Recent reviews by Metallimetal

I remember it like it was yesterday... Okay, I don't actually remember it that vividly, but I do recall getting this game when it was free on the PS4 (bought on Steam later). I had it in my PSN library for quite a while, but didn't play until months later. Prior to this game, I was hooked on Dark Souls III & Bloodborne, and was looking forward to the upcoming release of Metal Gear Solid 5. However, one day I decided to play Rocket League, and what ended up happening is something that rarely happens - It became my favorite game. At first, I just played against bots in exhibition mode - that lasted for a couple of months. Then I started playing the little competitive seasons against bots. But about 3 months in (I wish I hadn't waited so long), I started playing Casual online multiplayer, and I had a blast. From there, the game went from being easy and fun (against bots) to challenging and rewarding (against actual people). I probably played casual for a month or two before even trying Competitive . Again, I wish I hadn't have waited so long to get going in the online aspect of this game, because, for me, that's where it really took off. And I can't say this enough, if you've played the game and felt like its something you can't get better at, spend some time doing the training packs provided, starting with beginner and working your way up. It all takes time, but it's so rewarding to hit a new level in ranked. I once struggled to get out of bronze and silver, then gold, and now Platinum... I'm hoping to get to Diamond this season.

There are only a handful of games over my 34 years that have managed to suck hours and hours of my life away for months and years at a time (Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!, Super Mario Bros. 3, Metal Gear Solid, Tekken 3, Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, Demons' Souls), and the torch has now been passed to a new champion. Keep in mind that when I started playing Rocket League, I was nearing the end of Dark Souls III, and because I haven't played it in two years, I still don't know how it ends. Yes, I've been playing Rocket League for two years straight, and while I have bought many games, including Metal Gear Solid 5, I have not played anything else. I mean, I literally played two games of PUBG with my friends (1st game played - Got Winner Winner Chicken Dinner), which they wanted me to get, and it was fun, but I couldn't bring myself to play it again. As far as I'm concerned, at least for the foreseeable future, there is only time for Rocket League.

That isn't to say that the game is perfect, despite my passion for said game. There are other modes like Dropshot, Hoops, and Rumble, which are fun (mainly Dropshot and Rumble/for me), but the lack of support for theses modes in competitive make for lower matchmaking numbers when searching for an online match. There's also a fair amount of lag that I have to deal with, although, it's mainly on PS4 (I have it on PS4 and Steam/did I mention that I like this game?). What's crazy is, pretty much every time there's an update, large or small, it seems like something gets broken...usually lag-related, or cosmetic, so it can be frustrating. And then there are crates... I'm torn on this, because I have enjoyed opening crates (I've probably spent over $300-$500 over the last two years), but I'm also not a fan of gambling. My way of thinking is that, because I'm not buying a game every month or two, I can somehow justify paying $20 here or $30 there for keys, which adds up quick. I'll just say this, if you're buying this for a kid, make sure you monitor there usage of this game, if only to ensure they're not blowing up your credit/debit card. Tournament mode was added not too long ago, but it seems as though it was a bit rushed. The lack of rewards for winning a tournament, the buggy camera glitches, solo standard and solo doubles hurts as well because you have to partied with someone to play - and that's great, of course you synergy and communication, but you can't assume that everyone is going to have a partner available. I have yet to even try out this mode for that very reason. I mean, I have friends that play the game, but getting them to commit to a tournament might be harder than expected. With that, however, I remain hopeful and optimistic that Psyonix will fix all or most of these issues in time. Also, I'm looking forward to the Rocket Pass that scheduled for release this summer, and I'm hoping it'll replace my urge to open crates.

Last thing, since my initial dive into Rocket League, I've gotten married, moved, and bought a house, and in that time, Rocket League has remained a constant. Sure there are breaks from the games, but never for more than couple of days, save for our honeymoon, or the process of moving (AKA HELL WEEK). That said, if there's one thing that my wife is annoyed by, it's my obsession with this game...and then some. If the game itself wasn't bad enough, I also love watching RLCS events and other live RL tournaments, and even YouTube content creators like Jon Sandman, Sunless Khan, Fluump, and JohnnyBoi_i (to name a few). However, even in all the madness (at times), my wife has her moments of enjoyment with the game. She actually gets really into the RLCS matches and will start cheering when we're watching them together, and she asks how certain teams/players are doing (G2/Rogue).