Summary
- 5v5 one-player-per-team soccer: Critics praise the immersive, arcade-style gameplay and skill focus.
- Visually striking, with smooth character movements reminiscent of Sloclap’s Sifu.
- Players report crashes, desyncs, and no crossplay at release yet developers are actively patching these.
- Steam reviews are mostly positive (77%), but many note the need for stability fixes before deciding to buy.
This review of Slocap’s new 5v5 soccer game, Rematch, puts you in control of a single player in each match. This blends the fast arcade action with team tactics, challenging players to goal and secure victory. Early previews and players praise its smooth, skill-based gameplay and clever twists on football. However, the launch has been rocky, with reports of bugs, disconnects, and missing cross-platform play which asks is Rematch worth it?
Gameplay and Controls
Rematch shifts the focus from simulating entire teams to an intense one-player view. Many see this feature as engaging, even calling the action as fast, smooth, and seamless. There aren’t offsides or fouls that can interrupt the soccer play.
In practice, you must dribble, pass, and shoot manually, which is challenging but rewarding. With this, victories come purely from skill and teamwork. Moreover, it makes sure that every player is on an even playing field with no hidden stats to unbalance matches.
On the other hand, the control scheme appears to have a learning curve. While it can be tough at first, it can be worked on through spending time for practice. Overall, if you enjoy Rocket League-style sports, you’ll appreciate Rematch’s tight movement and aiming system.
Graphics and Sound
A bold, colorful style made Rematch a stand out from its competitors. The graphics blend cartoon-like stadiums with slick character animation earning praises from critics for the polish. Some described it as “visually gorgeous,” noting “incredible animation work” on player movements. Some compared the visuals and the fluid animations to Sloclap’s previous game Sifu. This clarity helps in the heat of play; animations and UI cues (like shot indicators) make the action readable even in chaotic scrambles.
The audio likewise adds to the arcade feel. Sounds are punchy when you strike the ball, and the music builds excitement as time winds down. Nothing stands out as negative in sound design, though some players find the music loops repetitive. On the whole, the presentation has a vibrant, fun atmosphere that matches the gameplay.
Multiplayer and Community
Instead on focusing with limited modes, Slocap expanded game mode options for Rematch. Besides being exclusively online, it includes several modes such as 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 matches, plus a ranked 5v5 mode. There is no single-player campaign or bots at launch. However, they are looking to add AI teammate modes in the future, potentially in 2026.
This means the game shines when you have real teammates and opponents. Community response has been enthusiastic about the core concept with Steam players have given mostly positive reviews (77% positive). Also, many say matches with friends lead to memorable moments.
That said, missing features dent the launch experience. Most notably, Rematch does not have cross-platform play on day one. Players expected to team up with friends on other consoles, but Sloclap announced cross-play is delayed.
This appears as a “giant flaw” for most critics given that an online-only game relies on easy matchmaking across all platforms. Currently, the community is hopeful that promised cross-play, with developers putting it on top of their priority, will arrive soon. Until then, friends on different systems unfortunately can’t match up together.
Stability and Performance
Many criticisms focus on technical issues. At launch, players reported crashes, lag, and desynchronization during matches. Some reported high server latency, random disconnection, and other netcode-related issues which prevents them from playing the game. It highly affects their experience, often disrupting their progress and sometimes, causing match abandonment.
Also, some players warn of “network and server issues” and constant crashes while playing affecting their team in the process. It gives unfair disadvantages which ends up with a frustrating match. Fortunately, Slocap speedily responded with patches and released an early hotfix for these issues.
The hotfix improve the netcode, fix phantom goals, and address the bugs experienced by most players throughout their matches. Moreover, the developers promised that the game “will not be finished when it launches,” but that they will regularly update and improve it.
This commitment suggests many bugs will be fixed over time. For now, players report that stability is much better than the earliest beta, but it isn’t perfect yet. If a smooth online experience is critical for you, be aware that Rematch is still maturing in its live state.
Value and Monetization
Players can obtain access to Rematch at the price of $29.99. With this game review, it can be said that Rematch is fairly priced as an online-only game. However, compared to some of its competitor that are free-to-play like Rocket League, Rematch has to add more to their offerings. While $30 is “extremely fair” for the content, a free-to-play model with a paid supporter pack might have reached more players.
Importantly, there are no pay-to-win mechanics. All microtransactions are cosmetic only as Sloclap’s seeks to focus on long-term support. They plan seasonal content like new modes and cosmetics, so early buyers are betting on future updates.
If you want a solid package on day one and dislike live service games, that might be a turn-off. But many fans are comfortable paying upfront for an emerging esport-style title.
Conclusion
For fans of arcade-style sports, this game review talks about how Rematch delivers a lot of fun when it works. The core gameplay is widely praised as addictive, skill-based with a fresh take on soccer. If you enjoy fast, fluid 5v5 matches and can handle the occasional glitch, you’ll likely find it worth trying. However, those who hate bugs or must play with friends on other consoles should be cautious.
