Soccer is worldwide.  It has spread across America both physically and electronically.  With franchises like FIFA, it is hard to find original game ideas.

Fortunately, Psyonix created a soccer game with a twist: they added cars.  “Rocket League” might not be new, as it was originally released in July 2015, but it continues to hold a spot in many gamer’s collections and attract new players.

“Rocket League” was nominated for over 150 gaming awards, according to rocketleaguegame.com.  This recognition brought it into the limelight.

The gaming community only took more notice as the price decreased to $20 and the game’s quality increased.

Senior Matt Gregor started playing a year after its release.

“The guy at GameStop said it would be a fun game to play with my brother when he came home from college,” Gregor said.

He began to play regularly due to the competitiveness that is present both with friends and strangers.

“Communication is the biggest thing about winning,” Gregor said.  “If you can play with understanding and purpose you win the game.”

He, as well as senior Chase Gulledge, plays two vs. two competitive.  Unlike Gregor, Gulledge plays with less intensity.

“Positioning is important,” Gulledge said, “but I usually don’t think about strategy and just play for fun.”

Modes such as hockey and basketball add depth to the game, as well as different ways to play that more people can enjoy.  Competitive mode adds an extra layer of strategy and competition.  Rumble mode adds special abilities to make the game even more chaotic than it already is.

That chaos is not without strategy.  The game is difficult to learn due to the technical controls that are required to play.

Because “Rocket League” is played using cars and implements simple mechanical physics, it takes time to master movement both on the ground and in the air, thanks to the car’s jumping ability and jetpack.

Learning how to time moves and how much power to put into a shot takes practice, but this is all justified when the ball goes into the goal for the first time, as well as every time after.

Psyonix continues to add updates and new content a year and a half later.  If the flame of this game is dying, it is ambiguous.

“The quality of play stays at a high level because a new game isn’t released every year,” Gregor said.