E3 2015: Rocket League is Buckets of Fun

The physics-based soccer game is coming to the PS4 soon.

Cross. Platform. Play. I was ecstatic upon learning that Rocket League at this year's E3 had that capability, even with control differences of a mouse/keyboard and a PS4 controller. The sequel to Supersonic Acrobat Rocket-Powered Battlecars, the team at Psyonix sharpened their skills to deliver Rocket League, a tighter game with a much shorter name. In short, it's soccer (or football, depending where you're at) with cars. The goal: scoring a goal by hitting the ball with your car. There's no announcer screaming out an elongated "goal," and we doubt that there would be any national upsets over team bouts in your living room, so rest assured that when your car scores the winning goal over a heated match of epic proportions, you can sleep soundly at night. 

With an initiuve feel, the the game's concept is very straightforward. Hit the ball into the team's goal. How a player does it is completely up to them, and with the physics engine that is built into the game, scoring goals is incredibly fun. Cars can jump, double jump, drive on walls and even ceilings, use boosters, disable opponents by smashing into them, powerslide, and so on. Combinations of these can be powerful against even the strongest opponents.

Naturally, teamwork is a huge part of the game that is key to winning. Psyonix encourages assists and saves for teammates. Players can jump in and out of games as if they hadn't even started, so the multiplayer drone of waiting in a lobby for someone with a low ping will likely be a thing of the past. 

Car customization has gone haywire, in a good sense. Ten billion possible car combinations are possible. Put hats on your cars, change your boost flare (available in 36 pieces), decals, paint, lights, and more. Players can even jump in SweetTooth from Twisted Metal. Some options are actually chuckle-worthy homages to games and movies such as Blacklight, Warframe, Strike Vector, and even Top Gun (I think I saw a callsign of Goose somewhere in there).

Psyonix is dedicated towards supporting the release for this game. Since the release for the prequel, the development heads have been updating the game on a consistent basis for years! In the few mintues I tested the game, Rocket Jump was an immediate romp of fun. The game hits later this year.


Follow Jeffery Wright on Twitter @WrightJeffD

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