Recent reviews by AUDIOTAPE

Rocket League (RL) is one of the most satisfying games I've ever played. I do enjoy other games, but I can't currently think of one that challenges it in this regard. What makes RL so satisfying to me? What, if anything, makes RL special?
Some keywords to start out with; Control, action, skill, challenge, learning, creativity, satisfaction, community, team play, 'sport feel', and possibilities.

THE SATISFACTION - Part 1; My preferences in games.
I am the kind of person who prefers games where I feel that I am personally in control of the character, car, whatever-you-have. I like the feeling of personally controlling something rather than 'telling it what to do', so I prefer FPS games, 3rdperson games, fighting games, racing games, etc. OVER strategy games, manager games, card games, you name it. If there's action to be done, I want to be the one (or one of the ones) doing it. I also like stories and campaigns - RL doesn't have that, but as you'll learn if you read on, that's not an issue for.

THE SATISFACTION - Part 2: Rocket League's basic mechanics.
So how does RL live up to being the kind of game that I prefer? It absolutely nails it! I can't currently think of a game where I had a greater sense of being absolutely responsible for everything that my 'character' does ( in this, of course, the car). Yes, the flips you can do after the initial jump are 'programmed to act in a certain way', which means that I don't personally change thrusters to make my car flip, BUT this is not an advanced car-flight simulator, and that would probably be a level of control that would be too demanding
for most players - myself included. When that has been said, as you learn the different basic moves that the cars can do, you (hopefully) realize multiple things; not only do the moves react to a fantastic level of precision when it comes to the direction you order the car to go, the so-called 'programmed moves' can actually be manipulated; canceled, slowed down, etc... All in all, this boils down to one major part of the game; YOU'RE IN CONTROL - for good or worse, which leads me to my next section.

THE SATISFACTION - Part 3: Learning and mastering Rocket League's mechanics.
After my introduction to RL's mechanics above, I can now talk about why RL is special to me. This is where, to my knowledge, RL is in a league of its own (sorry for the pun). Anyone can look at RL and after a few moments understand exactly what they're supposed to do. You might not be very good at it at first (and this is key), but you know what you're supposed to do, and it's theoretically really simple. In my 20+ years of gaming, I've never played another game, where the basic objective(s) are so simple, and the (basic) mechanics are so easy to understand, So why is it so satisfying? Two words here are crucial; Learning + mastering.

You're learning from the moment you pick up the controller; how fast the car goes (with and without boost), how it turns(it differs slightly between cars), how it jumps and flips, how the ball reacts when you hit it(it differs slightly between cars), how the other cars react when you hit them and so on. At first, it may all seem overwhelming and intimidating and people seemingly have very different 'starter skills' - I personally think that if you've ever controlled an RC car, then you're already off to a good start. Every match is 5 minutes + however much time is spent watching replays of goals and the possibility of overtime, meaning that every encounter is a manageable size for beginners and easy to fill almost any size of spare time with... Be careful with this one...

Once you feel comfortable with controlling the car, something 'unique' will most likely happen; You start feeling cocky and competitive and you want to prove your worth on the field - And I think you're right to feel that way, because it's not an easy game, and in the end, that's what makes RL the perfect E-sports game!

So you keep playing, and as you keep playing, you realize that you're getting better and better. It's a very personal struggle and even though it is a somewhat lonely one (your non-RL-playing friends will not understand), it's a super satisfying one. But while you're getting better, 2 things become clear to you; 1; You're definitely better than you were some months ago; You hit the ball more often; you make harder shots, you make great saves, and maybe you even take part in a passing play, etc. but 2; you're not "just kicking everybody's ass"... This is, again, something where RL has outdone all other games I've played - Their matchmaking is great (most of the time - seasonal resets mess with this especially), so you'll be facing other people who are just as "good" at the game as you, meaning that no game is won or lost in advance. Since this is the case, 3things are relevant;
1: You might at times end up feeling like you're not actually getting better (you probably are, but slowly)
2: Since so much goes into 'playing well', that does mean that there is truly such a thing as having "a bad RL day" - I've had hundreds. When writing this, I've played 2288 hours on PC, steam tells me.
3: (MAJOR) You might also think "How can people be better than I am now??" to which the answer is; That initial cockiness and competitiveness have blinded you to the fact that there is (seemingly) no actual skill-ceiling in this game. 6 years after release, people are still discovering/inventing new 'moves'/mechanics (Look up wavedash, musty flick, half flip, flip rest, to name a few) AND - and this is probably the most important fact - You can always improve your consistency - meaning, actually doing exactly what you intend to do with the car, every time.

SHARING THE SATISFACTION / STRUGGLE
While you were learning more and constantly improving, you were faced off against other people in the same situation. If you're lucky - which I hope you are - A lot of these people will feel great to play with - one might call this 'chemistry', and if you're very lucky, both you and the other player(s) want to keep playing together, and this is where the game really takes off. Suddenly, you're even less alone in your pursuit of skill and mastership - you have a partner or, rather, a team. I cannot overstate the difference it made for me when I played with a random German guy on PS4 (I'm Danish); We played a great match, complimented each other on some things, and agreed to play together again 'the next day'. This was approximately 4 years ago. We've since made the switch to PC, have reached Grand Champion for 6+ seasons, and have become actual friends. This mofo sent me a Christmas present... I've felt a great sense of community connected with this game - This might not be (and definitely isn't the case) for everyone. If you're a lone wolf, that's entirely possible.

All in all; RL is brilliantly challenging and satisfying. It gives you a sense of control which makes the satisfaction you feel when you succeed feel so deserved. You will keep getting better and learn new things - There's also a quickly growing e-sports scene - tons of tutorials on youtube - a great subreddit and on and on. If the game speaks to you, which you will most likely know fairly quickly, maybe already from reading this, it will most likely also keep being an amazing experience.
Quick tip; staying hydrated and exercising improves your motor skills and focus.. ad keeps you... healthy.