Released way back in 2015, Rocket League steadily rose to popularity for its simple concept and highly competitive gameplay.
Playing Rocket League might seem like playing traditional sports in the vein of football, but the game is far more whimsical than you'd expect.
Learning to play a team-based game such as Rocket League can be difficult. Here are some tips for playing Rocket League.
- Adjust Your Settings
- Hitting The Ball
- Find The Perfect Balance Between Offense And Defense
- Practice Dodging As A Defensive Move
- There's No Such Thing As The Best Car In Rocket League
Adjust Your Settings
You might be tempted to immediately jump into the game and play some matches; however, you will need to adjust some of the in-game settings to match your preference and level of comfort. You'll soon discover your preferred settings the more you try to play the game.
It is best to understand the game first and play a few test games to see which settings can be adjusted to suit your needs. Some players often want to change the default camera settings and increase the field-of-view while others wish to retain it.
The same goes with the controller settings, as some bindings might have an uncomfortable position. You'll also want to change the power slide option to boost and power slide simultaneously, which is a handy mechanic in the game.
Learn Some Basic Movement Mechanics
To play Rocket League effectively, one should always learn the most basic movement mechanics in the game. For the first few games, you're most likely to experiment a lot with the controls and how you move in the game.
Players can jump, turn, boost, and dodge in Rocket League. And while these are fundamental movements, they can still be mastered to perfection, which results in amazing plays.
It can be hard to pull off at first, but soon, you'll learn how to use these basic movement mechanics and perform masterful saves. The best way to learn these movement mechanics is to play the tutorial first and to understand how they work.
Hitting The Ball
Hitting the ball can be very difficult at first if you are new to Rocket League. Most of the time, you'll end up missing the ball during your early days of playing, and that's okay. You'll soon improve and get behind the mechanics of hitting the ball properly.
Get the hang of moving around the field and gaining momentum as you try to hit the ball. There are many techniques to try and ways to strike the ball while your car is in mid-air or traveling on the ground. Try to strike the ball in the middle section or at the top section to move it forward.
Hitting the ball on the lower section would only cause it to go upward. If you want to gain momentum as you hold the ball, make sure to practice hitting the ball on specific areas to keep it going.
Practice more games to understand the physics of the game. You'll soon be able to get the hang of hitting the ball.
Learn Teamwork And Rotation
Rocket League will always be a team game. Many players fail at understanding that playing a team-based game means relying on your teammates to help you win more games. Teamwork is key to winning more games but understanding how rotations work also increases your chances of winning your games.
Learn to play alongside your teammates. It would be better to start playing with a friend since you've already established a connection with the other player.
Rotation happens when you try to keep the ball in your team by following a teammate, and if they lose momentum or pass the ball to another teammate, you will be ready to pick up the ball. Rotation is an excellent strategy to keep the ball on your side while also putting pressure on the enemy team to try and get the ball from you.
Find The Perfect Balance Between Offense And Defense
Sometimes, you want to play offense, but there will also be times when you want to play a more defensive game. Both strategies are equally good to use in this game; however, you might want to find the perfect balance between the two.
Learn to be aggressive and ram vehicles as many times as you can to destroy them. This forces your opponents to respawn at their base, buying you more time to win the game. Such aggression can be useful whenever you want to create an advantage for your team.
It can also be quite risky to do so; keep playing a defensive game and protect your ball from your opponents as much as possible. Use aggression at the right moment, and your team won't be left vulnerable. And remember, always be a team player.
Manage Boosts Properly
Boost pads are scattered throughout the entire map. This feature is added to bring more excitement into the game. Most new players would immediately want to use it and burn through all of their boost in a single dash. More experienced players would rather hold on to their boosts until the right time comes to use them.
Many new players make the mistake of relying too much on boosts to gain an advantage at the start when in fact, it should only be used in clutch moments where you need to get a leg up on your opponent.
Identify when you want to use your boost so you can better manage its usage. Some of the best times to use a boost are when you perform an aerial trick, dash the ball, or when you want to get back to your goal as fast as possible to defend it.
Practice Dodging As A Defensive Move
Many players would want to play aggressively and would try to take you out of the game. Ramming you down or forcing you to crash is technically the best way to destroy your vehicle.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to learn how to dodge. Practice dodging in many of your games by looking out for the most aggressive player on the field. You'll notice that all this player will do is to crash their car into yours.
Most of the time, it's the larger vehicle that tries to do this, so always keep an eye out for these types of players. Dodging is a great defensive tool to avoid getting taken out of the game.
Master The Power Slide
In other cases, you should also learn how to do a power slide. A power slide is a maneuver that will help you turn around quickly or reposition yourself from getting hit or when you are trying to hit the ball.
Always use a power slide when you want to turn, and you'll soon incorporate such a move into almost all of your games. Soon, you'll be able to master more maneuvers in the game that will help you move around the field faster.
Things such as wave dashes and backflips are creative ways to keep your opponents guessing.
There's No Such Thing As The Best Car In Rocket League
With so many playable cars in the game, you might be thinking if there is one car that suits all of your needs to win games. Unfortunately, there is no single vehicle that can be considered the best out of all the cars.
Some might argue that there are some well-rounded cars to play with, but generally, they also have some downsides to them. Players who want to find a well-balanced car should look at the professional players and see which cars they often choose.
Octane is a good example of this. Each car has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. This keeps them all balanced. It is simply up to your personal preference to see which ones fit your playstyle the most.
Avoid Becoming A Toxic Player
Rocket League is always going to be a team-based game. You'll find yourself playing with your friends or some random strangers. While playing with strangers doesn't necessarily mean you'll encounter a lot of toxicity, it does present an idea that most of the games you've played that have toxic behavior come from the random players you were paired with.
Playing a team-based game raises the bar for competition, and many players would want to excel. This breeds negativity in players who have suffered tremendous losing streaks and become toxic.
Avoid becoming a toxic player at all costs. Don't get sucked into an argument with another player but instead focus on what you can do to try and win the game.
Conclusion
Much like many other team-based games, Rocket League may have very simple gameplay mechanics, but it is steep with strategy. Vehicles with boosts and jetpacks often play a huge role in winning games; however, teamwork and proper communication increase your chances of winning.
Hopefully, the guide will help you learn the basics and a few extra points to learn more about playing Rocket League. Rocket League is now available on Windows PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
