Rematch Review: More Than “Soccer Rocket League”

• Release Date: June 19, 2025
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
• Developer: Sloclap
• Publishers: Sloclap, Kepler Interactive

At first glance, Rematch appears to simply be a cross between Rocket League and FIFA (now known as EA Sports FC).

However, once you realize that it was made by Sloclap, the devs behind Sifu (2022), its true hook begins to reveal itself.

If you missed out on it, Sifu is a highly mechanical single-player beat-em-up that rewards precise timing, spacing, and execution.

You have to think about every option in your kung-fu arsenal from moment to moment - it could be punishing at first, but with each fight, you feel your muscle memory developing and overall mastery evolving.

In Rematch, Sloclap takes these fighting game sensibilities and adapts them to a team sports environment.

Every micro decision you make can make a huge impact on the match, for better or worse. With each match played, your skills grow.

This secret Sifu sauce, alongside the feeling of playing futbol at the park with friends gives Rematch the potential to be special in the long run, but for now, it’s one of the standout multiplayer games of the year.

Our review for Rematch was conducted with the PC version on Steam.

A game of Rematch is simple - you have control over one character who is part of a team. The Ranked Mode features 5v5, but you also have options for 3v3 or 4v4.

The two teams have 6 minutes to outscore each other to win. If it’s a tie when the clock runs out, it extends to a sudden death. There’s also a mercy rule when a team goes up by more than three goals.

There aren’t any set positions or roles in Rematch - each player is randomly assigned to a place at the start of the game and after each scored goal. This includes the goalkeeper position, so by design, every player is encouraged to learn everything.

Lastly, everything is streamlined to keep the flow going. There aren’t any stoppages for offsides, fouls, penalty kicks, or corner kicks.

Ultimate Control

The amount of manual control you have over your individual character is impressive and may be intimidating for some at first.

For example, when the ball comes near you, it doesn’t automatically become in your possession like in other sports games. You have to press a button at a particular timing to collect it.

This might seem like a barrier at first, but it actually enables you to have more freedom with the ball, such as to move it to avoid a nearby opponent or to lead it into a shot.

Another example is the “Tap” button, which can be used for nearly everything. Its function changes based on whether the ball is on the ground or in the air, which way you’re facing, which way you direct it, and how hard or soft you press the button.

To put it simply, it can be used to execute:

• A kick that can be used as a grounded shot or pass
• A cheeky backheel pass or shot away from where you’re facing
• A lob pass or chip shot if you use the Lob modifier
• A header shot or pass if the ball is in the air

This sort of depth extends to every facet of the game, whether you’re on offense, defense, or playing the keeper.

In addition to mechanical execution, there’s also the mental aspect Every interaction with an opponent is a mind game.

Is the opponent dribbling toward you? You might have the urge to go for an instant steal, but there’s a chance they might rainbow it over your head.So instead, you can go for feints to bait out the rainbow and then catch it before it hits the ground.

There’s always a counter to a counter to a counter - a potential combination of inputs to solve every situation.

An Addictive Gameplay Loop

At just six minutes per round, Rematch easily captures you for “just one more” game, especially when you’re playing with friends. You can easily fit several matches into 30 minutes or end up playing for 3+ hours.

After a win, you want to keep the momentum going. After a loss, you want to seek redemption.

With each successful dribble move, pass, and goal scored you can really feel your skills growing at a rewarding rate.

The short match duration also makes the solo sessions more palatable - you aren’t trapped with bad teammates for 30 minutes to an hour like other multiplayer games out there.

Impressive Skill Ceiling, But Accessible

Despite its incredibly high skill ceiling, Rematch’s skill floor is much lower than Rocket League due to its more grounded nature and simpler physics.

The game does blunder at times with its matchmaking, but for the most part, a beginner can jump in and start having fun within an hour.

You also don’t need to be a mechanical god who knows every animation cancel in the book to climb the ranks.

Funny enough, you’ll see more dribble move spamming at lower levels - as you move up the ladder, the game simplifies in ways as the better players opt for precise passing as the more rewarding option.

Every few matches there are some truly beautiful passing sequences that will evoke memories of Barcelona’s tiki-taka.

Vibrant Presentation

Sloclap knocks it out of the park once again when it comes to character models, sound design, and overall aesthetic.

Like Sifu, each animation hits the sweet spot of style and clarity. Despite each player having the same capabilities with their character, they’re able to express themselves in unique ways.

Speaking of expression, there’s an impressive amount of customization options, even before you start unlocking aesthetics. While playing, we ran into characters from Blue Lock, Mario and Luigi, and even Lord Farquad.

When it comes to sound design and music, every bit fits together beautifully. Combinations of visceral drums, ambient synths, and even some subtle chants contribute to the build of tension and flow state of competitive moments.

Lastly, the epic stadium skins from lush jungles to the reaches out outer space add a fantastical grandeur that can go toe to toe with the arenas of Rocket League and Mario Strikers.

Some areas feel in progress

While Rematch’s core multiplayer mode feels great, its other areas need some work.

There is a “Prologue” that makes it feel like there will be a story or vs-computer mode, but it reaches a sudden dead end as a tutorial.

Another head-scratcher is the Practice mode. It provides a variety of skill drills that are helpful, but it’s glaringly missing a “Retry” button. You have to go back to the Main Menu and reenter to make another attempt.

Lastly, the lack of crossplay is baffling. It isn’t as egregious as Elden Ring Nightreign not having it, but we’re still saddened by it for the likes of Slocalp.

Note: As of Patch #3 - 1.200.300, crossplay has been added.

Lack of vs-CPU mode may discourage

If you’re a veteran of sports or fighting games, you’re used to the bittersweet journey of learning by losing.

However, for others, the lack of a vs CPU mode may be daunting since jumping straight into PvP can be quite the crucible.

The ideal situation in the meantime is to have an in-house with friends, but this isn’t realistic for most people.

Network Issues and Cheats

While most matches are smooth experiences, there are occasional instances where the netcode struggles.

During those games, it can feel particularly bad with goalie interactions, making saves that work in stabler environments suddenly become finicky.

The other unfortunate reality is the rare instances of cheating. For any multiplayer game with a ladder, there are bound to be scrubs looking to break the game, but Rematch somehow lacks an in-game report system - it’s inexcusable in 2025.

7.5/10 (Good, Can Be Great)

If you’re a fan of Rocket League, fighting games, EA Sports FC, or Mario Strikers, we strongly recommend checking out Rematch ASAP.

For everyone else, it’s still worth checking out if you have friends who play it or if it goes on sale.

While it does have some areas of improvement, the core gameplay loop gives it exhilarating and gratifying highs that few other games can offer.

Overall, it’s one of the standout multiplayer games of 2025 with the potential to be a mainstay with some polish.