything is manual and skill based. Your passes and shots go where you aim them, and you need to get to the ball in order to gain possession. It’s not going to stick to your feet if you are somewhat close, which makes your positioning and attack all that more important. You also have to decide how you want to hit the ball when you have possession. There are light, medium, and high-powered hits that are used for passes, lobs, clearances, and shots. The most difficult part when learning Rematch is aiming your shot or pass while trying to get the right spin and power behind it. It’s a lot at one time to get, but once you get the hang of it, it feels incredible to pull off.
When you can’t make the shot or pass you want, however, you could find yourself creating your own meme-worthy moments like smacking the ball along the wall over…and over…and over again.
There are even various dribble moves that are easy to learn but require the right timing to master and get around a defender. A mistimed flick of the ball will lead to a scoring opportunity the other way and a team of players wishing they can call you names in the chat—luckily, they can’t. But there is in-game voice communication that, at least for this, was far more pleasant than any other online game I’ve been a part of.
There are no fouls, offsides, and the ball just bounces off the wall rather than go out of bonds. It’s all designed to keep the action going and the play hectic. And it works beautifully. Playing defense is just as rewarding as offense, especially with a well-timed slide tackle to break up a play.
Lastly, Sloclap has managed to make playing goalkeeper fun without being intimidating. When in goal, you simply need to stay in position and time your save attempts in order to keep the ball out of the net. Some shots you just won’t have a chance to stop while others will have you making a save that even you can’t believe you pulled off.
As I said earlier, it’s just fun.
Teamwork Is Key
Aside from how you play and control your own player, how you play as a team is key to finding any sort of success on the field. If you go into a game of Rematch thinking you are going to be a Leo Messi against a bunch of children and dominate everyone, you’re going to immediately be humbled. Trying to solo everything will lead to goals against and a team that will just exclude you from play. It’s not a fun way to enjoy the game and will lead to more losses.
Timing passes properly, finding the gaps in coverage, and finding open teammates on a run will serve you better than any other strategy you can think of. Hell, there were even games where my team decided to dedicate ourselves to specific positions for an entire game, and it resulted in a crisp game where we controlled the ball for what fell like all but 30 seconds.
Rematch Final Thoughts
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.
Obviously with this being a beta, I can’t give a full review on Rematch and what Sloclap has to offer. But what I can say is that if what I was able to play is any indication, Rematch is looking like a strong contender for sports game of the year for 2025.
Are you interested in Rematch when it launches in June? Let us know down below, and join the discussion in the official Insider Gaming forums.
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Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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