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For over a century, football has been the world’s most popular sport.
EA Sports FC doesn’t really capture the atmosphere of playing football though, does it?
At least… that used to be true.
I recently got my boots onRematch, and it immediately impressed.
Total Control
Rematch is the first football game that plays like an actual game of football.
Youre an individual player on a team of three, four or five.
The pitch changes size depending on the number of players in each game, i.e.
the 3v3 pitch is smaller than the 4v4 pitch and so on.
And Rematch is competitive.
Theres no gravitational pull on the ball in the game.
Every pass, shot, cross, and clearance is a manual input.
If the pass and corresponding run are perfect, your teammate will then take possession.
It’s a bit like playing a third-person shooter, but that feels like a reductive comparison.
There are three primary ways of affecting the ball in Rematch.
There are low, medium and high power hits.
However, crucially, the game is balanced around being vulnerable in possession.
Rematch is not FIFA 08, its not a game constructed around Neymar-esque solo plays.
The emphasis in Rematch, as in real football, is on teamwork.
There’s verticality, too.
In Rematch, as in Sifu, total control over movement is a central feature.
The real-life maxim of don’t dive in applies to Rematch, too.
There is a lot of nuance in ball hits in Rematch.
Utilising what we used to call spot keeper, the deepest player on the pitch is designated the goalie.
Playing goalkeeper is high-pressure but rewarding.
you could win or lose the game depending on your positioning and how well you predict shots.
Rematch has no offsides, fouls, or out-of-plays.
It’s free-flowing, with play only stopping if someone scores.
By the final match, my palms were sweating, and I desperately wanted to win.
The voice comms were completely dialled in.
A gruelling battle ensued that lasted over ten real-world minutes.
I had been in goal for much of it, saving a close one-on-one to keep us alive.
At one point, I rotated out and began moving up the field.
I take the ball down, tapping it forward and sprinting as I drive towards the goal.
The ball explodes into the net, ending the match in the most dramatic fashion.
I begin fist-bumping my teammates, and I feel it.
Jogo bonito, the beautiful game.
Rematch releases on June 19 for PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and Game Pass.
An open beta will take place between April 18 and April 19.
