Hey everybody, my name is Dave Jackson, and this is Baby Got Backlog, a video games podcast where I will bring in guests to talk about games that I’ve recently played.. 

My guests today are Aaron Angle and Ryan Arrington

Since this is the first episode, let me explain the brief concept of the show! a video games podcast for people with a library of games to choose from and people who may have been patiently waiting to buy or play a game. We’re here to give you our experiences with the game, so it’s really for both people who have and haven’t played the game. 

Today’s game is Rocket League, a game that can most simply be described as “soccer with cars”. Rocket League was developed and published by Psyonix for all major platforms in 2015, as a sequel to the amazingly named Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle Cars from 2008. 

Before we get into our focus on Rocket League, what has everyone been playing lately? 

Ok, let’s get into today’s focus, Rocket League.  No worries about spoilers in this game since there is no story, so listen freely. 


Our histories with the game- 
When did we play, on what platform- first picked up Rocket League a few years ago on Switch and it quickly became a podcast game for me, then I downloaded it on ps4/ps5 when it went free-to-play and it remains basically the only competitive multiplayer game I play 
What interested us in this game? Aaron kept telling me about the game, claiming it was the best sports game ever made, a claim that I now basically agree with 
Time played- around 80 hours split between Switch and Playstation

Basics of how the game works, key mechanics, game modes 
As said earlier, it’s basically soccer with cars, driving the car and using a turbo boost to gain speed, though there are a few notable things that you can do
Cars can jump in the air, and with another press of the jump button, you can dodge, which adds force for when you hit the ball
If you jump and hit boost in mid air, your car will accelerate in the direction you’re pointing, which is basically flying for a short time. At high levels of play, Rocket League changes from “soccer” as we know it to an acrobatic, airborne game 
-Great for all skill levels, assuming you know your way around a controller.  Super beginners will have a transition period, but if you’ve played a racing game before you should be able to find your way. Season mode vs the cpu and training mode are great teachers. Overall I love the potential for high skill ceiling but I also have the knowledge that there is a skill level that I will never ever approach because I don’t play this for hours a day (to Aaron for his thoughts on the skill ceiling)
-gameplay tuning things like how the ball flies depending on the angle you hit it and which part of the car you hit it with, the speed that the ball moves (a bit slower and floatier than you might expect, giving you time to react and line up shots in the air) very good imo. How about you guys?
Make no mistake, this is an online multiplayer game, but you can play exhibition matches or a soccar season against the cpu
-Matchmaking system online is generally pretty fair. If you’re playing alone, you’ll usually be matched up with people in your general skill area. 
-Love the limited chat options. You can still be a dick, and people will troll you, but since you only have 16 preset things to say or a limited time to type your own custom response, it’s generally friendly. Things like people spamming “what a save” at you when you mess up in goal or “wow” “whew” “okay”
Main game mode is called Soccar, 3v3 soccer, with competitive and casual online modes, though the soccer game also has 1v1, 2v2 and 4v4 modes. I haven’t played any of these modes, have you? 
During the game, you accumulate points for scoring goals, assists, saves, etc, which go toward your player level. Advancing a level gets an item like an XP boost or a cosmetic item. 
Cosmetics are the only paid part of the game at this point, and it’s cool to see how some players have decked out their car. Aaron what cosmetics are you rocking?
Other game modes include: 
Snow day (hockey)- hockey puck doesn’t fly in the air as easily, but using the walls is more important, like real hockey. Aaron? 
Hoops (basketball)- insanely difficult for me since I’m not very good in the air. Aaron? 
Dropshot (break the floor and then score points by puting the ball through the gaps in the floor). Fun a few times but I’d rather play soccar. Aaron? 
Rumble (Soccar with mario kart-esque items, like spikes that make the ball stick to your car, a tractor beam that brings the ball to you, an boxing glove to punch other players out of the way, etc. Like dropshot, fun sometimes but I’d rather play soccar. Aaron? 

Our experiences (alternate)

Final thoughts- I am basically allergic to competitive multiplayer- I don’t play any online shooters or 2K or online Smash Bros... anything like that. But Rocket League is the one that broke through. In my opinion, this is a top 3 sports game ever made, it’s so fine-tuned and just feels incredible to play. All of the moments you want from sports- down to the wire finishes, that awesome feeling you get when you score a goal or make a great save, teamwork and strategy, it’s all here in rocket league and best of all, this game is completely free to play and not pay-to-win in any way. 


Housekeeping - Thank you for listening! If you want to support the show, please subscribe on your platform of choice, leave us a rating and review if your platform allows it, and spread the good word! I also do a podcast with Aaron called A Top 3 Podcast where each week we pick a topic, pick our top 3s in that topic, and discuss. It’s a good time, so check that out if you want to hear us talk about other subjects. 

Thanks everybody for listening, and I’ll see you next time I emerge from the backlog.