It's July 2015 and I've just got done downloading that month's PlayStation Plus titles. I hop into Rocket League for the first time and get immediately addicted. I specifically remember saying things like "what a unique game" and "wow, this game will keep me hooked for a while." I proceeded to get the platinum and then...I rarely, if ever, played it again. I'm not sure what exactly it was that got me out of it (maybe it was the fact that I was actual garbage at the game) but I just wasn't having fun anymore. Fast forward to E3 2019 and I've been invited to check out some new content for Rocket League. I was interested for sure, but given how quickly I fell out of the game, I'm not sure if I can say I was excited. But after walking out of the demo I'm actually excited to jump back into it.

Content-wise, I saw two new modes: Spike Rush and Beach Ball. In the former, everyone has spikes attached to their cars. This means that whenever you hit the ball, it'll stick to you. While this may seem like a huge advantage, you're actually more vulnerable. While the ball is attached to you, you can't boost and you can be destroyed more easily. Of course, you can detach the ball, leading to a really interesting gameplay dynamic that allows the game to feel fresh and interesting.

While the other mode is a bit less exciting, it's still a ton of fun. Beach Ball is exactly what you'd expect it to be: the ball on the map is replaced with a beach ball. This means that the ball is lighter than normal, so you have to hit it in different ways than the normal version. I wasn't the biggest fan of this mode; however, given the fact that the ball physics completely change up how the game is played, I definitely welcome it.

As I said before, while I do feel that one of these modes is more exciting than the other, they both illustrate an interesting point: Rocket League, like a lot of games nowadays, has changed dramatically since it first released. While both of these modes are set to be temporary, they both make me want to jump back in and see what Psyonix has in store for the future of the game.

After playing a couple of matches of Spike Rush, I found myself with a huge grin on my face. Even though it, along with Beach Ball, played differently from the original game, it brought back memories from when I first downloaded the game as a PlayStation Plus title. Staying up late with my friends, doing ridiculous saves, and having a great time. Like back then, everybody in the E3 room, including the developers, were laughing and having a good time, which, unless you're a competitive player, is the heart of the game.

Because of this, I can safely say that if you've gotten out of Rocket League in the past few years, jump back in. It'll be well worth your time, even if it's just to get a few laughs. At the same time, if you play Rocket League on a consistent basis, you'll have even more fun given that it's still similar to the standard version of the game. On top of that, these are going to be free modes so you won't even have to buy anything to get your hands on it. All in all, I'm very happy with what I played and I'm looking forward to jump into the game in the coming days.

Rocket League is available on pretty much any system you can imagine, including PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows PC, and Nintendo Switch. Spike Rush is available between today and July 22 while Beach Ball will be playable between July 22 and August 20.