Gone are the days when arcade sports video games complemented their simulation counterparts. Games like “NBA Jam,” “NBA Street,” “NFL Blitz,” “NHL Hitz” and “MLB Slugfest” are a rarity now. Not only were these left-of-center titles very creative — the league-licensed simulation games are hamstrung by rules and restrictions — but they acted as a way to draw in novices who were new to gaming or had minimal knowledge of the sport in question.
Unfortunately, in the highly competitive world of sports video games, titles need to be big-time moneymakers to pay for all the expensive league, team, and player likenesses. That makes the recent release of “Rocket League” all that more intriguing. It’s anything but a traditional sports game. Cars race around an arena trying to knock a giant ball into a goal. It’s racing combined with soccer, and it has proved appealing to not just racing fans, soccer fans or general sports fans, but all gamers across the board.
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To be fair, one big reason for its popularity is that it’s free on PlayStation 4 to PlayStation Plus subscribers through Aug. 4. Then again, dozens of other free titles available on Sony’s PS+ service have not come close to generating the buzz that “Rocket League” has achieved. It’s also available on PC for $20 — and doing quite well there, too. Because there’s no entry fee on PS4, people who may not have ordinarily given it a shot can do so. Enthusiastic word of mouth has since spread like wildfire.
As with any good arcade-style game, “Rocket League” is easy to pick up and play, but there also is a great deal of depth involved. There’s no doubt that the more you play, the better you’ll get. While it’s accessible and fun even when just starting out, that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
“Rocket League” features two primary modes of play. There is an offline single-player Season Mode, in which team size, difficulty level, season length and number of playoff teams are all adjustable. Then there’s the heart of the game: online play. This is where the longevity will be found. Split-screen play, up to four players, for couch multiplayer is also an option offline and online.
Playing through the tutorial and going through the various training modes is strongly advised. It’s a great way to get a grasp of the controls and physics, and to get in some important situational practice. For example, the game really opened up for me after I got a handle on the aerial maneuvering. That’s only going to come with practice and in-game experience.
Driving around and flipping through the air seems simple enough, but there’s great strategy involved in “Rocket League.” Playing as a team in online games is rewarded. The best games I’ve played so far involved both sides having someone lie back and play goalkeeper. When spectacularly good goalies are in play, the games are close and every score has to be earned. Some players will be aggressive going after the ball, some may sit back and wait for opportunities to present themselves, and others may look to be an enforcer and just destroy the opposing team’s cars by ramming them at full speed — that’s one way to get rid of an opposing team’s pesky goalie.
The game is very well-balanced, due in large part to there being no advantages for anyone as far as the vehicles go. All the upgrades, and the personalizations done to them, are only cosmetic in nature. Because of this, “Rocket League” is going to become an eSports sensation.
While the big publishers like EA Sports and 2K Sports have chased after becoming involved in eSports, their games are unlikely to gain traction in those ranks due to balancing issues inherent in variable team strength and player ratings. EA and 2K are going to be kicking themselves for not developing games like “Rocket League” for years to come, as they no longer invest in developing smaller, innovative products.
The one area of weakness in “Rocket League” relates to the game’s online reliability, which is unfortunate considering that’s where the majority of the fun is to be had. Overwhelming demand — there are often well over 100,000 people playing at a given time — has led to the servers often buckling under the load. To its credit, developer Psyonix Studios has been communicating well through the game’s official social channels.
The online mode offers up eight connected players (4 vs. 4) but smaller configurations can be played as well. Three vs. three is considered the standard way to play and it definitely is the sweet spot; it provides space and maximizes the effectiveness of team strategy.
Unique challenges present themselves with 1 vs. 1, 2 vs. 2 and 4 vs. 4. When the servers are up, the games have no lag, providing for exceptionally fun experiences whether teaming up with friends or random players.
The latter part of that statement helps “Rocket League” separate itself from every other sports game. Many people avoid playing online because of the tendency for opponents (or teammates) to actively ruin their experiences. Playing with random unknowns online has been nothing but positive in “Rocket League.”
It’s a testament to the love people have for the game that there really hasn’t been any uproar about the server trouble. Considering the game is free or $20 depending on the platform, comes from an independent developer and has seemed to taken off beyond reasonable expectations, gamers have been a little more lenient and understanding of the situation.
When the servers are functioning properly there’s virtually nothing to dislike about “Rocket League.” It’s a blast to play and it only gets better as skills improve over time and as the competition ramps up. It’s a game that everyone, whether they’re big into sports video games or just can’t seem to get into them, will really enjoy.
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Bryan Wiedey posts sports gaming news and analysis daily at Pastapadre.com, has co-founded the new site HitThePass.com, is a regular participant in the Press Row Podcast, and can be reached on Twitter @Pastapadre.
