This is the most addictive new video game of the year, and everyone loves it

My colleague Ben Gilbert has been head-over-heels for "Rocket League," a crazy game with a simple premise: It's soccer, but with rocket-powered cars.

Last night, I finally tried it. And within just a few minutes, I was sold.

"Rocket League" might be my favorite game of the year so far.

It's available on PlayStation 4 and PC, via Steam's online store.

If you've purchased PlayStation Plus, Sony's premium online service that costs $50 a year, "Rocket League" is a free game for the entire month of July, so many PS4 owners have already tried "Rocket League."

And so far, it's a hit with almost everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can play an online match as soon as you boot up the game - no long drawn-out introduction necessary. Still, you can opt for a quick tutorial like I did to get a better feel for "Rocket League." You'll learn to speed up, reverse, U-turn, boost, and hop - yes, hop - your way to glory, all while pushing a giant soccer ball across a field in hopes to score a goal.

Goals, by the way, are comically brilliant. Every time anyone scores a goal, the net EXPLODES! It's hilarious every single time.

After the tutorial, I dug into some online matches. I told myself I'd only play a few rounds, but I ended up playing probably around a dozen. "Rocket League" has a learning curve, but it's super addictive.

Each match is just 5 minutes, and you can play 1 vs. 1, 2 vs. 2, 3 vs. 3, or what's called "chaos," 4 vs. 4. I spent most of my time playing 3 vs. 3 online matches.

The game starts with the ball in the center of the field, and everyone races to the center to hit the ball. As the ball flies around the field, you can fixate your camera on the ball as you zoom around, knocking into competitors and trying to hit the ball in the other team's net. And you can never fly off-course, either. Each field is a glass-covered arena, meaning you can drive up the walls, and even on the ceilings of the goals.

You get points throughout each match for a multitude of things: hitting the ball first, pushing the ball into the center of the field, assisting on a goal or scoring on a goal, and more. With those points, you gain experience to level up, and you can gain special rewards for customizing your car.

It's refreshing to see a game that doesn't focus on a massive open world, or an extremely convoluted story. "Rocket League" is all about picking up a controller and having fun for five chaotic minutes at a time. The game looks simple, but is difficult to master, which should keep players like me coming back for more. I can't wait for my next match; they'll be calling me "Thierry Henry Ford" when it's over.