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Introduction
I've often found myself with little pockets of time in which I've wondered, "What should I do now?". You know, those moments in time where you have too little time to play a really lengthy, story-driven game (or League of Legends), but way more time than you can feasibly sit and idle. It's as if our prayers were collectively answered with this fantastic game from Psyonix; Rocket League.
Take out your controllers boys & girls, we're playing football ... with cars.
Gameplay
I've been playing games like FIFA and PES, but eventually my interests changed. After all, it was simply a game of football. There is only so much you can do with human players. Apparently Psyonix thought outside of the box. What they delivered was simply a stroke of genius. Gone were the human players we were accustomed to. Instead, rocket-powered cars jetted their way across the map in record speeds. This wasn't enough though. They altered the map, super-sized the ball, and set each player in control of only one car at a time.
This formula gave birth to the high-intensity game of Rocket League. Your goal is to hit the massive ball into the opponent's goal. Sounds simple enough right? Wrong. With rocket jumps, speed boosts, rocket-propelled flight and the unique map shapes, you'll find yourself in an endless chase at breakneck speed for possession of the ball. While this game is absolutely beginner friendly, it has an insanely high skill-ceiling. In other words, no matter how good you think you are, there is someone who is leagues above you.
Each team can have up to 5 players, though the 3v3 format is the standard mode, and has a nice balance between chaos and fun. The potential teamwork between players is definiely one of my favourite aspects, and promotes friendly behavior for those epic goals. Don't be surprised if you get called out for accidentally hitting the ball away from the opponent's goal, or worse, hitting it into your own.
Quick-chat commands are rather peaceful, but after seeing 3 censored swear words, you'll probably get the idea. The sarcastic tones of "What a Save!" upon scoring a goal always gives me a chuckle, and the genuine compliments from opponents is a welcome breath of fresh air, and pride.
Car selection & customization should probably be a mini-game on its own. With a wide variety of colours, hats, boost trails and decals to choose from, you'll likely have more than a few saved presets that you'll cycle through. With an ever-growing roster of cars and cosmetics, there's plenty to appeal to everyone.
Speaking of appeal, there's much more than your classic game of football in Rocket League. Games such as basketball and hockey have found their way into the ever-growing list of game modes, and I often find myself cycling through them all quite frequently. Hell, even my 5 year old cousin loves it. Think you've got the skills to make it higher? You'll be happy to test your skills in the competitive mode. To be honest, I haven't really played much of this, since I prefer the other modes so much more.
Visuals
Don't let its colourful nature confuse you, rocket league is one beautiful & optimized game. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how easy it was to run on even some old potatoes, and its ability to be quite visually appealing on higher settings. The explosions and particle effects are both colourful and beautiful. The cars are nicely detailed, and the animations are right on point.
Audio
If you for some reason haven't listened to Rocket League's soundtrack, get it...now. I find myself upset that it's not on by default while playing, but there are plenty of workarounds to really listen and enjoy the music all year round. The tracks are entertaining and insanely high quality.
Soundtrack aside, the regular SFX are no less impressive. Vehicle sounds, explosions, and the 'fake crowd' cheering are just a few of the many things this game has to offer for your audiophile needs.
Summary & Conclusion
Whether you've got only 5 minutes to spare, or an entire afternoon, Rocket League offers hours of addictive fun that never seems to grow old. This unique spin on a timeless sport is sure to appeal to a very wide audience, and you can be sure that your experience is likely gonna be a great one.
10/10 - Just simply fun and addicting!