If you’re like me and love football, then Rematch is a game you should know about—because there aren’t many options beyond FIFA or FC that EA has been pumping out for years. There are others, but nothing really matched FIFA’s level until Rocket League put a spin on football by making cars the players. That was a fantastic game, and I found myself playing it more than FIFA
Fast forward to 2025 and we get the release of Rematch which is an easier example of Rocket League but you play as customisable players instead of cars. This will be the developer’s Sloclap first attempt at a sports game. I managed to get into one of the Alpha tests before launch but it was littered with bugs and connection issues.
Which did have me worried for a while that this could be a snip of what’s to come though the developers were kind enough to provide me with a PS5 copy of the game to cover. So, after a very quick install, it was time to jump into the speedy end-to-end football madness that is Rematch.
For those wondering Rematch is an online multiplayer football game. It features 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 matches that put you and others against one another in a new, immersive take on the most popular sport in the world with a third-person perspective. You will control one player on a team and will work together to be the team that comes out on top.
This isn’t your typical football game as there are no fouls, offsides, or pauses in play. Anything goes and it’s up to you to pull off iconic football tricks and skills to outplay your opponents. Rematch also heavily relies on team collaboration which sadly is hard to come by as everyone thinks they’re the next Messi and doesn’t pass the ball. At the core of Rematch, it’s an online competitive experience so there isn’t a single-player mode.
It’s all online and you will come across players of all skill levels both on your team and the other team. When you reach level 5 you will get the opportunity to play the Ranked mode which is a lot more enjoyable as you will find others will work as a team when it’s their rank on the line.
There are cosmetics that are based upon the season theme and just like all live service games, Rematch plans to keep the content coming in terms of new modes, cosmetics, and features. It’s nice to be able to play as just one player on the team rather than controlling the whole team like you do in other football games. It gives you the chance to customise your player to make it unique to your style and with the huge amount of customisation options you will feel unique on the pitch. I love that they have allowed for prosthetics to be equipped for the players to represent disabilities in the sport.
Even though the buttons might seem easy the game is hard to master, even more so when coming from Fifa. If you are used to just pressing the button and the ball finding its way to the player then you are in for a wake-up call with Rematch as it’s a lot harder to get the accuracy and speed of a pass. Shooting isn’t much simpler but you do have a practice area and tutorial mode which I highly recommend doing and getting the bases a least sorted before jumping online.
Graphically I find this game appealing and I love the art style they have gone for. It’s a more cartoonish style than making the players and stadiums look realistic. It suits the arcade nature of the game and it also reminds me of the Fifa Street style we got back in the day. The soundtrack is upbeat and fits the fast-paced gameplay, similar to that of Rocket League music. There are plenty of customisation options from your players, player cards, and emotes you can do.
Though they are locked behind a battlepass, real-life money, or in-game currency that you earn while playing. It has just become the sad normality that pretty much every game that comes out nowadays comes with a battlepass even more so in live service games. However, I don’t feel like I need to purchase this battlepass as I can live without an extra pair of clothes or player card styles.
Currently, in the game, there is 3v3 4v4, and 5v5 with the additional of 5v5 ranked when you reach level 5. Because every match feels different as you play against and with different players there is a nice game loop that you find yourself in. The game is 10x better when you play with your friends or have a pre-made squad as playing with randoms can get frustrating at times. Even though the game has only been out a short while there is an evident skill gap when it comes to certain matches.
I have read articles that say there are plans for new modes and features later down the line but there is enough currently to keep you busy as it’s purely online against real players. Though it is worth noting that currently, Rematch doesn’t have a crossplay feature, which was a surprise but Sloclap does promise to bring it in a future game update.
Conclusion
Rematch is an enjoyable, fast-paced, and cleverly constructed online football team game. It has huge potential for entering the esports seen and like Rocket League a huge fan base. However, I feel that currently, it feels very hard to master and there is a blatant skill gag. If you aren’t playing in a premade team, you will always come across players that will solo, not pass the ball, or will leave the goal unattended which can get super frustrating.
It will be fascinating to see if this fixes itself over time and if others become more team players rather than glory hunters. That is why having a premade team saves this particular issue in Rematch. It is so chaotic at times but when you get into the rhythm of things, get a good team, or score that incredible volley you will quickly come to love this arcade football game. It is safe to say that Rematch is Rocket League but without the car and with football players.
For the asking price of £19.99 for the Standard Edition it will come in at a fraction of the price that most new games are released at nowadays and it is worth it. For those reasons, I’m giving Rematch a 7 out of 10.
Rematch Launch Trailer
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