After the Rematch, Sloclap’s Potential Soars

Alright, let me give this a shot:

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So, here’s the thing about game developers. A lot of them find a groove—you know, that comfy little niche—and just hang there forever. Like, seriously, take Naughty Dog. They’re all about those story-driven action games, right? And then there’s Rockstar with their massive, “whoa, how’d they do that?” open worlds. BioWare’s got the RPG thing down pat. But indie folks? They’re a whole different beast, like Sloclap.

Indie devs, man. They’ve got to pay bills like the rest of us, sure, but they’re not tied down by those bigwig publishers barking orders in their ears. More room to breathe, I guess? Sloclap epitomizes that whole experimental vibe. Their upcoming game, Rematch, is basically them saying, “the sky’s the limit!” in a thick French accent.

Oh, by the way, Sloclap’s got this real knack for switching things up. Founded by some ex-Ubisoft Paris folks, their first game, Absolver, hit shelves in 2017 and was all about that hand-to-hand combat jazz. Fast forward five years, and they gave us Sifu—same combat passion but, like, cooler and slicker. You ever play a game where the character ages every time they die? Yeah, that’s Sifu for you. It channels those old martial arts flicks but somehow remains its own beast. Weirdly impressive, if you ask me.

Now, logically, you’d think they’d keep on the combat adventure track, maybe even toss us a Sifu sequel. Nope! Come June 19th, they’re dropping Rematch. It’s a wild turn into multiplayer soccer pandemonium. Yeah, soccer. Didn’t see that coming, right? The beta’s live, and sure, there are a few tech gremlins, but first impressions are strong. If they pull this off, it’ll seal Sloclap as the studio that can really do it all.

What really intrigues me is how Sloclap doesn’t box themselves in. Sifu’s, like, miles apart from Rematch in terms of gameplay and looks. If Rematch does a touchdown—wait, soccer doesn’t have touchdowns, duh—they’ll have the guts to keep chasing cool ideas rather than sticking with what’s safe. Here’s hoping they keep surprising us ‘cause, man, their journey’s been something to watch. Who knows what they’ll whip up next?

So, in typical Sloclap fashion, they’re shaking things up with Rematch, planning on making it an online multiplayer experience. The developer and the publisher? Both Sloclap and their buddy Kepler Interactive. They’re rolling it out on the Unreal Engine 5, aiming for full-blown cross-platform action with room for up to five players online. And what about the Steam Deck? Well, we’re all in the dark there.

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How’d I do?