Rocket League is the successor to 2008's Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars, a game which – although great in concept - suffered from game-breaking bugs (especially in Online Mode), unimpressive graphics (it ran on UE3 – the same engine as RL, yet looked atrocious) and clunky, unrefined gameplay. As a result, the “original iteration” of this game left much to be desired.

SARPBC was the first self-published title from Psyonix and they have actually gone back and tended to several, if not all of the issues with the game, what a lovely bunch of human beings.

Skip over to 2015, Pysonix announce a brand new, aptly named sequel, Rocket League.



Many of the previous titles core gameplay mechanics have been preserved, this is still very much a physics based soccer game in which two opposing teams are looking to score extravagant goals using their presumably named Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars (I’m never writing that again).

Generally, the game plays out something like this:

• Players start in one of four possible starting points near their respective goals.
  
• The Ball is placed in the middle of the pitch.
  
• After a 3 second timer, the match begins with the above rules in place.
  
• The opposing teams try to get The Ball into each other’s goals.
  
• Players can pick up Boosts, laid out across the map, to slowly increase (small boosts) or totally fill (larger, floating boosts) their Boost meters allowing for rapid manoeuvring and repositioning around the map.
  
• Once a goal is scored, the scoreline is updated and the game resets to the first point above.

It isn’t all that easy to see how a game as simplistic as this could be so captivating, and yet Psyonix have managed to make Rocket League an incredibly fun filled title, packed with goals that’ll make you scream OMG, saves that’ll have you going WTF and – regardless of your experience – you’ll most certainly make some costly mistakes, at which you’ll be going Whoops…

Games have a timer of 5 minutes, not including replays or Overtime (when a match ends in a draw, Overtime kicks in and the game takes on a “Golden Goal” or “Sudden Death” format in which the first goal scored ends the game and wins the match).

You’ll find that a lot can happen in those five minutes – you may also find yourself unnaturally invested in winning – Rocket League is as much a game of skill and refined mechanics as it is about positioning and, ultimately, a bit of luck with your rebounds!

The game is easy to pick up and although I recommend using a controller, it is certainly playable with a keyboard and at the end of the day, that comes down to personal preference.

• Striking visuals across the vast range of environments and effects. Everything from the rocket trails to the sand particles of the Wasteland map – all look incredible.
  
• Improved physics, consistency and playability. The physics of the Rocket League universe feel just right, allowing a novice player to quickly familiarize themselves with the mechanics of the game, whilst also allowing an experienced player to continually hone their skills to perfection, the results of which can be extraordinary to watch.
  
• Several Gameplay modes including Casual (1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4), Competitive (1v1, 2v2, 3v3) and some Mutator game modes which affect variables such as Ball Weight/Size, Gravity and Boost amount.
  
• Runs on any decently spec’d machine, provided you adjust the graphical settings accordingly.
  
• DLC is cheap and you are supporting a lovely group of developers, as demonstrated by their willingness to go back and tend to the various issues with SARPBC. They also extended the time that we could play a certain game mode as everyone loved it. Thanks Psyonix!
  
• In-game drops that allow you to customize your vehicle including hats, flags, decals and rocket trails, all of which can be used interchangeably.
  
• Something amazing will probably happen every single match. Probably. OMG! What a save!

• As with all online, Competitive game queues/modes, Rocket League has its fair share of people that will flame you, although negative experiences will surely be few and far between and flaming in Casual matches is virtually non-existent.
  
• Players are free to choose a region in which to play in, so you may be matched with people who have 250+ ping, this doesn’t happen often as they are mostly putting themselves at a disadvantage here, but if you get one on your team, you probably won’t enjoy their company.
  
• #@&!

Pysonix made the bold decision to not give up on their original concept and this time, that concept has been realized almost flawlessly.

Ultimately, Rocket League is an intuitive, incredibly fun filled title that has the potential to provide an endless amount of entertainment, Psyonix are aware of this and are constantly listening to community feedback in order to give us the best experience possible.

It’s refreshing to have a dev team so intent on at least CONSIDERING our feedback, let alone taking it into consideration.

TL;DR: Psyonix have taken their original concept of rocket-powered battle cars playing soccer and turned it into an engaging, intuitive title that anyone can have fun with.

