Beloved car football game Rocket League had its ‘Hoops’ update released yesterday, which allows players to try their hand at basketball (in addition to the base game’s football). The update is completely free for owners of the game, so I’ve been playing a fair bit of it – being an avid fan of Rocket League as it is.
First things first: this is a challenging mode. Unlike the regular football offering, Hoops demands that you add a level of verticality to the game which wasn’t completely necessary on the grassy pitch. Of course, seasoned players spend more time flying around in the air than on the ground, but for everybody else, this sudden shift in dimensions is challenging. I’m no rookie, but even I found it hard to begin thinking – and playing – across all axis. This change-up is due to the hoops themselves being positioned parallel to the court, so you need to effectively hook the ball in to them to score. Exactly like basketball, honestly. The difference, however, is that the net is impenetrable by the ball. So essentially, you have two D-shaped areas on either side of the smaller court, which the basketball simply bounces off of. Because of this, the ball itself spends most of the match simply flying around in the air uncontrollably.
Once you get the hang of the new gameplay, though, the Hoops update provides a lot of fun and new ideas that simply didn’t exist in the base game. For example, the ball is now thrown into the air at the start of every game, which means players will literally use their boost to fly towards it, in hopes of an early point. The reduced size of the court also opens up some new challenges, as the ball can literally ricochet off of one basket, fly across the court, and enter the opposing team’s hoop before much can be done to prevent it.
Defending is also a challenge compared to the traditional football mode. Because the online standard for ‘Dunkhouse’ (the name of the Hoops map) is 2v2, there’s little leeway for a defender to remain on their side at all times. This means both players will be frantically chasing the ball, trying to scoop it into the hoop. Defending the basket itself is also a peculiar feat to wrap your head around, as you’ll likely spend most of your time inside of it trying to bat the ball out once it begins falling towards the ground. Plus, the ball is heavier than the football used for regular play, which means batting it out of your hoop might be more difficult than imagined.
As well as the new mode, Rocket League’s latest update also introduces a smattering of customisable aesthetic items that are more than welcome. After only a handful of games, I’d unlocked antennas from the likes of The Witcher, Worms W.M.D. (Team 17’s new game promoted within Rocket League), and Portal. There’s also a huge amount of new country flags added to the game, as well as an NBA flag to celebrate the new basketball mode.
Hoops is, overall, a whole lot of fun. It’s challenging to get to grips with the new way you need to play, and the heavier weight of the ball may be jarring to regular players of the game. However, once you learn how to play, it’s just as addictive as the base game.
The ‘just one more go’ appeal of Rocket League is only deepened by the addition of this new mode.
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