Rematch Review: Worth spending money on?
Overall a fun game that's worth playing with friends.
What if football were made not of tactical, strategic thinking, but fast and furious matchmaking, solo plays, and less teamwork than you can find in a 1v1 tennis match? Then you’d have something like Rematch, a fast-paced football title from SloClap.
Most multiplayer experiences in this vein are free, and Rematch is not, so the big question is, is it worth the money?
Feels like a free game
I’ll start with this: Rematch feels very much like a free game to me. It’s quick to pick up, easy to play, and is exclusively multiplayer. The lack of a single-player campaign really makes it feel free. There’s also an in-game store, which puts me off quite a bit if I’m honest.
There’s no pay-to-win, thankfully, with only cosmetic items in the store, but having a cash shop in a paid game always feels a little greedy. You can earn some of these items through gameplay, and the keyword is some. There are exclusively paid items in a cash shop in a paid game.
Yeah, we’re not off to a great start here. But who cares about all that, apart from me, right? Let’s dig into some gameplay.
It’s basically a MOBA football game
If you’ve ever played a game of football (soccer to my American friends), you know what Rematch is about. Put the ball in the opponent’s goal, simple as that. There are three game modes in which to do this: 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5.
I wish I could tell you what each mode is like, but I haven’t managed to queue into anything other than 3v3 just yet. In this mode, you’ll have one keeper and two on-field players. You can tackle, slide, pass, and boot the ball around pretty much at will with a really nice and intuitive control system.
Dribbling is a tad limited, however, as there’s pretty much one move, and that’s the notorious Rainbow Flick that will have you crying in frustration or whooping for joy, depending on which side of the exchange you are.
There’s a lot of timing at play here. Rush in too early, and you’ll be rainbow-flicked. Wait too long, and one juke and a shot later, the ball’s in the back of your net. It feels rough on the defending side of things, but with patience, you can definitely become a strong defender.
On attack, it’s all about the Rainbow Flick to get past opponents again. There are some other minor dribbles to attempt, but they’re definitely not as effective. Shooting is another story altogether. You can’t spin and shoot with your back to the goal. If you’re just facing slightly away from the goal, your shot will sail wide.
Yeah, your view is also your aim, and it’s really weird to get used to. But again, all it takes is some practice. I’ve already gone from putting every shot wide to testing the keeper at least five times out of ten.
Goalkeeping, oh boy. That’s a hard one to understand. If you panic and dive the wrong way, that’s one thing. But sometimes the ball will sail just past your fingertips. Other times, you’ll catch from quite a distance. It’s weird, and I do feel like the goalkeeping mechanisms need some work.
Overall, though, it’s a fun time, and I’m pleasantly surprised. Oh, I’ve been queuing for the 5v5 and 4v4 modes as I work on this review, and I’ve yet to find a game. Seems that after ten minutes, we get a matchmaking error, and we have no choice but to queue for 3v3.
It’s better with friends
Your keeper will leave his goal. The opponent team’s keeper won’t. You will either have to track back and play a lot of keeper if you actually care about winning, or suffer a series of heavy losses until you find a few good teammates to play with.
I paint a dramatic picture, but it’s not all that bad. I’ve seen a lot of players fulfill their roles and stay in the box when they’re designated keepers, but it does happen all too often that they run up, take a poor shot, and the opponent keeper scores from the other side of the field. This is uber frustrating, of course.
The game is 100% better with friends, so the $30 price tag can quickly spiral if you need to gift copies to get your friends to play with you. If you do have a few footy-loving friends, I’m jealous. Can I be your friend?
All of that said, it’s a fun game, and I’ve not come across any major bugs. There have been a few minor issues, but nothing game-breaking personally. Unless you count not being able to find a 5v5 match in the hope that your teammates take the match more seriously. Then yeah, there are some pretty glaring issues.
Finally, you can customize your player, your kit, and your stadium, and it all feels pretty well thought out. Only, you’ll have very limited options if you don’t plan on raiding the cash shop.
The Verdict
Honestly, I don’t think Rematch is worth the money. I’d wait for it to turn free, if I had a choice. However, it can be fantastic if you have a group of friends who are keen to get in with you. There’s a ranked leaderboard you can climb together, and I feel like the Esports scene in this game could have some real potential as it grows and evolves.
So if you plan on taking your shot at this being your Esport, then go for it. If you have a group of friends to play with, go for it. Else, I’d stay away from this one. But that’s my view on it, you’re more than welcome to let me know what you think by dropping a comment. I’d love to hear from you.
The score would have been lower, were it not for the fun (if basic) gameplay. At the end of the day, fun is why we play games, so a solid seven it is.
- Great controls that feel natural.
- Quick matches last just five minutes means you can play whenever you have a gap.
- Well polished for a game that should be free.
- Paid game, cash shop, cash shop exclusive items. It's a bit much.
- Too many strikers, not enough keepers - this isn't the game's fault, it's just the nature of multiplayer.
- 4v4 and 5v5 modes seem to be little more than decoration.
