Prepare to get competitive with your family, friends and the rest of the world as the award winning Rocket League is speeding onto the Nintendo Switch just in time for Christmas 2017. The vehicular football game has been one of the most popular games on consoles since its original release in 2015 and its long-awaited arrival to the Nintendo console should be a big hit with Switch gamers.
The release will contain all previous DLC along with extra exclusive content as well as the exciting addition of cross-network play. Nintendo gamers will be able to challenge their Xbox and PC friends with no limitations. It’s certainly set to become one of the most anticipated Switch games of the year.
Release date
Currently, there is no solid UK release date for Rocket League on the Switch. However, it has been confirmed to release sometime during the Christmas holiday season later this year, meaning that families may be having a competitive Christmas.
After the game’s release, further DLC is expected for the foreseeable future for all versions of the sports title, and we’ll be surprised if there isn’t more Nintendo Switch exclusives too.
Rocket League Nintendo Switch announcement video:
Gameplay
Rocket League on the Switch plays exactly the same as it does on other consoles, except with a different control scheme of course. It is unknown whether the Switch’s motion control and rumble functions will be used at all, but we’ll keep you updated as more details are announced.
In gameplay, players control a rocket-powered car in a football match between two teams of any numbers, with demolition derby elements included, such as boosts, jumps, barrel rolls and destroying opposition vehicles. The physics involved are just one of many reasons why the game is as popular as it is. The sight of striking a mid-air ball with a jumping front flip right into the opponent’s goal is extremely satisfying.
The competitive online mode is considered to be the main game mode for the unique title. Players compete in various tiered ranks within game seasons, with wins and losses affecting movements in those rankings similar to other sports games. An offline version of this mode also features for those who aren’t quite ready to tackle the challenges of online multi-player action. There’s also a practice mode called Custom Training, where players can either create their own sequences to share online or download sequences that are already uploaded to help train their skills to the fullest.
Mutators is an interesting feature, which was previously added in an update. It modifies gameplay aspects, such as gravity and ball speed, creating a unique, enjoyable experience for players. It also includes two extra game modes allowing gamers to play additional sports other than football. These are ice hockey, titled Snow Day, and basketball, titled Hoops. This adds good variety for those who may get tired of playing football constantly, as fun as it is.
Customisation is a major part of Rocket League, with a huge variety of vehicles to choose from and over 100 billion possible customisation combinations to use on them. There are generic customisation items along with themed items from popular brands ranging from Portal to Rick & Morty. Don’t be surprised if we soon see a Rick & Morty episode based on Rocket League, because anything can happen in that show.
Also, exclusively included on the Switch are Mario, Luigi and Metroid Samus’ Gunship battle-cars, plus additional customisation items. There are also special arenas, such as the Mushroom Kingdom, so it’s clear that Nintendo is putting its big name characters behind the Switch port.
Rocket League Nintendo Switch Mario, Luigi and Metroid cars trailer:
Graphics
As with the other console releases, Rocket League features stunning arcade-style graphics with bursts of colour and flashes of arena lighting which looks pretty cool. Each shot of a football will display a surge of energy depending on the shot power with an exaggerated, celebratory eruption when that ball hits the opposition goal.
Every arena in the game looks different by having its own identify, as well as looking full of life. The gameplay visuals often have a futuristic look to them and every vehicle in the game has been given plenty of graphical detail, especially with the customisation that you can add to them. It’s very unlikely that players will end up coming up against opponents with identical looking vehicles. Players can also customise the colour of their vehicle’s boost energy, which can lead to an overload of colours on-screen during gameplay.
First impressions
It’s safe to say that Rocket League on the Nintendo Switch has more than enough enjoyable content to keep gamers and families occupied for months on end. Solo gamers can compete online, trying to move up the ranks to become one of the world’s best, while families can hold tournaments to determine who has the bragging rights. It’s shaping up to be the next Splatoon 2 for the console, so expect it to be just as addictive.
The inclusion of game modes based on other sports is a very welcome addition of the gameplay variety. The incredible amount of customisation sets is also something which will keep players busy trying to create their ultimate team.
If you don’t already own Rocket League and you have a Switch, getting this version is your best option because it could be more popular than ever on the Nintendo console, especially with cross-network play. Get set to rev up your engines and score some goals.
