Rocket League (PS4)

If you’re a member of PlayStation Plus (PS Plus) for the PlayStation 4, there is a wickedly addictive game called Rocket League available to you for free, a game I’ve only recently taken to.

Imagine a future where racing and football have become boring, so the utopian members of this technologically advanced society decided to combine the two – because, why not?

Rocket League is a football match where the player plays as a rocket-boosted and incredibly agile car.

Cruise on the floor as well as through the air.

I came into this game a little late, picking it up just a few days ago. The game has been available since the beginning of July.

So as you might imagine, I’m still sucking hard compared to many players that have come to grips with the mechanics of the game, but my experience isn’t dampened at all by my lack of versatility.

Rocket League is easy coming to grips with the basics but hard to master the finer points. It’s got the formula just right for both beginners and higher-tiered players alike.

The controls are as basic as driving, power sliding, boosting, jumping and double-jumping, which quickly translates into soaring through the air by means of the car’s rocket-booster.

The goal, to slap into the ball in whatever angle best benefits getting it to another player or into the opponent’s goals.

Putting the techniques to work efficiently is another story. You can just as easily flip you car around by tilting the analog stick in the direction of a double jump, essential for striking the ball and players, but adding a lot of required finesse.

Rocket League looks – and plays – amazingly well. It’s a real joy.

For those more aggressively-inclined, you can also smash a player out of the game for a few minutes with a fully charged throttle. Simply build a little additional boost by driving over buttons dotted across the field and bang.

Which leads me onto another fundamental of the game, knowing when to bide your time and hang back whilst others crowd the ball or charge in for the kill is fundamental.

It’s all about understanding spacing, your car’s movements and potential trajectories, as well as your opponent’s intentions.

As you can imagine, this sometimes makes for chaotic and exhilarating gameplay as airborne and grounded opponents chases after a giant ball, while others will crash into opponents to divert them from handling the ball.

As a result, at the best of times, it’s poetry in motion; sometimes, however, it’s just anarchy.

The world of Rocket League is waiting, and boy is it worth exploring.

Games range from 1v1 to 4v4. You can either enjoy team-based matches or heated one-on-one duels.

For team-based games, a headset is ideal for synchronised and intelligent gameplay, rather than just a bunch of cool-looking cars all rushing for the ball at once.

Each round lasts 5 minutes, making for short and sweet entertainment packed with as much intensity and enjoyment as a full game of FIFA.

It takes a fair amount of practice to be any good.

Beyond that, new cars and other customizations will be available to the player as he or she earns points from matches. There are also silly hats your car can don.

I’m no football enthusiast, but I’m guessing someone well versed in this sport will have a strategic and technical advantage.

I do, however, enjoy my racing games, so I guess my moderate experience helps. Either way, this is a refreshing and thrilling spin on both genres that a person new to both will be able to pick up and enjoy.

Score – 8/10

And just because highly-skilled players make for something truly amazing to watch, I thought I’d include a collage of some of the best plays from around the community. Enjoy: