A new competitive multiplayer sports title has just hitXbox Game Pass, and players are already claiming it’s superior toEA Sports FC 25, the preeminent soccer sim for many years running.EA FCis the successor to theFIFAline after losing its licensing, and traditionally has you control all 11 players on your side; this Game Pass newcomer takes a more intimate approach to the world’s game.
What Is Rematch?
Competitive Five-A-Side Futsal
The elevator pitch forRematchhas long been:Rocket League, but with more traditional soccer gameplay. If you’re familiar with futsal, it’s essentially the same thing, but closer to indoor soccer, since there are no out-of-bounds. You control a single-player on your team inRematch, which offers quickplay playlists for 3v3, 4v4, or 5v5 on pitches smaller than a traditional soccer field. Its ranked playlist adopts the latter team size, mimicking five-a-side indoor soccer.
TheJune Game Pass additiontakes a rapid-fire, constantly rotating approach to the sport. You’ve got a stamina meter for running, and a shorter boost meter to sprint with. Take the furthest defensive position in your side’s box and your character will get keeper’s gloves, but you can seamlessly transition to a field position if you want to push the ball up the field. The walls are conducive to all sorts of acrobatic gameplay –it’s not uncommon to see a cross come off the backboard to be rocketed home by a bicycle kick.
Why You Should Play Rematch
There’s An Incredibly High Skill Ceiling
Just likeRocket League, the appeal ofRematchis its intimate, team-based, competitive environment. Everyone is on an even playing field with the same mechanics, butthere’s a very high skill ceiling when it comes to ball handling, passing, and teamwork. It’s a game that rewards the time and practice put into it, and its six-minute-long matches ensure the pressure is always on.
It also helps thatRematchreleased day one on Game Pass, which is sure to give it a strong initial player count.Rocket Leaguedid similar with PlayStation Plus all the way back in 2015, and is still going strong with its dedicated competitive players. If you’ve already gotXbox Game Pass, there’s no harm in givingRematcha go. It might be more mechanically appealing than those who don’t like the big-picture simulation ofEA Sports FC 25.
