Whether it’s the studio’s debut title, Absolver, or the more recent Sifu, Parisian outfit Sloclap is no stranger to crafting games with educated feet at their core. Certainly keen to keep on heading down this particular avenue, Sloclap brings us Rematch, a stylish football (or soccer – for those across the pond) centric offering that combines key aspects of the Beautiful Game with Sloclap’s verve and flair. Whether you’re a dyed-in-the-wool, season ticket owning, scarf-wrapped football fan, or just an appreciator of ultra-responsive, super stylish sports games in general, online multiplayer footy effort Rematch has something for everybody and is shaping up to be the next big thing. Here’s why.
Authentic Football With More Than A Dash Of Arcade Sensibilities
Though the likes of EA FC and Konami’s eFootball games are very much framed through a simulation-like lens, there is ample room for other football titles to take a less rigorous angle on the game, and this is precisely where Rematch comes in. Designed to simplify a regular game of football, but not dilute the mastery of it, Rematch makes several changes to the typical football video game formula that will feel refreshing to old and new football fans alike.
The first and most obvious change is that, rather than the usual eleven players to a side concept seen in a regular game of footie, Rematch instead elects to trim both teams down to a maximum five players a side, resulting in each match essentially creating a much faster-paced game of football as a direct result. Oh, and the futuristic virtual reality style arenas add a further dash of arcade goodness to the proceedings too, lending Rematch a colourfully energetic and vivid aesthetic that you wouldn’t normally see in traditional football titles. Think FIFA Street meets Rocket League, and you’re part of the way there.

Controlling A Single Player Brings Total Responsibility, Reinforces Teamwork
Another seismic shift in design that takes Rematch away from the orbit of its genre contemporaries is how it deals with team control. As each game can be played in 3v3, 4v4 and 5v5 variants, players each find themselves in control of a single footballer, rather than being able to cycle through the whole team on the fly as you would normally expect to see elsewhere. What this means is that every player has an immutable role in every given game, encouraging everyone involved to truly specialise as a defender, striker or goalkeeper in a way that other football games can’t boast. Of course, the flip side of this is that with each player inhabiting different roles, tight-knit teamwork and coordination are paramount to success. Y’know, like a real game of football.
An Intimate, Third-Person Camera Puts You At The Heart Of The Game
Though perhaps not quite as considerable as the previously aforementioned changes, Rematch alters the camera perspective in a new and interesting way that helps to support its ambitions. With less than half of the players on the pitch than you would normally see in a more traditional game of football, there is ample room for the camera to take a much more active and intimate role. By sitting behind the player that is being controlled, the camera in Rematch lends the proceedings a much more intense and immediate sensation, making you feel much more like you’re part of the action rather than viewing the entire game from an elevated sky camera.
Real World Skill, Not Stats, Makes The Game
In Rematch, there are no stats, no player perks and no abilities. Indeed, there are just two metrics by which govern how your team and player will perform – your own skill and how well you can work as a team. Regarding the former, Rematch affords players a massive, accessible toolkit of moves and tricks that can be easily performed on the pitch. Thanks in part to the ultra-responsive controls, Rematch provides players with the latitude to pull off all manner of lightning-fast headers, overhead kicks, slides, foot switches, and so much more besides.

Much like real football, Rematch is all about accuracy, reaction times, and expertly stringing together dodges, passes and shots in response to the on-pitch action. In Rematch, you become elite because you’ve put the time in to reach such a high standard and not because you happen to be controlling a player that boasts higher stat numbers than others on the pitch. This also means that folks who haven’t played football games before can hop right in and begin their journey to football super stardom. Rematch isn’t just for the elite, it’s for everybody who wishes to become elite. Put simply, Rematch gives you all of the power and all of the tools of a football megastar, but lets you master them on your own accord. More of this, please, footy game developers.
If The Rules Don’t Help The Game, They Get The Boot
Neatly dovetailing with its ambitions to streamline the Beautiful Game in video game form, Rematch also takes a hammer, rather than a scalpel, to some of the real-life rules, too. Essentially, any rule that might otherwise slow down or halt play has been jettisoned in Rematch. This means no offsides, no fouls, no penalties, no throw-ins, no goal kicks and certainly no pauses. There is just the ball, the play and your momentum (or lack thereof). That’s it.
Every Season Is Football Season
In a similar vein to other online multiplayer PvP efforts such as the estimable Rocket League, Rematch is already putting plans in place to deliver free seasonal content to players from launch. In practical terms, this means not only a wealth of new cosmetics, arenas and so on, but new game modes, tournaments and leaderboards too. I’d not rule out possible collaborations with real-life footballers further down the road, either. On day one, Rematch will already boast an array of competitive modes, tournaments and leagues, with cross-play both with and against players from other platforms set to arrive some time after launch.
In a genre often dominated by realism and stats-heavy simulations, Rematch breaks away with bold confidence, offering a more immediate, expressive, and player-driven take on football. It’s a game where style meets substance, where slick footwork and fast thinking take precedence over meta builds and stat sheets. With its focus on individual skill, streamlined rules, and team-centric gameplay, Sloclap’s latest creation isn’t just rewriting the rules of football games – it’s redefining who gets to feel like a star on the pitch. Whether you’re chasing glory with friends or just looking to express your love for the game in a new way, Rematch is shaping up to be a fresh and thrilling evolution of the sport.