Rocket League Review
By Edwin Velez
Casually Competitive Gaming at it’s Finest
Rocket League is the genre mixing game I never knew I wanted so badly. Taking soccer and ramping up the action by throwing rocket powered cars into the mix makes for a surprisingly great formula, one that I have been impressed with match after match. After playing hours and hours of bouts, I am still blown away by how intense and fun the 5 minute matches can be. This is the epitome of what casually competitive games can be, and other developers should take note of how important a structure and formula like the one Pysonix has brought forth with Rocket League can be. The terms “easily accessible” and “anyone can play” are used often and truthfully so, but I do not think there has been a recent game more fitting to the terms than Rocket League.
During my time with the game I invited a variety of friends and family to play, all of which had amazing responses to it and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s already become a staple in my girlfriend and I’s entertainment selections, and I have longed for the day where I finally found something that she genuinely wanted to play and that game is Rocket League. It’s perfectly balanced, and I do not say that lightly. Before online gaming was a household thing, competitive split screen sessions were the norm. In those days, practice meant a lot more than it means now, but practice is still important in Rocket League. This is legitimately praiseworthy in an industry filled with micro-transactions and pay to win schemes. What players are presented with is a customizable car that is purely aesthetic, 5 minute ranked or unranked matches, and a friendly community that all seem to love the game they are playing.
During my time with the game I invited a variety of friends and family to play, all of which had amazing responses to it and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s already become a staple in my girlfriend and I’s entertainment selections, and I have longed for the day where I finally found something that she genuinely wanted to play and that game is Rocket League. It’s perfectly balanced, and I do not say that lightly. Before online gaming was a household thing, competitive split screen sessions were the norm. In those days, practice meant a lot more than it means now, but practice is still important in Rocket League. This is legitimately praiseworthy in an industry filled with micro-transactions and pay to win schemes. What players are presented with is a customizable car that is purely aesthetic, 5 minute ranked or unranked matches, and a friendly community that all seem to love the game they are playing.
There are several different match types that usually just vary the amount of players. These are 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4. While I have played each type, my preferred mode was the standard 3v3. It felt a bit more balanced than the rest in terms of pacing and arena size. The matches follow the basic set up of soccer with two goal, but no player has to be a goalie. Everyone is free to drive around and go nuts for the ball. There is a surprising silent comradery to be found, but you can quickly chat with everyone via the D-Pad text shortcuts to share compliments and strategize. Players can still play offline, participating in exhibition matches as well as customizable seasons that mirror other sports games like Madden without the statistical depth. Even better is playing split screen, which supports up to four players at once on Xbox One. It’s an absolute blast, and the concept could have easily worked on any generation of consoles as a popular party game. The 5 minute length of matches make the notion even truer as you can play 6 matches in a row without much time going by. It just works.
The cars control like a dream. You can boost and dodge, which help sink the shot or block the opponents. The maneuverability of the car takes practice to master, but it’s so satisfying to knock the ball away or score with explicit accuracy. Better yet, all of this is done in fully customizable cars. Nothing effects your stats, which in my opinion is great. Among the customizable parts are the tires, bodies, paint, accent patterns, antennas, toppers (hats), and boost effect. Many of these are original, but a lot are also licensed pieces from other games. On the Xbox One, there are items from Halo, Gears of War, Sunset Overdrive, and more! Much of the DLC from the PS4 and PC versions of the title were included in Xbox One, but regardless the amount of unlockable pieces is impressive.
The cars control like a dream. You can boost and dodge, which help sink the shot or block the opponents. The maneuverability of the car takes practice to master, but it’s so satisfying to knock the ball away or score with explicit accuracy. Better yet, all of this is done in fully customizable cars. Nothing effects your stats, which in my opinion is great. Among the customizable parts are the tires, bodies, paint, accent patterns, antennas, toppers (hats), and boost effect. Many of these are original, but a lot are also licensed pieces from other games. On the Xbox One, there are items from Halo, Gears of War, Sunset Overdrive, and more! Much of the DLC from the PS4 and PC versions of the title were included in Xbox One, but regardless the amount of unlockable pieces is impressive.
The potential for continued support is also extremely exciting to consider. During my time with the game an additional mode was added called "Snow Day", which I believe is not permanent, but added a fun twist on the standard gameplay. In Snow Day, you are treated to a hockey themed 3v3 match where the floor is icy and the ball is replaced with a puck. This mode is extremely fun and just as good as the original ( I hope its here to stay) but is just one of many examples of what can be done with the game. A new Esports series was recently announced for Rocket League, as well as a collector’s boxed version and Batman v Superman DLC. The game is insanely popular and after playing the hype is without a doubt supported by the fantastic gameplay.
Rocket League is phenomenal. This is one of the few games on the Xbox One that I prefer to play online over offline. Its fair and balanced, with a formula that needs to be respected and mirrored by future games. Backed by an extremely cool original soundtrack, near-perfect gameplay, Unreal Engine 4, and a rock-solid formula, Rocket League deserves all the high praise it gets. It is a stand out game in an increasingly growing crowd of competition, and if you were like me having only heard of it but never played, change that as soon as possible. This game is truly for everyone, and is genuinely fun for everyone.
Note: A copy of the Xbox One version of the game was provided for the purposes of the review
Rocket League is phenomenal. This is one of the few games on the Xbox One that I prefer to play online over offline. Its fair and balanced, with a formula that needs to be respected and mirrored by future games. Backed by an extremely cool original soundtrack, near-perfect gameplay, Unreal Engine 4, and a rock-solid formula, Rocket League deserves all the high praise it gets. It is a stand out game in an increasingly growing crowd of competition, and if you were like me having only heard of it but never played, change that as soon as possible. This game is truly for everyone, and is genuinely fun for everyone.
Note: A copy of the Xbox One version of the game was provided for the purposes of the review
Final Score: 10/10
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+Perfectly Balanced Formula
+Casually Competitive +Easily Accessible +Awesome OST +Proven Support and Future Potential |
-Can’t Save Car Set-Ups
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Release Date: 2/17/2016
Developer: Psyonix
Publisher: Psyonix
Developer: Psyonix
Publisher: Psyonix