Rematch was provided by Kepler Interactive for review. Thank you!
Starting a review of a game with an apology is, I assume, relatively uncommon. More so when you consider the genre. But here we go. I'm sorry. This review should have been started, let alone completed, some while back. The thing is, Rematch is unapologetically addictive and captivating in a way that I feel no other sporting title has the right to be, and demands to be played, over and over again. I haven't been able to put it down, and it's put a serious dent in the progress I had hoped to make in everything else I had planned to accomplish over the past month or so. And even though I know this, I still want to play more. Need to play more. Have to play more. I'm not asking you to accept the apology. I'm just telling everyone not to expect anything from me for a long time. My therapist would call it "setting expectations", and I tend to agree.
Developed by Sloclap, the team behind the incredible Absolver and the phenomenally successful Sifu, Rematch is a third-person Soccer game where you control one player in 3v3, 4v4, or 5v5 matches. With both fluid roles and by foregoing the rules that plague the pacing of both the real sport and other gamified interpretations, Rematch maintains an intensity throughout its ardent 6-minute matches, with the only breaks afforded during celebrations after a goal is scored (yay) or conceded (boo).
Through once again showcasing their mastery of animation, famously demonstrated in their previous stellar titles, Rematch feels alive and exciting in a way that its competitors don't seem to muster when participating and spectating. Granted, I'm not a Soccer fan per se, but at least based on what I've played and seen since I enjoyed FIFA 2001 and RedCard (RedCard 2003 outside of Europe, and it's got playable Dolphins and everything) way back when, this is the gold standard to beat.
This is largely down to the agency you have over your character, which is quite unlike any other of the behemoth-esque Soccer titles around, looking at you EA Sports FC, with your movements, passes, shots, and so forth all having a meticulous level of control. It's almost daunting. There's a low barrier of entry, but the skill curve found after moments of playing tends to find itself on the steeper side of competitive multiplayer offerings, much like the easily comparable, structurally speaking, Rocket League.
Passing is controlled with the X button, where the length of time it's held down determines the strength, and the left stick controls the intended direction. Simple-sounding enough, sure, but combining that with RB chips it into the air, delivering much-needed versatility and variety. Further combining that with the "knowledge" of where your teammate hopes to be positioned when the ball lands, there's much to be actively thinking about at any given moment. And passing, unfortunately, a largely unknown skill to the million-plus denizens on the online pitches, is one of the more straightforward mechanics at play here.
Shooting is where the real fun and complexities begin. It's imperative to aim your reticule at the precise point you intend the ball to go before holding RT, at which point it locks the reticule into place. Any further tilt of the left stick then determines the spin applied to the ball, allowing for various angles, heights, and speeds, depending on your chosen location. And, even if your shot looks and feels phenomenal, the goalkeeper may still dive and save the otherwise guaranteed goal. And thus the game continues, interrupted. The goalkeeper role is, surprisingly, one of the most enjoyable aspects of Rematch, and one I doubt most people saw coming. It's not a hard-set role, as any team member can step into the box and put on the gloves should someone not be there already. Still, acting as the ever-so-sacred keeper of the goal is a role that, ideally, must be filled, in some form or another.
Whether you opt to stay in position or not is up to you. Still, your full repertoire of goalie skills is only available to you in the goalie box, including a low, defensive slide with B, some quick steps with A, and a gloriously dramatic dive with Y. Each have their specific use cases, and seemingly take priority when used around other oponents own skills, forming an almost respectable hierarchy of roles on the grassy battlefield. This power isn't overstated, with the limited time you can hold the ball after a successful defensive maneuver. A yellow circular indicator around your feet lets you know how long you have to think/waste time before you drop it, often more than not, in front of an opponent happy to take a chance.
Understanding the differences between your passing, lobbing, and full-powered kicks when returning the ball to your wanting teammates is critical in determining whether it is successful, with the wrong choice planting the ball directly at your opponents' feet once again. With matches allowing an unlimited number of goals, unless either team has a 4-goal lead, enforcing a mercy rule that ends the game immediately, the push and pull of scoring and conceding goals is as addictive a force as anything, keeping each match wholly unique and enjoyable.
That's not to say it's always a smooth experience, though. Connectivity issues are around, plaguing the odd match here and there, with disconnects, sync issues, and the like causing unnecessary frustration. The pool of potential opponents is also smaller than initially promised, with crossplay not yet being active despite assumptions otherwise, and a plethora of oversights, the lack of reporting, being unable to party up with matched randoms, and no experience-gaining objectives bar "First Win of the Day", keeping us left wanting. And yet, the want to play "just one more", time after time, is always there, holding me, time and time again. It's a real struggle.
This struggle would undoubtedly not be worth it if you were not able to look good while dribbling, shooting, and using all the other footie (lads lads lads) terminology. There's a sizeable amount of customization available for your character and beyond, with the former offering offerings far exceeding what would usually be expected in a title found in this genre. With everything from skin and hair to apparel items, including shirts, shorts, headwear, and jewellery, it's rare to see any two characters on the pitch look alike. When bolstered with items in the shop, available for either standard or "premium" currency, or items from the Battle Pass, there are plenty of future, further choices. Moving away from the character itself, you can also choose your favourite celebrations, pitches, and so forth, so the options to make your experience feel more "you" will always be good.
I cannot tell you the simple relief I felt when I first played Rematch to find that, yes, it was as good as it looked regarding its performance on the Steam Deck. Using the default graphical settings, the frame rate remains between 60 and 75 fps, feeling smooth despite the numerous fluctuations. Even changing the camera FOV to its fullest extent, a highly recommended setting, has little to no impact on the above numbers. It may not be the prettiest game on the Steam Deck with the settings marked as Low, with both Grass Quality and Crowd Quality being Disabled, but it gets the job done.
If you want to extract more sparkle from Sloclap's latest, setting Texture Quality, View Distance, and AA Quality to Medium makes a noticeable difference. It moves the average fps achieved down 20% or so, staying around a 55 to 62 fps range, but whether the graphical gains are worth it is entirely in your court... Or pitch, in this case. Regardless of your graphical preference, the draw on the battery remains in the low to mid-20s, resulting in an estimated 2-hour battery life. Restrict the game to 60fps, and you can milk another hour on top of that.
Very few accessibility options are available within Rematch, with only Colourblind modes, Protanopia, Deuteranopia, and Tritanopia, and a slider for Camera Shake being present.
With such a strong offering in its infancy, Rematch has the legs to stick around, a la Rocket League, an unmistakable inspiration. The many moments of annoyance do little to move the needle, nestled firmly and/or stubbornly in the camp of enjoyability. Should Sloclap deliver and build upon the apparent winner they have on their hands, there is no basis for the aforementioned "one more game" reasoning I've had for my 30+ hours to get even harder. Still, even should the journey to get there be a long and arduous one, you can expect to find me on the pitch at any moment I have. And God knows how much I detest Soccer. It's that good.
Our review is based on the PC version of this game.
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Rematch is a fantastic experience that can make soccer feel great to play, even if you aren't a fan of the sport, and it's great to play on the Steam Deck.
