Released only twenty-two days ago, Rocket League, developed by Psyonix, Inc., has reached the five million download mark since its release on july 7th, 2015 according to a tweet from the game’s official twitter. To put that in perspective, Splatoon was hailed for selling one million copies in a month. Rocket League has reached that mark five times and with a week to spare.
To describe the game concisely, it’s soccer with cars, but it’s also so much more. Featuring multiplayer party-style action and boasting split screen capabilities, a feature you don’t realize you miss–or that it was even missing from most modern games–until you have buddies over, but that’s the scenario this sort of game exists for. If you’re short on pals, go online for a potential four-on-four match, that’s eight total players! The PC version boasts full controller support and there’s even cross-platform play between PC and PlayStation 4 players.
You may wonder how fun soccer could be in a car, but it’s all designed to feel smooth and fun. The cars defy physics and toss realism aside for the sake of unforgettable gameplay. Each vehicle boasts the ability to leap and flip and every player has a finite speed boost that refills over time. Vehicles can be destroyed after enough abuse, but players aren’t removed from the game for very long before respawning right back into the action.
The cars come in seemingly limitless variety with even more ways to customize each ride. PlayStation 4 owners also have access to a vehicle exclusive to the console. While the customization is all purely cosmetic, it’s all for the sake of balance in gameplay.
Developer Psyonix, Inc. is known primarily for its 2004 title, Unreal Tournament 2004, which saw active players long after its release and is considered by many to be a classic.
Perhaps best of all is the fact that Rocket League is not even a full priced game. For only $19.99 anyone can access this bottomless well of entertainment. The game is available for download now from Steam and the PlayStation Network for PC and PlayStation 4, respectively.