Rocket League, designed by developer Psyonix, and the sequel to Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars (SARPBC) released on the Playstation 3 is a fast paced, supercharged game of soccer played using miniature RC vehicles aiming to smash a large metal ball into the opponent’s goal. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
The game can be played in Standard 3v3, Doubles 2v2, Duel 1v1, and Chaos 4v4 modes but I found the more players in a match, the more fun the game becomes. In the Beta, players are separated into team Blue or Orange with the ball ready and waiting in the center of the map. Each round consists of 5:00 minutes of constant jumping, boosting, drifting, and smashing to score the most points. If at the end of the matches teams are tied, the game enters into Sudden Death mode with the first team to score winning the match. Circular pads are laid around the maps and build a boost meter, as they are collected. Building this boost meter sometimes makes the difference between beating out an opponent to the ball to score or being left tossed to the other side of the map.
The official release promises to provide 10 customizable Battle-Cars and a variety of beautifully designed arenas to play in. I found the techno-based music to add flair to the matches and set the tone for the overall game. Arena sounds are lifelike and pump up the feeling that you are actually competing for a championship.
With the game scheduled for a Summer 2015 release on PlayStation Network, Psyonix hopes to revive a favorite for those who played the original and bring the mayhem to a new generation of gamers. As a new fan to the series, Rocket League promises to bring hours of crazy gameplay to gamers of all ages and hurt feelings to anyone who dares to see me in the arena.
