Fantastical soccer sim Rematch has, we’re instructed, a passing downside. Particularly, no-one is doing it. Whereas I think this dearth of teamplay is exaggerated within the darkness of upset Steam discussion board posts, I undoubtedly bear in mind quite a lot of ballhogging occurring within the third particular person booter’s open beta.
It sounds to me, then, that Rematch is affected by the identical difficulty you get in low-ranked Dota 2 lobbies: everybody desires to be the celebrity, the one who ends the match with the most important numbers subsequent to their title, oblivious to how few situations of the letter ‘I’ happen within the phrase ‘Staff’. It’s only a fewfolks. Clearly, what’s wanted is somebody keen to do the soiled work as a passing-focused assist character, and immediately, that will be me. I’d rating no targets and search no glory, solely defending, distracting, and most significantly, selling the redistribution of stitched leather-based orbs.
My first match initially appears to start suboptimally: I’m in purpose, the place my coveted assists stat can be hardest to pad. Nonetheless, this finally ends up serving properly as a warmup, as I can comfortably collect the ball earlier than hoofing it down the sector to goalhanging squadmates. Early on, this tactic nearly produces a cheeky first help, have been it not for a nice save from my reverse quantity.
Then, a stroke of luck. Considered one of their defenders steals the ball, solely to make a disastrous backpass try and their out of the blue disappeared goalie, sending the ball bouncing pathetically into her personal internet. I couldn’t have been much less concerned within the course of if I attempted, however nonetheless, 1-0!
When play restarts I’m rotated to my most well-liked outfield, and inside a minute, a lucky bounce drops the ball at my ft – with acres of unguarded area to cost into. Immortality awaits with a single well-placed shot, however as a teammate dashes up alongside me, I bear in mind my mission. With the lightest of faucets, I nudge the ball into his path, from whence a pleasant boot punts it into the online. 2-0, and the system works. Elation.
Regardless of our rivals responding with a powerfully struck purpose of their very own, that proves to be their last second of pleasure, as we tighten our grip on the sport as soon as extra. Our carries – soz, forwards – are agile and elusive, our keeper stable. I’m doing my half too, closing off enemy passing routes and harassing ball carriers like a shinpadded gnat. With two minutes remaining I get one other clear run at purpose, once more managing to withstand the temptation to shoot, although realise too late I’ve made the basic assist mistake of isolating myself within the late sport. With no-one to move to the assault fizzles out, nevertheless it’s irrespective of, as some extra inexplicable goalie positioning permits our quick-thinking winger to fireside dwelling into one other empty internet. The whistle blows at a triumphant 3-1, the sport’s sole help going to yours really, and I really feel like Manchester United in 1999: completely unplayable.
It’s a lovely success, although the scoreboard additionally reveals an uncomfortable fact. It seems I didn’t truly register that many passes, with solely three accomplished ball transfers throughout your entire match. I resolve to spend extra of the following sport in command of the ball, slightly than staying in area – it’ll give my teammates fewer passing choices themselves, however they certainly received’t thoughts after I ship them gift-wrapped footballs with pay as you go categorical supply into the opposing purpose.
It goes terribly. Inside ten seconds, I fumble the ball right into a rival participant’s toes, permitting him to casually trot as much as our six-yard field and slam it goalwards. I can solely stand, despondent, whereas our overwhelmed keeper stares daggers at me from beneath his catboy beanie.
For my sins, I take his place between the sticks, which additionally goes terribly. Our group is bisected by a low move via midfield, and whereas I bravely step out to confront the sprinting attacker, I mistime a defensive dive, opening him as much as wriggle round and safe the best purpose he’ll bag in his profession.
The remainder of the match proceeds nearly as abysmally, largely due to my newfound expertise for unforced errors. I get on the ball extra, however I’m misplacing passes, mistiming dribbles, and mismanaging stamina. Their third purpose is, a minimum of, not my fault instantly – an extended shot sails in and our keeper misses the catch – however with the ultimate seconds on the clock, I fully botch a sideways move that might very seemingly have earned a comfort purpose and an ego-repairing help. It lastly ends 0-3, and I really feel like Manchester United in 2025: unforgivably dogshit.
Maybe to take pity on me, Rematch masses up my subsequent sport with my full group of 4 in opposition to a mere trio, the sort of officiating choice that will have actual soccer followers declaring that the referee is a few number of service provider banker. Even so, I’m decided to win redemption in opposition to these outnumbered children, and start by delivering a crisp, correct move down the wing to an ash-skinned soccer phantom, who respite her spooky visage shortly establishes herself as our most expert participant by far.
That’s one full move within the books, although it doesn’t result in a purpose, and after two minutes of back-and-forth, the ball is out of the blue pinged into our internet, helped alongside by a fourth opponent I in some way missed operating out of the dressing room. Our numbers benefit will not be solely neutralised, however flipped, no matter our talismanic ghost girl’s finest efforts.
Nonetheless, if adversity did not construct energy within the final match, it was getting the bricks down on this one. After the 0-1 I’m again on goalkeeping responsibility, and a minimum of make up for my earlier disasterclass with a succession of flying saves. As a result of having the ball in a single’s palms is the only real place in Rematch the place you aren’t instantly set upon by three indignant units of studs, I’m additionally getting extra time to line up my passes, enabling just a few agonising near-misses on the reverse finish of the pitch.
Ultimately, although, their defence cracks. I sprint out of the field to kick an unclaimed ball down the sector, the place it’s scooped up by a wide-lying teammate, who in flip faucets it sweetly in the direction of our unmarked ghost for a tidy equaliser. Then, simply thirty seconds later, she fires an intercontinental ball-istic missile from simply inches shy of the best touchline, placing us forward. This ghost is having the sport of her… life?
Some cagey defending sees out the sport to a 2-1 victory, however by now I’ve misplaced religion in my very own supporting schtick. My move whole solely crept up from three to 4, and though that doesn’t appear to incorporate goalkeeper hoofballs that will have bounced for a bit earlier than discovering an ally, I can see why Rematch is but to develop a passing meta.
It’s, in brief, simpler to go it alone than even the sport’s personal tutorial desires you to consider. There are undoubtedly moments when passing presents the ball with a quicker route from foot to purpose, however attackers have greater than sufficient flickin’ and tappin instruments to get previous defenders all by themselves, and the efficient capturing vary is so beneficiant that you probably have a gap, why would you not simply take a punt at a flippantly protected internet?
It’s simply inevitable to see egocentric performs when particular person heroics do, in truth, work. Of the 9 targets scored throughout my three matches, solely 4 had credited assists, that means most targets actually are scored by gamers making solo runs and photographs as an alternative of tiki-taka’ing the ball throughout the road. And that was with muggins right here particularly attempting to rack up passes, so most conventional video games shall be even richer in sporting solipsism.
It’s not behaviour that will make you associates in a shirts-for-goalposts kickabout, positive. However in Rematch, good guys both end final, or they’re dragged to first by gamers extra keen to easily take the shot. And truthfully, I can’t blame them for it.
