Rematch Preview – the best way to experience the beautiful game

For over a century, football has been the world's most popular sport. The accessibility of the game combined with its high skill ceiling has made it a cultural Stalwart around the world. Despite its popularity, however, we have received relatively few video games that adapt the sport over the years, especially since EA and FIFA (now EA Sports FC) began to dominate the genre.

EA Sports FC doesn't really catch the atmosphere to play football, right? It is a more complicated game than most players probably realize, but it is so far disconnected from the feeling you get when you play football that you can't really compare the two experiences. There is not really a game that captures the feeling and satisfaction of playing a competitive football game with friends; The excitement of choosing a perfect pass or euphoria to make a winning goal, sweating and triumphant.

At least … it used to be true. I recently got my boots on re -match, and it impressed immediately.

Total control

Rematch is the first football match to play as a real football game. You are an individual player in a team of three, four or five. The latter is the game's competition format, as Sloclap feels that five-players team creates the best balance in tactical flexibility and fast flowing games.

Pitch changes size depending on the number of players in each game, ie the 3V3 -ton height is less than the 4V4 -ton height and so on.

And omatch is competitive. There is no gravitational move on the ball in the game. Every pass, shot, cross and clearance is a manual entrance. Your passports are not drawn against teammates by a single button press, your images are not nicely in the lower corner if you click on the finesse shot at a vaguely suitable angle. Instead, you must target your camera at your intended goal – whether it is a teammate or goal – and hit the ball against them, influence the power by holding the button and spinning with the analog stick. If the passport and the corresponding driving are perfect, your teammate will take possession. It's a bit like playing a third person shooter, but it feels like a reductive comparison.

There are three primary ways to influence the ball in Omatch. There are low, medium and high effect. Low power for short passes and knocking of the ball, medium -sized force for most passports and short distances and high power to shoot or hoofing the ball away. There are many shades for each input, which players will learn when they get their hands on the game.

Teamwork makes the dream work

In possession, the ball will stick to your player. But crucial is the game balanced around being vulnerable in possession. It is much easier for a defender to deal with the ball from you than for you to get around them because they benefit in the exchange. You have tools; There are skill movements to dribble, or you can easily tap the ball forward if you predict a tackle, but the most consistent way to keep the possession is to move the ball quickly.

Rematch is not FIFA '08, it's not a game constructed around NeyMar-Esque solo games. The emphasis in Rematch, as in real football, is on teamwork. The defenders' power in duels ensures that you have to put together passing games and use space to succeed.

There is also verticality. You can lobby the ball over players, and the volley system is a nice twist on ball-loop mechanics. If you are close to where the ball should land and tap an action button, your player will react accordingly. For example, you can let your player take the ball down and tap it in one direction or jump in the air and immediately shoot towards the target. It is a system that is suitable for plays and unexpected actions; You may think that an opponent will shoot, just because they suddenly knock on the ball into an overlapping player. In Rematch, as in Sifu, total control over movement is a central function.

When you defend, you can hold a “defensive posture” button that stands by the player with the ball. The actual maximum of “Don't Dive In” also applies to remove. If you dive into a tackle and are played out by the attacker, you are stranded, and they are probably running. The defensive posture button is a smart way to let you meet the ball and jockey, which makes defending more manageable.

There is a lot of shade in ball hits in the Omatch. You can influence the ball's magnus effect to make curling passes and shots, which is crucial to one-to-one.

One-on-one duels with the goalkeeper is an exciting aspect of a match because they are actually duels, because the goalkeeper is piloted by another player. By using what we used to call “Spot Keeper”, the deepest player on the pitch is selected. There is a level of psychology and skill to make these goals when they meet a real opponent, rather than just pressing a button and hope it goes in.

Exciting, quick action

The movement of Keepers is completely manual, which means they can dive, close space and so on. Playing goalkeeper is high pressure but rewarding. You can win or lose the game depending on your positioning and how well you predict pictures. Keepers has endless endurance when they are outside the box because they are encouraged to be sweepers and participate in the game when their team attacks. It is crucial to postpone because distance will often fly over the top of all, and sweeping containers are well positioned to mop these balls and restart the attack.

Rematch has no offside, fouls or out-of-play. It is freely floating, with games only stops if someone gets points.

For the first pairs of games I played with colleagues and developers, I hopelessly chased the ball around like a headless chicken. But with each subsequent game, you could feel that the standard improves when people were looking for space and used the ball intelligently.

At the last match, my palms sweated and I desperately wanted to win. The voters were completely called. At one point, both teams were bound at the end of the regulation period, and we went into golden goals. An astonishing battle followed that lasted for ten real minutes. I had been in goal too much of it and saved a close to one-on-one to keep us alive. At one point I rotated out and began to move up the field.

The voice from Rematch's creative director, Pierre Tarno, called in my ears – he had hoisted the ball in the middle, and I was best positioned to lead the attack. I take the ball down, knock it forward and sprint as I drive towards the goal. I reach the edge of the box and strike it full force and hope the goalkeeper decides to dive into one of the corners. The ball explodes in the net and ends the match in the most dramatic way. Cheers break out. I'm starting to bump my teammates and feel it. The excitement. Jogo Bonito, the beautiful game.

Rematch -Emissions 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.