Rocket League Review

The Little Engine(s) That Could

Soccer is the world’s most popular sport and has the biggest selling video game sports franchise in EA Sports’ FIFA series. The sheer scope of the sport, teams and star players can seem daunting to a casual player who isn’t familiar with Soccer. “Which team do I use? What the heck is a 4-3-3? WHY CAN’T I USE HANDS?” Thankfully, there IS a solution to these questions/problems for people who know the basics and that solution is Rocket League.

Rocket League has been out since July 2015 for the PC and Playstation 4, but more recently has made its way onto the Xbox One platform in February of 2016. The premise is simple: You control a small car (think Hot Wheels cars) on a team that can be anywhere from one to four players and try to hit a soccer ball into the opponent’s goal. That’s it. Where the beauty lies are in the ways anyone can master this art and perform masterful tricks ranging from flips in the air, to sweet give and go’s that one would expect in a human played soccer match. But the best part about the game is how it is catered to this generation of ADD, YouTube and multi-tasking kids and adults. Only have time for 20-30 minutes before work? Can easily fit three to four matches in. Want to listen to the latest Channel 33 podcast while playing a round of Rocket League? Then do it, as there’s no PA announcer and the only sounds are sound effects and an in game soundtrack, although the music is pretty darn great. The main point to drive home is how great of a feeling it is to play with friends and how quickly it is to get in and out of matches. There aren’t many things in life better than deflecting a goal, which turns into a nice outlet pass to a best friend in California, who turns around and bounces a pass of his own back to a third friend in Boston who “rockets” a ball into the back of the ol’ onion bag.

Ultimately, Rocket League is a game for anyone who wants to try their hand in something quick, fun and not complicated. The price tag is just right and now it is available on a number of platforms, not to mention the developer Psyonix is trying their hand at making this game connect with every player on every platform, and this would be one of the first games of its kind to do such a thing. Also, be on the lookout for a “Basketball” mode that Psyonix is debuting later this month in a free update to the game.

Platforms: PS4, PC, Xbox One (Played)

Price: $19.99