Ricochet and rumble your way towards victory! Rocket League is a blast; here’s everything you need to know to hop in!
Describing Rocket League is simple: car soccer. Mastering Rocket League, however, is a completely different beast. Rocket League, now owned by Epic Games, is a multiplayer sports game where two teams of one to four players go head-to-head to see who can score the most points and take home the gold. Some of the most entertaining esports clips of all time are from Rocket League, and here is the what, how, and why behind it.
1. What is Rocket League?
Rocket League is as basic as soccer with cars. The advanced parts come through the stadium setup, the car controls, and the rocket fuel.
The Basics
To brush up on your soccer knowledge, Rocket League has an oversized ball and two goals on opposite sides of the stadium. Two teams of 1v1 all the way to 4v4 bump the ball into the opponent’s goal to score. Easy as that. Rocket League takes place in a wide stadium with curved sides that allow cars to ride on walls and even the ceiling for a short time. Throughout the stadium are glowing pockets of gold rocket fuel. This rocket fuel is what makes Rocket League so fun and challenging. But, we’ll get to that in the “how to play” section.
The Modes
There aren’t many differentiating modes in Rocket League; the most popular is the soccer mode. However, two modes worth mentioning are the hoops and snow day modes. In hoops, soccer is exchanged for basketball. The goals are replaced with big hoops and the ball must be launched in the air and through the hoop to score. On a snow day, the ball is exchanged for a hockey puck. The ground is more slippery, resembling ice but everything else remains the same. All modes have casual and ranked modes to either play for fun or compete.
2. How Do I Play Rocket League?
Rocket League esports take place on PC, but most professionals still use the controller from PS4 or Xbox, because Rocket League thrives on consoles as well. Now that you know the basics behind Rocket League, let’s dive into how to play.
Rocket Power
As mentioned before, rocket fuel makes this game much more than just soccer with cars. Every car has a max of 100 fuel that drains with use, needing constant recharge from the pockets around the stage. Also, every car has the ability to jump twice, once as a little hop and twice in mid-air causing a flip in the direction of choice. With these perfectly timed jumps, rocket fuel can be used to propel your car, enabling a temporary flight throughout the stadium. Exploding towards your goal to make an epic save or hopping and gliding at top speeds towards the ball to score make for extremely enjoyable Rocket League moments.
Customizability
Unlike other esports games that have unique characters with specific abilities, every car in Rocket League (for the most part) play the exact same. Instead, to add originality to your car, unlockable cosmetics are awarded after playing matches. Things like the car body, the rocket trail, the antenna, and even hats are all unlockables to personalize your car.
3. Why Should I Play Rocket League?
If soccer and its rocketing gameplay haven’t convinced you, there are many other reasons why to get into Rocket League.
Quick, Fun and Easy
Unlike League of Legends or Rainbow 6 Siege, Rocket League is a game that almost anyone can pick up and have a great time with. This game is extremely fun with friends casually or competitively. Matches are five minutes long (if it doesn’t go into overtime), which gives the game that “just one more match” allurement. Easy rules, quick games, and the ability to play with or against your friends make for a perfectly fun game.
Steep Learning Curve (If You Want It)
The flip side of Rocket League is the competitive, esports nature where the learning curve is steep. Sure, anyone can play Rocket League and have a good time, but mastering propulsion and maneuverability take lots of practice and dedication. Esports pros spend hours practicing saves, ball control, flight, and scoring. Teamwork and overall strategy are also crucial to a successful esports team. The good news for this is that the high level of play is there for those willing to work for it and the casual, just fun experience is there for people looking to mess around with their friends.
Rocket League is an immensely fun multiplayer game for all people: cars people, sportspeople, and fun-loving people. If you’re looking for a place to hone your skills or if you are looking to play a quick match with some friends, Rocket League offers both. As one of the more popular esports games, Rocket League is a game to try out and stick with.