Rematch Review

The football genre in the gaming space is dominated by EA Sports FC, formerly known as FIFA. Very few others become memorable titles with the Football Manager annual releases being an exception, and let’s not mention eFootball. I’m always willing to give football games my time, though, as I do believe that there should be some room for competition. Rematch has just launched with its Elite and Pro editions of the game on Xbox Series X|S, Playstation 5 and Steam. The game is online multiplayer-focused and features 3v3, 4v4 and 5v5 modes and also includes crossplay functionality, though this hasn’t come to fruition at launch and is being worked on as we speak.

First On The Field

Rematch will set you off with a prologue to learn the basic controls of how to control the ball, pass, player movement and how to shoot. There are also tricks to learn alongside how to play as a goalkeeper. I would highly recommend spending some time practising, which you can do in a separate menu beyond the prologue. After a lengthy amount of hours across the last few days, I am still always learning and popping back into practice occasionally to cement the button commands into my brain. For example, to perform a rainbow flick, you need to press RB and A, but pulling it off takes precision and timing to pull off. Playing each match to try and improve is the real draw for me, and when things go right, it is ever so satisfying.

In Rematch, you’re in an arena similar to Rocket League. There is no referee, no corners, throw-ins, free kicks or penalties. You can slide tackle to your heart’s content without being penalised, but you need to be mindful of stamina. Your stamina bar allows you to sprint with LB, and double-tapping this allows a little extra speed. Utilising this speed boost at a pivotal moment, such as latching onto a loose ball inside the box or closing in to defend against a shot, it is such an exhilarating feeling when you pull it off.

A Good Feast Of Modes

To start us off, I’ll call it the casual playlist where you can matchmake and play 3v3, 4v4 and 5v5 matches. Once you advance to level 5, you unlock ranked mode. Unfortunately, for the duration of my playtime for a review, I couldn’t find a match in the 5v5 or ranked mode. This could be low player numbers during the first few days in the run up to the full standard launch, or the development team have just chosen not to fire up the ranked mode just yet.

The teams at Slocap and Kepler Interactive confirmed that crossplay was intended to be ready for the launch of the game, but sadly isn’t quite ready just yet, but is being worked on and should be with us soon. I tested cross-progression by playing Rematch using Play Anywhere functionality on my PC, and I’m pleased to say all my stats and ranking carried across flawlessly between the two devices.

Visuals & Audio

Rematch has a cartoon art style that appears very familiar if you’ve ever played Sifu, which is from the same development team. There are plenty of customisation options throughout the game, especially when it comes to your character. You can alter the overall look, build and even have prosthetic limbs if you wish. Some items are locked but can be purchased with real or in-game currency, with other assets exclusive to the battle pass system and the online store. For instance, there is a Ronaldinho bundle for just over £8, which is purely cosmetic, allowing you to don the world-class legend on the field.

Audio design is as you’d expect, with the thud of the ball being heard with every kick. There are voiced lines for quick comments after certain actions. For example, when your team scores, you could chant “We’ve got this” amongst other quips. General crowd noise and celebration animations make the experience more immersive, and I’d imagine over time these will be more varied. The menus are bright and vivid, and lovely to look at and navigate.

Final Thoughts

Rematch is fantastic fun and a game I can lose myself in for hours on end, or just for quick, short sessions. It bears a few similarities to the world-famous Rocket League in its style, but feels different enough to be its own unique experience. My only bugbear was that whilst playing alone, I found playing with randoms challenging. Finding players who work as a team and pass the ball becomes a novelty, and this alone may drive some gamers away. As with any multiplayer game, though, the experience is way more fun with a group of friends.

Should This Be Free To Play?

With the way the game functions, I can see this title being popular in the years to come if the servers remain fruitful. Interestingly, Slocap and Kepler Interactive have made this a paid-for title, considering it screams free-to-play in its current setup. With battle passes and a cosmetic store, I can’t help but think it would have fared better if it were free to everyone. Alas, Rematch is mechanically solid with an addictive gameplay loop, and it looks great too. I can see myself pumping hundreds of hours into this one, and it’ll be one of those games that will always have a special place on my hard drive. If you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription, then it will be available to everyone on Thursday, 19th June 2025 and is well worth your time.