[i]Rocket League[/i] is the successor to 2008's Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars, a game which – although great in concept - suffered from game-breaking bugs (especially in Online Mode), unimpressive graphics (it ran on UE3 – the same engine as RL, yet looked atrocious) and clunky, unrefined gameplay. As a result, the “original iteration” of this game left much to be desired. SARPBC was the first self-published title from Psyonix and they have actually gone back and tended to several, if not all of the issues with the game, what a lovely bunch of human beings. Skip over to 2015, Pysonix announce a brand new, aptly named sequel, Rocket League. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] Many of the previous titles core gameplay mechanics have been preserved, this is still very much a physics based soccer game in which two opposing teams are looking to score extravagant goals using their presumably named Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars (I’m never writing that again). Generally, the game plays out something like this: [list] [*]Players start in one of four possible starting points near their respective goals. [*]The Ball is placed in the middle of the pitch. [*]After a 3 second timer, the match begins with the above rules in place. [*]The opposing teams try to get The Ball into each other’s goals. [*]Players can pick up Boosts, laid out across the map, to slowly increase (small boosts) or totally fill (larger, floating boosts) their Boost meters allowing for rapid manoeuvring and repositioning around the map. [*]Once a goal is scored, the scoreline is updated and the game resets to the first point above. [/list] It isn’t all that easy to see how a game as simplistic as this could be so captivating, and yet Psyonix have managed to make Rocket League an incredibly fun filled title, packed with goals that’ll make you scream OMG, saves that’ll have you going WTF and – regardless of your experience – you’ll most certainly make some costly mistakes, at which you’ll be going Whoops… Games have a timer of 5 minutes, not including replays or Overtime (when a match ends in a draw, Overtime kicks in and the game takes on a “Golden Goal” or “Sudden Death” format in which the first goal scored ends the game and wins the match). You’ll find that a lot can happen in those five minutes – you may also find yourself unnaturally invested in winning – Rocket League is as much a game of skill and refined mechanics as it is about positioning and, ultimately, a bit of luck with your rebounds! The game is easy to pick up and although I recommend using a controller, it is certainly playable with a keyboard and at the end of the day, that comes down to personal preference. [h1]Pros[/h1] [list] [*]Striking visuals across the vast range of environments and effects. Everything from the rocket trails to the sand particles of the Wasteland map – all look incredible. [*]Improved physics, consistency and playability. The physics of the Rocket League universe feel just right, allowing a novice player to quickly familiarize themselves with the mechanics of the game, whilst also allowing an experienced player to continually hone their skills to perfection, the results of which can be extraordinary to watch. [*]Several Gameplay modes including Casual (1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4), Competitive (1v1, 2v2, 3v3) and some Mutator game modes which affect variables such as Ball Weight/Size, Gravity and Boost amount. [*]Runs on any decently spec’d machine, provided you adjust the graphical settings accordingly. [*]DLC is cheap and you are supporting a lovely group of developers, as demonstrated by their willingness to go back and tend to the various issues with SARPBC. They also extended the time that we could play a certain game mode as everyone loved it. Thanks Psyonix! [*]In-game drops that allow you to customize your vehicle including hats, flags, decals and rocket trails, all of which can be used interchangeably. [*]Something amazing will probably happen every single match. Probably. OMG! What a save! [/list] [h1]Cons[/h1] [list] [*]As with all online, Competitive game queues/modes, Rocket League has its fair share of people that will flame you, although negative experiences will surely be few and far between and flaming in Casual matches is virtually non-existent. [*]Players are free to choose a region in which to play in, so you may be matched with people who have 250+ ping, this doesn’t happen often as they are mostly putting themselves at a disadvantage here, but if you get one on your team, you probably won’t enjoy their company. [*]#@&! [/list] Pysonix made the bold decision to not give up on their original concept and this time, that concept has been realized almost flawlessly. Ultimately, Rocket League is an intuitive, incredibly fun filled title that has the potential to provide an endless amount of entertainment, Psyonix are aware of this and are constantly listening to community feedback in order to give us the best experience possible. It’s refreshing to have a dev team so intent on at least CONSIDERING our feedback, let alone taking it into consideration. TL;DR: Psyonix have taken their original concept of rocket-powered battle cars playing soccer and turned it into an engaging, intuitive title that anyone can have fun with.