Rocket League was an out-of-nowhere surprise last year on the Playstation 4, and it’s finally available for the Xbox One. It’s a game that’s unexpected on almost every level, especially for me personally. As someone who isn’t a fan of sports, multiplayer in games, or RC cars even, I had little to no interest in Rocket League. And yet, once I got my hands on it, I couldn’t put it down.
The look and feel, the controls, presentation, ease of use, and low barrier to entry- everything about the game got me invested and kept me there for a good couple of weeks. For most of 2015, it was my go-to when I had 15-20 minutes to kill. No matter what reservations you might have going in, if you’re a fan of having fun, you owe it to yourself to play Rocket League.
So, for the few uninitiated, just what is Rocket League? At it’s core, it’s 3-on-3 soccer, except you play as an RC car. This one slight shift completely alters the experience of playing soccer, as the cars can move, shift, and jump in ways that are faster, sharper, and more instantaneous than a human figure could.
Matches take five minutes at the base level, and go by faster than you realize. It’s easy to sit down for what you think is going to be about a half hour, only to lose two hours because you just couldn’t tear yourself away. “One more game” syndrome definitely applies to this one, so beware when estimating your play time.
The Xbox One port of Rocket League is somewhat on par with the other versions out there. On the positive side of things, it is completely functional and playable, and once you jump into a match, you’ll be off and running. The controls are responsive, the frame rate holds up under normal conditions, and matchmaking is quick and simple. As simplistic as the concept is, the final product really does deliver on a fun factor that most recent games are just plain lacking.
While Rocket League on the Xbox One is a serviceable port of an amazing game, there are noticeable issues that make it hard to recommend if you have the choice to play it on a different platform. Textures aren’t as crisp and refined, there’s occasional frame rate hiccups, lighting and other effects don’t look as pronounced, and all around the game just doesn’t perform as well. That’s not to say it’s unplayable, it’s just not as polished as you would hope. This isn’t necessarily because of the developers- it could just be an issue of the hardware’s limitation… which is unfortunate, given that we’re only a little over two years into it’s life-cycle.
It’s also worth noting that Xbox One does not play well with other systems. While PS4 and PC gamers have been enjoying cross-platform matchmaking since the beginning, Xbox One players are left to their own matchmaking pool, which at any given time numbers about a third of those other systems. At least you can take comfort in the knowledge that you are getting Gears of War and Halo themed cars those other systems will never see. Xbox One players also get all of the previously released DLC built right into the game with the exception of the Back to the Future DeLorean available in the Marketplace.
However you can get your hands on Rocket League, get your hands on it. It’s an unending supply of fun and entertainment, and even if this port is your only way to experience, you’d be hard pressed to find a better game for your time and money. It’s a blast, pure and simple. 
