Rematch is very close to being a real blinder. An online multiplayer football game in which every player controls an individual person on the pitch, it’s a totally fresh take on the sport that takes more than a little inspiration from Rocket League, and the result is fantastic.

Playable in 3v3, 4v4, or 5v5 matches, Rematch plonks you onto an enclosed pitch and does away with fouls and most of the real sport’s intricacies. By keeping the rules simple and matches short, there’s a wide appeal here that’ll draw in even the most passive football fan.

Having said that, this is a surprisingly technical game of footie that requires some practice to get the most from its moveset. It’s just about easy enough to pick up and play, but there’s a high skill ceiling for those willing to master Rematch’s full spread of offensive and defensive manoeuvres.

Fortunately it includes tutorials and minigames designed to teach you the ropes and help you wrap your head around the somewhat fiddly controls. They’re no replacement for proper matches, though, and we’ve observed enough selfish hero plays and goalkeepers refusing to stay in position to know it’ll take a while for the real competitive potential to shine through.

Once you do have the basics down and are on a team that plays like one, it’s incredibly good fun. Whether you’re in goal, playing support, or bagging a winning goal, it’s satisfying to coordinate with teammates and contribute to the effort.

The main thing holding it back at the time of writing is some fairly egregious technical trouble. We’ve noted some nasty moments of lag and other online-related hitches that prevent Rematch from being the smooth experience it needs to be. Presumably these will be ironed out in due course, and developer Sloclap is bringing crossplay support as a priority too.

Rematch is very close to being a brilliant online sports title, and we’re confident it can reach its full potential with the right updates and post-launch support. The gameplay has depth, and successful team play is super rewarding. Once it gets past its early teething issues, this has real potential to take off.