Slo-Claps’s Rematch is a unique take on Soccer games 

Slo-Clap’s fast, physics-based soccer game Rematch combines elements of constant action and an enclosed arena. Along with the natural competitiveness of ten online players coming together to create a five vs five soccer match. We have seen popular soccer-style games like EA FC and Rocket league, but Rematch’s pure skill-based gameplay and never seen before player mechanics sets itself apart from the rest.   

One million players tuned to Rematch in the first 24 hours of release in June this year. The game’s new spin on the popular sports genre attracted players who had experience with games like EA FC, and new players alike. Rematch’s take on five vs five soccer was something we haven’t seen done ever before.  

Rematch’s gameplay is very physics based—the momentum of your character when they move, or when the ball takes an incredible curve before it bounces off a wall—all of it impacts the match. The physics are most comparable to Rocket League’s, except in Rematch, players get to control the ball, rather than it just bouncing off of a vehicle. When in possession of the ball, you take control of your character in a third-person POV.  

This is when the most important tool in Rematch comes into play: the crosshair. The crosshair is what enables players to aim their shots and passes when in control of the ball. This is really helpful when you’re trying to be accurate with your placement, rather than a random shot in a general area as seen in EA FC.  

Another standout feature we haven’t seen is the magnus mechanic. Moving your mouse or joystick in any direction while you take a shot will send the ball drastically curving in that direction. This is the most fun mechanic that I have seen in a sports game by far. Pulling off a good curve shot allows for perfect crosses or a killer goal. 

To counter the heavy offensive potential, Rematch added their own cool spin on goaltending–something we haven’t seen in other games. The goalkeeper is a position that is typically overlooked in video games, sometimes having little to no control or even being removed as a whole. Rematch has made the goalie a dependable anchor for the team’s defence. One player at all times will be assigned to the goalie position, this will rotate after every goal. This can be annoying if you don’t want to play the position, but I assure you Rematch has done well to make goaltending fun. As the keeper, you receive new abilities as long as you are in your own box. Not only do you get to use your hands, but the goalie gets unlimited sprint in their own half. By pressing the dive button, the keeper will take a huge leap into the air, blocking or catching any shots that touch the glove. Goalies also get the ability to slide on the ground and get ball priority, meaning if an opponent and a goalie go for the ball mid-air, the goalie will catch the ball rather than the shot going off. This makes the position enjoyable as a player. With the dramatic moves, goaltending feels like you are creating clutch plays for your team. 

Movement is similar to other third person video games, for basic dribbling, you move the ball as you move your character. When you’re trying to beat someone in a one-on-one, you use your sprint bar to blitz past the opponent. The other option is to use the dribbling stance, by maintaining this stance, you can juke out your opponents by quickly dashing to any direction you want. You can even use different button combos to pull of more complicated moves like a rainbow flick or a roulette. Pulling this off is a big ego boost and definitely makes you look cool. Thus, the game is very flashy and technical, meaning there is a high skill ceiling for the game, which is one of the game’s best aspects.  

Thankfully, there are no pay-to-win mechanics in the game. No amount of money or power-ups can give someone an advantage over anybody else. The game is pure skill. This is one of the things that separated Rocket league from EA FC, and Rematch following this decision was the right choice. 

Another thing that makes Rematch unique is the game’s visual design. Rematch doesn’t go for a realistic approach, rather the game animations embrace a comic book style. Passing, shooting, and dribbling movements are all exaggerated, giving the feeling that you are the main character of an action-packed soccer anime.  

Rematch allows for incredible variety when it comes to customization. You can design your player’s looks, outfit, jersey number, and even their voice. Ronaldinho, Kobbie Mainoo, and other pro players are even purchasable skins in the shop. This allows players to create the individual avatar for their gameplay. Avatars are not the only thing you can customize though. Even the arena can be modified to your liking. To add on the comicy feel, Rematch allows you to play in a variety of environments from an erupting volcano to floating iceberg.  

No game can ever be perfect though, and Rematch sure has its own share of flaws. The game is very team dependent, so when a teammate is a ball hog who just loses the ball, it can ruin the experience. Commonly, brand new games, have some minor bugs that affect interactions and gameplay. When I played, ball position and player movement occasionally glitched out in the wrong direction, which was frustrating. But the developers are pushing out regular fixes and many bugs have already been ironed out.  

Slo-Clap has showed us that they care about their game, updates and events are being pumped out consistently. Rematch clearly has more to come for its player base, and fans have stuck around to enjoy the game for a while now. Rematch has a bright future ahead of itself, and I can’t wait to see what comes next. 

Cover image: Xbox