This Online 5v5 Soccer Game Had Me Sweating From The Pressure

by

From creating renown with martial arts-focused action titles like Absolver and Sifu, one might not anticipate that Sloclap’s next venture would be Rematch, an online multiplayer soccer game, given the FIFA series’ longstanding dominance in soccer video games. Although soccer is cherished worldwide and a favorite pastime, its video game portrayals have predominantly been ruled by the EA FC series, making it challenging to imagine a different option.

One significant distinction I discovered during my trip to Rematch’s Paris studio is that it offers a unique twist compared to most soccer simulators. While many games allow you to manage an entire team, Rematch operates more like a “soccer-player simulation.” In this third-person perspective, the camera remains at pitch level, following your player throughout the six-minute match. This setup means that during my hands-on experience, I was playing alongside other journalists, much like a real soccer game.

When discussing Rematch, creative director Pierre Tarno compares it less to soccer and more to genres such as a third-person action game or shooter, due to the mechanic of aiming a crosshair with a joystick and pulling a trigger to “shoot” the ball. Although the game is set 40 years ahead in a more hopeful future that features AR technology allowing playfields to transform into diverse environments like stadiums, rainforests, underwater, or even space, the core gameplay remains traditional soccer, rather than the exaggerated abilities you’d find in games like Mario Strikers.

In matches, certain rules are suspended that keep the game’s tempo consistently high. For example, there are no offside violations, no fouls, and because the ball can rebound from the cage walls, there are no throw-ins or corner kicks. However, while Tarno displayed a preliminary trailer featuring the team testing a wall-running ability for players, that particular instance of extraordinary actions was eventually discarded.

He clarifies that it deviated too much from a realistic football fantasy we intended to create. Football, as well as our game Rematch, are simple by nature – they both involve coordinated movements and body positions. Interestingly, these elements connect Rematch to our past games, which had a combat focus. However, at its core, Rematch is about understanding the situation and positioning yourself correctly; it’s about being aware of the timing and the game dynamics.

While playing a match, I had full command over my player’s movements across the field, as well as determining their positioning for receiving or intercepting the ball. The most challenging aspect to master was getting the ball itself, as there is no pass button. Instead, a player can either perform a ground kick or shoot the ball, which requires manual aiming. Teammates can call for the ball, creating a line that helps the player in possession decide if they’re open, but ultimately, it comes down to skill in accurately kicking the ball and the other player being in the right position to catch it. In Rematch, mastering this was quite tricky.

Executing volley actions is quite challenging yet impressive when done correctly. These maneuvers take place when a halo (diamond shape) forms around an incoming ball, requiring precise positioning and lightning-fast reflexes. By doing so, you can swiftly pass or shoot the ball as soon as it reaches you. The effectiveness of this move depends on the height of the ball, which could lead to a header in some situations, but ideally results in a bicycle kick aimed at the corner of the goalpost.

After experimenting with tutorials and transitioning into 4v4 games, we primarily focused on maintaining control of the ball rather than performing extraordinary plays during our practical sessions. The challenging aspect of keeping possession is intentionally incorporated in the design, aiming to encourage teamwork, as no one would want to monopolize the ball given how effortlessly it can be taken away by a tackle.

There are still valuable techniques for maintaining control of the ball, such as pressing A to move the ball away from you like a pass, which technically makes you not in possession and thus less susceptible to being tackled. Alternatively, you can perform an impressive rainbow flick over an opponent player. Sprinting with a boost, or “efforts,” is another option, but be aware that this energy bar takes time to replenish, so it may not be effective if you’re trying to make a solo run from your goal to the opposing team’s goal.

As a gamer, I totally get what Tarno’s saying: Teamwork truly matters! It’s not just about scoring goals, but also about making those smart passes that help us move forward. And guess what? Those well-timed passes even earn us points, along with other cool actions like intercepting the ball. At the end of each game, these points add up to decide our Most Valuable Player (MVP). The beauty of this game lies in the camaraderie we share while playing football together, and it’s incredibly gratifying to set up a teammate with that perfect assist rather than just scoring goals on my own. That’s how Tarno puts it: It’s all about enjoying the thrill of team football, where putting your team first brings more satisfaction and rewards than scoring yourself.

During the second part of our interactive session, it became a full-fledged five-a-side game as additional developers joined in. Interestingly, this expansion also enlarged the play area. At the outset, there will be three different field sizes for 3v3s, 4v4s, and 5v5s, with the latter being slightly smaller than a standard soccer pitch (115-by-74 yards). This underlines that even someone deeply familiar with the game after years of development can’t singlehandedly lead the team to victory – they are only as strong as the team working together.

In our trials with gamers who typically play competitive games such as Call of Duty and EA FC, we’ve observed positive results. By the second or third match, when they’re playing with random teammates in solo queues, they’re showing a more cooperative approach – passing the ball instead of dribbling aimlessly trying to be the star player. This change might also be due to the fact that many players have experience with five-a-side games, appreciate football, and understand that no one in real football actually dribbles the ball everywhere.

In Rematch, the goalkeeper’s role isn’t just about standing guard in the net and dreading being picked last like old gym class days. Instead, positions rotate after each goal, making the goalkeeper a role many players find appealing. Unlike traditional thinking that every aspect relies solely on personal skill, the keeper has unique advantages. For instance, they can temporarily switch to sweeper, moving beyond the penalty area to act as an extra defender when needed. Additionally, keepers enjoy unlimited energy, allowing them to sprint back to their goal whenever necessary. Even during my time as a goalkeeper, I experienced moments where the ball seemed to magically find its way into my hands, implying that Sloclap is also ensuring the keepers don’t drop the ball due to clumsiness. In contrast, other players must be precisely positioned to receive or intercept the ball.

The decisive moment that made me believe Rematch was extraordinary occurred during our second-to-last match. In an unexpected turn of events, a late equalizer sent us into overtime with no draws or penalty shootouts possible. Instead, we played a single golden goal overtime match, which could go on indefinitely. To my surprise, this overtime lasted over twelve minutes – twice the usual six-minute duration. By the end, I was drenched in sweat, as if I had actually been playing on the field, sprinting back and forth, calling for the ball or urging my teammates to shoot.

Sloclap aims to create a sense of intense pressure for players in Rematch, and they themselves will face their own share of pressure once it launches as a paid online game. While EA’s franchise may not be its direct competition, given its focus on Ultimate Team, the real contest comes from numerous other free-to-play team multiplayer games like Rocket League and Overwatch 2. Tarno, who frequently plays these games, acknowledges the fierce competition but believes that if a game is unique, high-quality, and reasonably priced, players will purchase it, even if it’s not free-to-play. Trust me; the effort invested in this game was worthwhile.

Rematch launches on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on June 19. An open beta is running April 18-19.

Read More

2025-04-10 20:40