Rematch review: The beautiful game

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Growing up, I spent countless hours playing soccer, which remains deeply ingrained in my memories despite the fact that I’m from the United States. Being part of a team, we were quite competent, though we weren’t destined for professional careers. The local newspaper might have even featured our matches. However, I eventually drifted away from soccer (a decision I sometimes regret), but my affection for the sport has never waned. There’s an invigorating charm about it, a sense of joy that resonates with me. The sound of the ball being struck, the thrill of outsmarting a defender for the perfect scoring opportunity, the precise pass that threads through another player’s legs, the intuition to anticipate a shot as a goalkeeper and make a save – these are moments I cherish. It’s the dance of bodies navigating space and time, all connected by a ball. Soccer’s unique appeal lies in its portability; I’ve witnessed street games in the Bronx, where a single soccer ball can transform an individual’s world. All they need is that ball. But it’s at its finest when played as a team sport.

If you’d like to fully enjoy Rematch, I recommend that you have access to it. You can certainly play Rematch by yourself, starting with its engaging prologue which serves both as a storytelling tool and a tutorial. You can also take on the limited challenges or simply mess around with the ball in freeplay. However, if you want more gameplay options, you’ll need to connect online.

In Rematch, you can engage in team battles with sizes ranging from 3v3 to 5v5, and once you reach level 5, you’ll also have access to ranked 5v5 play. However, beyond these modes, there are no other options available for solo play. Despite this seemingly restrictive feature, Rematch stands out due to its exceptional gameplay quality.

In essence, playing Rematch is akin to experiencing soccer in an arcade-style setting. Unlike traditional soccer, there are no fouls, penalties, cards, or referees. Instead, it’s all about your team, their team, and the field. But wait, there’s a twist – a giant semi-transparent cube surrounds the entire scene, offering unique experiences like playing matches underwater or in a forest. That’s pretty cool! The cube is arguably Rematch’s most impressive feature because you can bounce the ball off its walls, allowing for some incredibly unconventional moves such as setting up the ideal shot by hitting the ball just above the goal to deceive the goalie before firing the rebound into the net when he leaps. You can also use this technique to assist your teammates if you’re feeling generous.

Apart from its unique features, Rematch delivers an authentic soccer game experience. You can feint by dribbling, accelerate to outrun opponents, ground pass or loft the ball, use a power-up sprint to confuse defenders, head the ball or execute a rainbow flick. If you’re without the ball, it’s effortless to request a pass, and a visible blue line guides your teammate’s location. On defense, you can maintain vigilance with a defensive stance, dash, and tackle. As a goalie, you can dive and make tackles. Rematch doesn’t have fixed positions – goalies switch after each score, but any player can take the position by getting close to the goal, assuming another goalie isn’t present already. Should you grow weary, simply leave the goal area, but remember to designate a replacement first.

Playing Rematch is an exceptionally satisfying experience, whether you’re handling the ball or not. Its responsiveness is outstanding, and you usually have a clear understanding of what’s happening. The one unusual aspect is that the left joystick controls both your player’s movements and the ball actions simultaneously. This means that if you want to send a pass to a teammate on your left side, you should push the joystick in that direction while attempting the pass. To move the ball in a certain direction, you do so while pressing the corresponding button, regardless of your current facing direction. You can even curve your shots by adjusting the joystick as you shoot to find gaps in the goalkeeper’s defense. It becomes incredibly intuitive once you get the hang of it; it just requires a brief learning period.

Experiencing victory in Rematch is exhilarating, especially when you set up the equalizing goal with a brilliant pass, score the overtime winner by bending it just right, make a successful tackle or intercept the ball, or pull off the perfect save. Conversely, mistakes such as venturing too far out of your goal to chase a ball and leaving an open net for a score will leave you feeling the weight. And when facing a team that clearly outmatches you? You’ll realize it quickly. In Rematch, there are no new abilities or enhancements to acquire; it’s simply you and your team versus your opponents. The superior side emerges victorious, while the defeated return to matchmaking with determination in their hearts. This is classic gameplay – you’re not playing to gain items that boost your capabilities. You’re playing because you enjoy it.

