Rematch review – a crucial goal for sports games

The demise of the FIFA Street series still baffles me, while the mainline FIFA games trudged along with diminishing returns until EA FC’s arrival. However, it does leave an interesting gap in the sports game genre to fill, and Sloclap’s Rematch fills it well. While the studio’s pivot for bone-crunching martial arts action is surprising, Rematch is an almighty breath of fresh air with massive potential in its future.

The easiest way to break down Rematch, like many others have, is to describe it as Rocket League without the cars. Well, that’s just soccer (or football in my native England), isn’t it? Yes, but Rematch leans on Epic Games’ acclaimed free Switch game in a few ways, while claiming ground of its own. Playable in squads of up to five players, Rematch lets you carve your path to glory on your terms. Sloclap dresses up the game’s FIFA Street vibes with Sifu-level complexity in terms of control, making each move a delicate dance for dominance on the field.

I liken Rematch’s control scheme to that of a third-person shooter, with its visible crosshair and reliance on pelting the back shoulder trigger to shoot. Defensive stance, skill dribbles, and rainbow flicks integrate in this way, with each trigger waiting for you to punch in the right combination. You can’t rely on aim assist or cheesing your way to victory with unfair Pro Clubs-style exploits. Sifu players will likely pick it up with ease, while newcomers may need some time to adjust.

As you’re playing all positions at once, the onus is on you to think fast and react even quicker. Coming off the back of my Rooftops & Alleys review, a parkour game of a similar pedigree, Rematch demands you put in the work to master its intricacies. My initial hours with Rematch are mad scrambles for the ball, failing to intercept passes and crosses, and, at my worst, completely fumbling it as our resident goalkeeper. We’re talking brutal clean-sheet victories for the opposing team.

Yet, I never felt compelled to dismiss Rematch. Now, it’s a game I’m thinking about consistently throughout the day, daydreaming about how I’ll refine my skills the next time I boot up my Asus ROG Ally. It runs superbly on the handheld, comfortably sailing past 60fps on the 15W power setting. The game’s core issues stem from infrequent desyncing and stuttering to user interface freezes, but Slocap continues to be quick to patch these problems so far. Steam Deck users get Rematch out of the digital box with full verified status.

For some, Rematch’s visual style may be off-putting, as it lacks the conventional polish and aesthetic associated with the genre. Evolving on Sifu’s minimalist but gorgeous art direction, Rematch’s arenas can give way to a visual splendor of particle effects and more in the blink of an eye. It’s great to see a game in this genre playing with a fresh look.

When every facet of Rematch’s moveset comes together, though, it’s pure bliss. Liquid soccer, I dare say. It effortlessly replicates the social euphoria of multiplayer gems I adore, with every moment keeping my squad and me holding our breath until that precious shot meets the back of the net.

As my confidence builds up, introducing the game’s (at present) limited yet effective skill moves convinces me that prime-era Eric Cantona is living within my walls. Sloclap’s iteration of soccer throws out the red and yellow cards, making each match a lawless fight for supremacy. I can practically feel the burn of Astro Tuff on my leg from how much slide tackling I’m doing. Rematch wants you to find your way to win, and part of that is communication.

An in-game ping system activates hassle-free with the inward push of the right stick, dynamically signaling your intent for the ball, regardless of your current position. It feels natural to engage, and it is essential when playing with random strangers. There’s voice chat, too, and so far, encounters have remained toxic-free. However, Pro Clubs clips are the stuff of TikTok legend, and it won’t be long before Rematch joins them.

While it all plays brilliantly, runs with hardly any performance issues on handheld PCs, and teases a potential S-tier social atmosphere ready to grow, Sloclap is still figuring out exactly what direction Rematch will take next. On paper, it’s a live-service-only experience, but for me, it needs a little more meat on the bones beyond casual and ranked play. Rematch is begging for a Pro Clubs-inspired feature, alongside far more eye-catching cosmetics and rewards for progressing through the game’s seasonal passes.

While the options certainly aren’t an eyesore like my time spent across my FBC: Firebreak review, they’ve got a long way to go before they match something like The Finals, Embark Studios’ FPS game that is dripping with impeccable clothing. I get that servers aren’t cheap, but starting off Rematch’s life with a paid Ronaldinho skin feels a little odd. I still find it strange that every match claims I’m completing daily challenges, but finding them within the game’s UI is a labyrinth.

Sloclap’s reactive soundtrack is a novel concept and has its moments, but a curated selection of electronica, dance, and indie pop feels missing. The good news, at least, is that clubs are coming, as well as tournaments, more casual modes, and a better map rotation, according to Sloclap’s launch blog. There are also plans to prioritize cross-play, a strangely absent feature. As it stands, Sloclap needs to keep up the pace if it wants Rematch to have a lasting impact beyond being a highlight among this month’s Xbox Game Pass Ultimate lineup.

Despite its shortfalls, it’s still the best sports game you’ll play this year, and I can’t help but love what Sloclap has on its hands here. For the first time in a long time, a game is hitting this genre in a way that has the potential to be huge on the eSports scene and cultivate a new era for soccer titles like never before. Sloclap is mostly making the right moves from the get-go, with an intuitive approach to soccer you won’t find anywhere else. RIP FIFA Street, welcome Rematch.