In Rocket League, the goal is to get the ball into the opponent’s net and score more goals than him before time runs out. Each standard game has a playing time of 5 minutes, which can be extended indefinitely if the game ends in a tie and no team manages to score a goal. The actual duration of each match is about 10-15 minutes, including replays that interrupt the playing time when a goal is scored. Whether it’s casual or ranked online matches, no-pressure exhibition, split-screen local co-op with up to four players, or an intense 36-week season mode, Rocket League is all about getting into the next exciting match as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, the servers are still down, which means you can have day-to-day experiences with the online features. But the beauty is that the usually formidable AI manages to make offline races interesting and exciting as well. The execution of this simple idea is so powerful and engaging that it keeps me coming back for another game.
Now, nearly three years later and with all the updates, features, and new platforms, Psyonix’s crazy formula of rocket-playing sports cars has improved with age. The good news is that Rocket League’s main ingredient has not changed at all. The rules are simple: two teams of cars race at lightning speed through more than a dozen glittering, brightly colored arenas, performing imaginative tricks and smashing an oversized, endlessly spinning ball into the goal. The satisfying heart of Rocket League lies in that arcade feel of fluid, limitless movement.
About
Developer: Psyonix
Publisher: Psyonix
Release Date: 7 July 2015
Price: $9.9
System Requirements
Operating System: Windows 7 (64 bit) or Newer (64 bit) Windows OS
Processor: 3.0+ GHz Quad core
Memory: 8GB
Storage: 20GB
Direct X: DirectX 11
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060, AMD Radeon RX 470, or better
Gameplay
In addition to these basic controls, there is extensive gameplay that can distinguish great players from others! When talking about this game, the old adage “easy to learn – hard to master” comes to mind. The AI in the game is moderate and varies from friendly to bad, as it scores goals for you instead of helping you. The jump button allows you to make great moves, learning to corkscrew, volley and backhand on the way to victory, and there is nothing like the feeling of scoring a goal!
As you progress through the races, you earn experience points and unlock new parts for your car. These range from new body styles to overlays, antennas and other options that allow you to customize the look of your car to your liking. Body styles modify the hitbox. This helps add some personality to the standard avatar, but does not affect the car’s stats, other than the hitbox. We are glad it was done this way: the game is well balanced and does not need to manipulate statistics to differentiate players.
Graphics
The graphics and sound are very basic and simple, though not bad; the graphics offer a lively environment that includes several arenas and provide a clean frame rate most of the time. In 4v4 matches, a slowdown in frame rate may occur, but not to the extent that it impairs playability.
Sound
The sound effects are the standard sound effects of racing games and are not very varied. The lack of music during the game may seem a bit of a disadvantage, but for us it was not a problem since we used the Spotify app to play my songs. There are a few songs that are played in the menu, but not many.
Replay Value
Seasonal modes are available in the single-player game that allow you to create a team to conquer the ROCKET LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP! Exhibition and Replay modes are also available to view saved games, practices, etc. Online you can try your hand at 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 and 4v4 matches. Currently only 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3 ranked matches can be played.
Although we think the online play has been good, there have been some connectivity and server problems. We think Psyonix will fix the problem, but it is disappointing that these problems are occurring. There has also been a delay in the release of some features of this game, such as online cross-play between PS4 and PC users.
Conclusion
Rocket League is a good idea executed masterfully. Although one might turn one’s nose up at the idea of an automotive adaptation of America’s least-loved sport, the game is hard to walk away from once tried. Flawless controls and an intimidating amount of depth ensure that casual and hardcore gamers will enjoy playing on the field, and the excellent network implementation makes it a four-wheeled game. Not even the poor single-player option and inappropriate soundtrack can stop us from declaring this game a great car game.