REACTION - Slowclap’s Rematch is quite the left field follow up to Sifu
Unexpected directions.
By Jonathan Garrett
11/04/25
Nothing better than being blindsided by an unexpected genre shift, especially when new IP is the name of the game for an indie team as prolific and accomplished as Slowclap. After their outstanding effort with Sifu, the recent Triple-i Initiative showcase gave a gameplay peek and release details for Rematch, their upcoming arcade football multiplayer title due for imminent release.
You can see Sifu’s DNA in the animations; the way the characters dribble and strike the ball, with a heightened impact and distinct visual feedback, evokes the punchy combo’s in Slowcap’s martial arts caper. It’s such an unusual choice for them to pivot so clearly in this direction, but I can’t help but wonder if it’s actually a genius move?
Expectations of what this team would be doing next have been entirely subverted. The game itself is multi platform, launching into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on Day 1, and the base edition is priced appropriately between £19 and £20 (depending on the platform). There’s a closed beta coming up soon, and the full game launches on 19th June 2025.
TARPS?
At the bottom of some of our articles, you’ll see a series of absurd looking images (with equally stupid, in joke laden names). These are the TARP badges, which represent our ‘Totally Accurate Rating Platform’. They allow us to identify specific things, recognise positive or negative aspects of a games design, and generally indulge our consistent silliness with some visual tomfoolery.