As a passionate player, I found Rematch to be remarkably intuitive yet challenging to excel at – every match seemed like a new lesson learned. It mirrors the real-world sport in its emphasis on positioning, stamina management (ensuring you don’t exhaust yourself without the ability to sprint or perform tricks), and team communication. The difference between a good and a bad team is staggering, but even an average coordinated team can outplay a group of skilled individuals who fail to pass the ball effectively.

Initially, I wasn’t a prolific scorer; my strengths lay in being an above-average goalie, passing accurately, and positioning myself strategically to set up my teammates for success. However, when scoring finally clicked for me, I ended my very first game with four goals – we didn’t win that one, but the next one was ours. Since then, I’ve managed to score a goal in every match since. Patience is vital, and sometimes the best move is to remain patient and let someone else make a mistake. Mastering this mental aspect of the game truly opens up an incredible world within it.

Regardless of who’s winning, the games move swiftly, typically lasting just 6 minutes per game unless there is overtime. Plus, there’s something called a Mercy Rule: if one team gets four goals ahead, the game immediately ends. This means that even when you’re on a weaker team, your losses won’t drag on for too long, unless you keep getting paired with less skilled opponents.

It’s interesting to note that when it comes to soccer, many people believe themselves to be forwards, confidently showcasing what they think are their most skillful moves. They imagine weaving the ball past defenders with ease and scoring each time they shoot. Instead of passing to a teammate in an ideal position, they aim to outwit the goalkeeper solely through their individual prowess.

In truth, very few individuals possess skills as impressive in real life as they do in Rematch. Even the best shooters may require assistance when facing a team that plays strong defense. If there is one glaring flaw in Rematch, it lies in its requirement for multiple players to enjoy it. I can attest personally that during my very first game, I was targeted with a derogatory slur simply because of a minor error I made – an error which didn’t even affect the outcome of the game. And yes, I am being completely serious.

In one way, the game took me back to the glory days of Xbox Live; but it’s disappointing that my first interaction with another player was offensive language. When playing with random players, the experience can be unpredictable. Some are skilled and supportive, while others lack skill but maintain decency. Unfortunately, there are also those who resort to outdated slurs. Rematch allows you to mute other players, and most communicate through in-game emotes, although it’s disheartening that such behavior still exists in the year 2025. Even more frustrating is the fact that if you find a good team in Quick Play, there’s no way to reconnect with them later, which is ironic in a game called Rematch. Honestly, some of the things you encounter in this game are hard to believe.

Despite minor setbacks like desynchronization or issues with goalies not collecting the ball, among others, Rematch remains incredibly enjoyable to play. I find myself particularly captivated by the role of a goalie and actively opt for it at times. While playing this position, you have limited control over diving saves, which can lead to conceding goals even when correctly positioned, but overall, the experience is thrilling. The stress is worth it when you perform exceptionally well and keep your opponents from scoring. The gameplay in Rematch is so engaging that it’s easy to fall into a cycle of “just one more match,” often finding myself playing until the early hours of the morning. Despite these minor bugs, they are mostly harmless and even amusing, making them easy to overlook.

Beyond the main gameplay,

In contemporary gaming, just like other titles, Rematch features a Battle Pass and an in-game shop where you can spend real money to acquire virtual game items. There are numerous freebies available too, and it doesn’t appear overly exploitative at this point, but the constant presence of such monetization options can be tiring. While Rematch’s gameplay may hark back to the heyday of arcade-style games, its monetization strategy is anything but traditional; capitalism has left no corner untouched in this realm.

I’d love it if Rematch offered more game modes, and it’s puzzling that features like multiplayer with bots and crossplay aren’t available yet, although they’re promised for the future. Nevertheless, when I play Rematch, I’m having a great time, and even when I’m not playing, I find myself daydreaming about getting back to it – it’s that engaging! Sloclap has definitely hit upon something here, and I’ve even caught myself slipping in a few games while I was stuck writing this review. It’s quite an achievement indeed. If anyone is interested in playing some team games, let me know!

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2025-07-02 16:28