Rocket League Sideswipe Tips and Tricks for Winning Every Match
In Rocket League Sideswipe, the outcome of any match boils down to the personal skills of every player in the field. And while at times it may seem like the ball bounced in a funny way that made you miss your shot, or that your opponent got lucky with a long shot from across the field and scored a goal, the truth of the matter is that the game is, more often than not, in your control, but you need to have the skill and mindset to shift the outcome in your favor.
Most of the time, mastery over your vehicle and the physics system of the game is all you need to win. However, especially if you’re a beginner, getting used to the flow of the game, as well as the way vehicles and the physics system operate in tandem, can be really challenging. In this sense, we’ve decided to create a brief beginner’s guide with a few important Rocket League Sideswipe tips and tricks.
Whether you’re just getting started in this game, or you’re an experienced player looking for a refresher, these Rocket League Sideswipe tips and tricks are for you.
Find the Best Controls and Performance on BlueStacks
We’ll not beat around the bush here: If you want to win all your matches, then you’ll need the best tools for the job. After all, you can’t expect to win the matches if you’re struggling to control your car, or if your game is chopping up due to poor performance. Fortunately, you can play Rocket League Sideswipe on PC with BlueStacks to get the absolute best gaming experience with this title.
By playing on our Android app player, you will get the best performance in this game, eliminating any issues that might come from playing on an underpowered mobile device. And the best part is that you won’t have to spend a ton of money on buying a phone that could run the game with decent performance on the maximum settings, nor will you have to deal with the inherent disadvantages of playing on mobile, such as the small screen, overheating problems, or battery drainage issues.
If you want to play Rocket League Sideswipe with a silky smooth 60 FPS, on a large PC screen, and with the best graphical settings, check out our PC setup guide to learn how to get started.
Learn the Limitations of Your Vehicle
Rocket League has the distinction that its gameplay is mostly free form, with the players in full control of their vehicles at all times. However, there are still some important limitations that you should familiarize yourself with in order to properly execute plays.
For starters, your vehicle can only jump twice before hitting the ground: once to launch into the air, and once again in the air. Moreover, if you double jump in the air without touching the joystick, you’ll execute a regular vertical double jump. Meanwhile, if you double jump while holding a direction, your car will flip towards that direction, in a maneuver called a “flip”. Flips are important for getting a speed boost in the desired direction, as well as for shooting the ball hard.
Another critically important feature of your vehicle is the boost, which you can activate to gain a burst of speed in any direction. This boost even lets you fly and glide in the air if used correctly, which is important for making trick shots, as well as for defending your goal. However, your boost is limited and is represented by the green gauge on your car when you use it, which recharges automatically whenever you’re on the ground and not boosting.
Becoming intimate with the duration of your boost and its recharge period, as well as learning how to use jumps and flips effectively, will quickly become a crucial part of your kit in Rocket League Sideswipe.
Avoid Overextending Your Attack
In Rocket League, it’s not uncommon for the ball to end up bouncing everywhere after any play, especially when a shot has been blocked on either side. While it might take a while to get used to the usual back and forth in the game, one of the best tips to keep in mind is to not overextend whenever you’re attacking, especially if you’re not certain that you can score. This is because the ball will often rebound towards your goal, so you’ll need to head back ASAP to defend and prevent the enemy from scoring with a counteroffensive. However, it’s really difficult to defend, when your car is stuck inside the enemy’s goal after a particularly aggressive attack in which you overextended your position.
To avoid being in these awkward situations, it’s better to plan your plays ahead, and only extend the necessary distance to make your shot. Afterward, you should return immediately to the midfield to respond to the enemy’s counterattack. Similarly, avoid doing extensive aerial plays until you’ve learned to control your boost properly. This is because being stuck in the air after trying to do a flashy aerial shot is one of the most common ways to lose control of the ball and give the enemy a free path to your goal.
Play Smart, Not Hard
Another of the most common mistakes that most newcomers make is to always chase the ball no matter what, falling into tunnel vision and losing sight of the enemy and of everything else that’s going on in the field. This is why we strongly suggest playing smarter and more passively, taking your time to stop your car and observe the enemy’s movements, to get an idea of what they want to do and how to stop it.
This passiveness and calculated gameplay style will also apply to your offensive, as it’s better to carefully tap and shoot the ball than to ram it full force with a boost and hope for the best. And while there definitely will be times when you want to clear the ball from your goal no matter what, it’s often much better to remain calm and actually aim every shot. Not only is this a way to save boost power and avoid overextending your position, but it can also open up the way for plays that can end up with you scoring.
Hit the Free Play Regularly
There’s really no way to sugarcoat this; Rocket League Sideswipe is a game that requires tons of practice to master. Luckily, you can always access Free Play to practice your jumping and boosting, or at least to get acquainted with them if you’re a new player. Moreover, if you feel you have the basics down, you can also play casual matches online, which won’t affect your ranking but are excellent for practicing against other players.
There are no shortcuts to glory in Rocket League Sideswipe. Only hardened pros are the ones who can win matches regularly, so get out there and start practicing!
