Rocket League Review – I’m a Rocket Man

With the chorus of Elton John’s 1972 classic running through my head, I happily hum along as I play Psyonix’s excellent rocket-car soccer/football hybrid, Rocket League. As a huge fan of the (unrelated) Unreal Tournament 2004 mod Deathball, Rocket League’s concept strikes a very good chord with me, but is it really hitting on all cylinders, or could it use a tune-up before hitting the pitch?

The biggest takeaway I have from Rocket League is that the developers really seem to care. From free content (like the new Wasteland arena, customizable mutators and the forthcoming ice hockey mode) to decently priced DLC that offer fun extras to those willing to pay while not locking part of the game off behind a further paywall, this is how you properly support a game. To make it even better, they are supporting a really good game.

The controls are pretty much as spot-on as they can get (provided you play with a controller – you do have one by now, right?) and everything from the cars’ speed and acceleration to the placement of the boost powerups and the actual use of said boost, Rocket League handles extremely well. Lower-skilled players and newcomers can do well enough at ground level, but for the dedicated, the game is elevated quite literally as they take to the air to chase after the ball.

Rocket League is a clean looking game with a very Unreal Engine feel (for good reason). The cars all look really sharp and while the level of customization isn’t outstanding, the options still offer enough to let you stand out and express yourself.

I don’t have a whole lot of complaints with Rocket League. As with any competitive game, the online community can get nasty and/or snarky, but that is neither Psyonix’s fault nor one exclusive to Rocket League, so I’m not going to blame it for that. The analog stick on my controller (a wired Xbox 360 controller) occasionally stops working on the menus and I have to use the directional pad instead, which, while not a serious issue, is seriously irritating, especially when everything else seems to work so well.

Rocket League is a fantastic game, one that seems to be consistently growing and improving. Even without further additions, though, it is more than worth your time.