Rocket League
Rated "E"
Developer: Psyonix
Publisher: Psyonix
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
A game that’s still just as easy to pick up with a skill ceiling that’s hovering somewhere in low Earth orbit.
But there’s a golden layer of strategy and mechanical depth tucked inside the chaotic mashing of metal. Timing a somersault, barrel roll, or bicycle kick to connect with the ball and send it sailing at a precise angle takes notable skill. Those basics, when coupled with expert teamplay and mind-blowing booster-powered aerial maneuvers, solidify Rocket League as a game that’s still just as easy to pick up with a skill ceiling that’s hovering somewhere in low Earth orbit.
At launch, the content around that gameplay felt a little barebones. Since then, though, it’s been substantially fleshed out with smart alternate modes that emphasize different skills and add variety. The Snow Day hockey mode substitutes a dense, oversized puck for the bouncier soccer ball; Hoops is a basketball variant emphasizing aerial play; Dropshot is a two-sided floor-breaking mode; and Rumble mode deals out power-ups that disrupt players and influence the ball. It’s all a ton of fun.
And of course, the competitive playlist for the traditional 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4 shines as the great ladder system Rocket League was missing to bring some-term goals to its pick-up-and-play ease, offering seasonal cosmetic rewards and bragging rights as you try to climb through the ranked tiers.
The cache of hundreds of tradeable cosmetic items continues to grow.
Serious players have their go-to speedsters, but even with the continuous influx of brand-associated cars you can purchase and use, you’re still totally effective on the field. That’s a list that includes the Batmobile, a DeLorean, and the platform-exclusive cars like the Mario/Luigi-mobile, Halo's Warthog, or Sweet Tooth's ice cream truck.
Meanwhile, the cache of hundreds of tradeable cosmetic items continues to grow. With everything from customizable goal explosions to player banners, there are innumerable combinations that allow you to truly stand out, and almost all of it can be earned just by playing. There’s some grinding, sure, but you’re always rewarded, and even duplicate items can be stacked up and traded in for items of better quality using a rudimentary crafting system that adds another layer to the appeal of collecting cosmetics.
And yes, Rocket League does come with loot crates that you earn for playing online matches (roughly one every 10 hours of play), but here they’re used relatively inoffensively and can be completely toggled off in the options menu when setting up a game. You can't purchase them with real money, so there's no real pay-to-win element – especially since these items don't actually do anything other than make you look rad. Instead, they're more like optional rewards you get for grinding out online matches that you can open if you decide to spend $1.50 for a key (or $1 each if you buy in bulk). If you don’t want to spend money at all, you can still get at the contents of these boxes by participating in special, limited-time events that award you keys just for playing more Rocket League.