Rocket League (PlayStation 4) Review

Each game in Rocket League consists of a five-minute football "bash," where the primary objective is to score as many times as possible against the opponent, which can be a friend or "bot" controlled by the game. Other objectives are subtle, such as getting the first touch on the ball and tackling (bumping other cars away); including full body slams that result in large explosions! All of this adds to a points total at the end, giving the ability to upgrade cars within the hugely-stocked "garage" for the ultimate look on the field.

Rewards dished out after matches vary depending on skill and ability on the field, and range from smoke colour changes for turbo boosting to unlocking new vehicles. There is always something to win and upgrade, which gives plenty of motivation to keep playing - quite rare these days.

There are eight maps to compete on, all with their unique backgrounds and eye-catching scenery. A nice touch is that the developers haven't gone for ridiculous realistic visuals, but more of an arcade looking game, whilst at the same time utilising the next generation graphics capabilities, leaving a silky smooth 60fps and detailed artefact, which is very pleasant to look at. The use of colour and glossy sheen on textures just shouts next-gen.

Like most games, there is a dedicated section to keep up to date on progress of stats, leaderboards rankings and replays, so that those perfected goals can be saved and viewed over and over again. Rocket League is also linked to the most popular social media outlets, so stats and videos can be uploaded and shared with friends and the community.

It becomes apparent very quickly that this game has been well thought through and that every effort has been taken in developing it from start to finish. Nothing feels rushed, left out or out of place, and it seems that thorough testing of the final package has taken place, instead of being released to make a "quick buck." The soundtrack, which is available to download from participating digital retailers, has been well chosen and suits Rocket League to the ground. The music feels soft and light, pacey, and enthusiastic, but at the same time hard hitting enough to make an impact on drive and motivation, getting excitement levels up to get stuck in with the game, both alone and with others.

There are, however, some items that would benefit from extra attention, such as the time limits for each match. Despite being a title trying to recreate days gone by in an arcade of fast paced titles, it would be nice to adjust each match's length to squeeze as much fun as possible out of a single game with a friend, online player or bot, thus enhancing the overall enjoyability. The stage selection is also a little thin on the ground, where some variety in design and atmosphere would have really helped to provide a more diverse range of arenas to compete in.