For over a century, football has been the world’s most popular sport. The accessibility of the game combined with its high skill ceiling, has made it a cultural stalwart around the world. However, despite its popularity, we’ve received relatively few video games that adapt the sport over the years, especially since EA and FIFA (now EA Sports FC) began dominating the genre.
EA Sports FC doesn’t really capture the atmosphere of playing football though, does it? It’s a more intricate game than most players probably realise, but it’s so far disconnected from the feeling you get while playing football that you can’t really compare the two experiences. There isn’t really a game that captures the emotion and satisfaction of playing a competitive game of football with friends; the thrill of picking a perfect pass or the euphoria of scoring a winning goal, sweating and triumphant.
At least… that used to be true. I recently got my boots onRematch, and it immediately impressed.
Total Control
Rematch is the first football game that plays like an actual game of football. You’re an individual player on a team of three, four or five. The latter is the game’s competitive format, as Sloclap feels five-player teams create the best balance of tactical flexibility and fast-flowing gameplay.
The pitch changes size depending on the number of players in each game, i.e. the 3v3 pitch is smaller than the 4v4 pitch and so on.
And Rematch is competitive. There’s no gravitational pull on the ball in the game. Every pass, shot, cross, and clearance is a manual input. Your passes aren’t pulled towards teammates by a single button press, your shots don’t nestle neatly in the bottom corner if you click finesse shot at a vaguely appropriate angle. Instead, you have to aim your camera towards your intended target – be it teammate or goal – and knock the ball towards them, influencing the power by holding the button and spin using the analogue stick. If the pass and corresponding run are perfect, your teammate will then take possession. It’s a bit like playing a third-person shooter, but that feels like a reductive comparison.
There are three primary ways of affecting the ball in Rematch. There are low, medium and high power hits. Low power for short passes and tapping the ball, medium power for most passes and short clearances and high power for shooting or hoofing the ball away. There are many nuances to each input, which players will learn when they get their hands on the game.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
In possession, the ball will stick to the feet of your player. However, crucially, the game is balanced around being vulnerable in possession. It’s much easier for a defender to tackle the ball off you than it is for you to get around them because they are favoured in the exchange. You have tools; there are skill moves for dribbling, or you’re able to lightly tap the ball forward if you’re anticipating a tackle, but the most consistent way of keeping possession is moving the ball quickly.
Rematch is not FIFA ‘08, it’s not a game constructed around Neymar-esque solo plays. The emphasis in Rematch, as in real football, is on teamwork. The power of defenders in duels ensures that you’ll have to put together passing plays and utilise space to succeed.
There’s verticality, too. You can lob the ball over players, and the volley system is a nice twist on the ball-hitting mechanics. If you stand near where the ball is going to land and tap an action button, your player will react accordingly. For example, you can have your player take the ball down and tap it in a direction or leap into the air and immediately shoot towards the goal. It’s a system that lends itself to outplays and unexpected actions; you may think an opponent is going to shoot, only for them to suddenly tap the ball to an overlapping player. In Rematch, as in Sifu, total control over movement is a central feature.
When defending, you can hold a ‘defensive stance’ button that stands off the player with the ball. The real-life maxim of ‘don’t dive in’ applies to Rematch, too. If you dive into a tackle and get outplayed by the attacker, you’re stranded, and they’re likely through on goal. The defensive stance button is a clever way of allowing you to face the ball and jockey, making defending more manageable.
There is a lot of nuance in ball hits in Rematch. You can influence the ball’s Magnus effect to make curling passes and shots, something that’s crucial for one-on-ones.
One-on-one duels with the goalkeeper are an exciting aspect of Rematch due to the fact they’re actually duels, as the goalkeeper is piloted by another player. Utilising what we used to call ‘spot keeper’, the deepest player on the pitch is designated the goalie. There’s a level of psychology and skill to scoring these goals when faced with a real opponent, rather than just pressing a button and hoping it goes in.
Thrilling, Fast-Paced Action
The movement of keepers is fully manual, meaning they can dive, close space, and so on. Playing goalkeeper is high-pressure but rewarding. You can win or lose the game depending on your positioning and how well you predict shots. Keepers have infinite stamina when outside of the box because they’re encouraged to be sweepers and participate in the play when their team is attacking. It’s crucial to push up because clearances will often fly over the top of everyone, and sweeping keepers are well-positioned to mop these balls up and restart the attack.
Rematch has no offsides, fouls, or out-of-plays. It’s free-flowing, with play only stopping if someone scores.
For the first couple of games I played with colleagues and developers, I was hopelessly chasing the ball around like a headless chicken. But with every subsequent game, you could feel the standard improving as people looked for space and used the ball intelligently.
By the final match, my palms were sweating, and I desperately wanted to win. The voice comms were completely dialled in. At one point, both teams were tied at the end of regulation time, and we went into golden goal. A gruelling battle ensued that lasted over ten real-world minutes. I had been in goal for much of it, saving a close one-on-one to keep us alive. At one point, I rotated out and began moving up the field.
The voice of Rematch’s creative director, Pierre Tarno, rang in my ears - he had hoofed the ball up the middle, and I was best positioned to lead the attack. I take the ball down, tapping it forward and sprinting as I drive towards the goal. I reach the edge of the box and knock it full force, hoping the keeper decides to dive to one of the corners. The ball explodes into the net, ending the match in the most dramatic fashion. Cheers erupt. I begin fist-bumping my teammates, and I feel it. The thrill. Jogo bonito, the beautiful game.
Rematch releases on June 19 for PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and Game Pass. An open beta will take place between April 18 and April 19.
