Rocket League: 10 Essential Tips & Tricks You Need To Know

By Josh Brown / August 1, 2015

Like everyone else, I've been playing Rocket League so much over the past few weeks that if the world ended, I probably wouldn't have noticed. With its release on PC and PS4 at the start of July 2015, Psyonix's latest effort has taken the gaming world by storm with its brilliant blend of football and arcade racing. Even better, with its inclusion as part of July's PS Plus lineup, the unassuming sports title has reached an audience no doubt way bigger than the developer's could ever have expected. But with over 150,000 players online at every given moment, there's no doubt new beginners joining the game to see what all the fuss is about will end up being dominated by a well-oiled team in their first few hours of play. Rocket League is still an incredibly accessible game even against the most experienced of players, but as with anything that has this much depth, there will always be little-known gameplay tips everyone should know before jumping into their first match, be it on or offline. Because if you go into Rocket League blind, you'll essentially end up like a rocket-powered headless chicken, boosting around the map, darting up walls and scoring embarrassing own goals. It's fine, everyone does it, but I've compiled the definitive list of tricks that everyone should get to grips with if they want to make those first few shameful first hours even more enjoyable.

10. Learn How To Powerslide

Although you might have noticed you have the ability to perform a handbrake turn in Rocket League, at first it doesn€™t really seem like there€™s any real reason to use it. It€™s not a racing game and there€™s no tight corners to manoeuvre around, so at first glance the feature looks like it was only implemented because players have come to expect it when controlling a vehicle. However the handbrake actually does provide a tactical advantage, and learning how to use it will prove invaluable to efficiently moving around any arena. Because your default turning speed will send you around a large radius before you can actually turn, it often means you€™ll be struggling more than you should to reposition yourself quickly after a botched shot. However, if you use the handbrake and powerslide you can spin the car around in a second, instantly getting you back into the action without missing a beat. With a quick tap of the accelerator while braking you can reposition yourself on the spot, negating the need for that long u-turn you'd be forced to do otherwise. More than that though, the powerslide is perfect for lining up shots without losing possession of the ball, as a quick handbrake turn can always get you into a better position than a laboured manual move ever could.