Sometimes describing a game’s premise can sound so underwhelming that you always have to preface it with more information. This is exactly how I have felt about Psyonix’s new game Rocket League which is a sequel to a game I had unfortunately never heard of: Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars. Talk about a mouthful.

Rocket League can be summed up as soccer with cars. When I first heard this description I scoffed at the notion, immediately thinking a weird car combat game with a ball. I was very uninterested, however there was a beta going on at the time and at a friend’s request I signed up. The moment I fired it up I was in LOVE. I exclaimed, “IT IS SOCCER WITH CARS!” As the cats fled from the living room, I kept on playing for hours. The beta was bare bones and I would soon have to wait an entire month for the game to go full release. 

As of July 7^th Rocket League has released on the PS4 (Free for PS PLUS) and STEAM with cross-platform play between the two. The game features a series of modes including exhibition, season mode, training, and the online multiplayer which is where the meat is. The single player stuff is fine and the AI can either be really dumb or incredibly challenging. There are tons of unlocks to customize your car, but they are purely cosmetic. There are different cars, paint jobs, boost colors, wheels, antenna decorations, and even HATS! I was able to make my car look very much like a Pikachu to some degree. 

In Rocket League, players control their Rocket cars around a huge pitch trying to hit the ball into the other team’s goal. Scoring a goal in Rocket League is SO satisfying as there will be a large explosion and horns that blare in celebration. Of course, scoring that goal can be tricky. While on the surface the game play sounds very straight forward, but at the same time the game can be pretty deep depending on your skill level. It’s one of those games that anyone can play, but it will take some time to learn the ins and outs of Rocket League. Your first game will likely feel like you’re driving in circles and smashing into people. One key thing you will want to learn is patience. Rocket League is a game you just have to play to get better. Fortunately playing it is very fun.

The physics in this game are absolutely bonkers, but in a good way. Sometimes a weird bounce can get you a goal, at the other hand, the same wacky bounce can cause you to be scored upon. Having a rocket on your car allows you to travel at breakneck speeds, which can cause whatever you hit, ball or car, to go flying. Oh right, did I mention your car can double jump? That’s a key part of the game as you will need to get in the air to perform forward and bicycle kicks. There are also boosts you can pick up that allow you to go even faster, blow up other cars,  or if you are brave enough you can learn to fly. I have yet to master flight, but I am working on it. Seeing a pro that knows how to fly can be overwhelming, but don’t let it get you down. Just keep at it!

The multiplayer is set up into unranked and ranked play. You can play 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, or Chaos which is 4v4. In ranked you can play 1v1, 2v2, or solo 3v3. I believe they will be adding the ability to play 3v3 ranked with a team of friends which I am looking forward to. Each type plays just a little different as you adapt to more or less cars on the pitch. 1v1 can be incredibly intense or a complete blowout with some lucky bounces. 2v2 can be super fun with a friend, but you will need good communication and quick reaction to defend depending on your style of play. 3v3 is standard for a reason as it allows you to have a dedicated defender if you need it. You wouldn’t think an extra two cars on the field would be that big of a deal, but boy howdy is it!

This game is great with friends and even strangers. I really only have a few complaints. Steam players and PS4 players cannot group up, but this is being addressed in a later patch. I would also love to see a honkable horn for our cars, Maybe with different sounds you can unlock. Those are really my only complaints. Rocket League is perfect for streaming or putting together highlight reels of you and your friends making goals and saves or even blowing people up. 

Rocket League is a game that I enjoy quite a lot. I didn’t expect to like it this much, but damn is it fun. If you have a PS4 and PS Plus its free to download you dingus! Steam users, I assure you it is worth the twenty dollars. I am sure it will go on sale at some point so keep an eye out for it. There isn't much more can I say about Rocket League, it’s just fantastic.