Rematch Review: A Welcome Take on the Sports Genre (PS5)

When Sloclap claimed they were developing an online football game, some of us raised an eyebrow. But it’s safe to say we never dared to lose track of it… If the Sifu developers were behind it, there had to be some greatness in it. And there definitely is. Sloclap has dived into a decaying genre with a simple yet very charming formula. The potential for this sports game is immeasurable, and probably great things await REMATCH once they implement some much-needed features and address the annoying bugs and connectivity issues.

REMATCH is available for $29.99 on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Story – Less Talk, More Football

There is only a short prologue to explain REMATCH’s purpose, but it’s more than enough. We’re here for the joga bonito, and that’s perfectly fine. 

Remarkably, REMATCH is getting rid of this strange stigma surrounding games as a service. And it’s truly understandable to believe live service games are killing the industry, because, to some extent, it may be true. But this game has personality, passion, and plenty of things that make it stand out in the sports genre, which is one of those genres where mediocrity is the norm. And Sloclap is here to prove it doesn’t have to be that way. Bravo!

So even if it’s not a single-player game or a story-focused adventure, you can make a great game. And REMATCH has a solid foundation for what could be a new era for sports games.

Get ready to stand out.

Gameplay – Joga Bonito

Once the tutorial ends, you create your character with very decent customization settings and jump right into playing some FIFA Street-style football. And I’m not particularly fond of football games, but REMATCH was an instant click for me. 

You can only control your customized character in an online 3v3, 4v4, or 5v5 match. The game is about positioning, passing, shooting, and being smart and consistent for your team. Controlling only one player in third-person view makes it all more exciting, making each play in the field truly meaningful. If you’ve ever enjoyed football in any way during your lifespan, this game has a sense of nostalgia attached to it. It’s one of those games you pictured with your friends one day by saying “Could you imagine if anyone made a game like this?” 

And it’s amazing that the game focuses exclusively on gameplay. You see, most football games nowadays have all this mumbo jumbo about player stats, transfer markets, and whatever they’ve come out with in recent years to make you willingly empty your wallet in the most classic pay-to-win fashion, but surprisingly REMATCH is lacking this component while being fun at the same time. If anything, the game is missing enough cosmetics. I definitely won’t be against the idea of new paid celebrations, outfits, or whatever. You could say the ball is on your court, Sloclap.

Positioning is key.

However, there’s a long road ahead for Sloclap on its path to success with their newest game as a service. There are some connectivity issues affecting how the ball moves, which feels weird and unfair sometimes. Some bugs and exploits are already causing outrage among players, and the ranked matches desperately need a function to report players. There are too many users with the protagonist delusion that spam the ‘pass’ command the second you get the ball and will not care to defend their own goal when attacked. So, for the moment at least, it’s better if you decide to play this with your friends only, you’ll save yourself a few headaches.

The gameplay loop is brilliant though, and each match is satisfying in its way. Whether you enjoy scoring, assisting, or goalkeeping, REMATCH is a lot of fun and you probably won’t get enough of it.

Graphics & Sound – Charming and Unique

Visually, the game has a charming nature that we can easily link to Sloclap’s signature style. The color pallettes, aesthetics… Everything about the graphics is wonderful. Not because the game tries to look realistic (quite the contrary), but because it has personality. And that’s what truly matters about graphics in videogames. Just as they did with the visuals of Absolver and Sifu, Sloclap did a great job here as well.

The sound, even if not crucial for this game, is quite good as well. For example, footsteps are very well executed and add to the game’s immersion. I would have liked a little bit more effort on the game’s soundtrack though, but considering this is a game as a service I guess it’s not completely out of the equation yet. We should give Sloclap more time regarding possible new features, they truly deserve our trust with their more than proven creativity, so let’s let them cook a little bit more on REMATCH, the most charming sports game that has been released in a long, long time.

REMATCH was reviewed on PS5 with key provided by Sloclap.