What Rocket Wars is
Rocket Wars is a fast-paced local multiplayer shooter where you fly a spaceship and try to blow up everyone else. You pick from 12 different ships, each with its own look and its own stats, so some are tougher and some hit harder. Battles are short and packed with action, and the arenas are 2D top-down views where shots and power-ups fill the screen. Weapons and power-ups are scattered through the matches, which keeps the fights moving and gives you something to grab while you are chasing someone down.
Playing together
The game is built for up to 4 players on one screen with split screen. Most modes can be played either as free for all or as 2 versus 2, so you can split into teams or everyone for themselves. If you are short on people, AI opponents fill the remaining slots, so a group of two or three still gets a full match. Entangled is the exception and runs as 2 versus 2 only. At the end of a session you get titles for everyone, good and bad ones included, which is a nice way to argue about who actually won.
Modes to try
There are several game modes to rotate through: Deathmatch, Survivor, Nuke King, Spaceball, and Entangled. Deathmatch is straightforward elimination, Survivor rewards staying alive, Nuke King puts a target on one player's back, and Spaceball plays more like a competitive objective than a straight firefight. Mixing modes between rounds keeps a group from settling into one pattern, and the 2 versus 2 option gives teams a different feel from the free-for-all chaos.
Before you start
Rocket Wars is designed as a party game for people sitting in the same room, so plan for quick sessions where everyone takes a turn being on top. The developers recommend playing with controllers for the best experience, which is worth sorting out before the group arrives rather than remapping mid-session. Expect a lot of shooting, a lot of power-ups, and matches short enough that losing one round does not end the night.