Platform fighters like Nickelodeon All Star Brawl and Multiversus have tried to fill in a hole recently in the market. A hole where Smash hasn’t had a new game since 2018, but its been to varying degrees of success and failure. Aether Studios Rivals Of Aether 2, promised to build much on the foundations of the previous game and certainly had a lot of hype going for it but how much does it live up to it.
In terms of Game Modes, we are given a short arcade mode that includes the Rivals take on the platform fighter classic of breaking targets, there is also a rather robust training mode where you can setup a lot of different settings. And even have a save state for specific situations like say trying to perfect your ability to hit someone with an attack while they are trying to recover offstage.
There’s also your standard Versus matches against the AI and up to 3 other players in either 1v1s, Free for All or Doubles battles. The online for the game has a standard lobby system paired with casual matches where you can just play whatever kind of match be it 1v1, 2v2 or free for all. Then there’s the games ranked mode, this puts you in a set 1v1 style match with stage striking and banning. With the loser of the match getting to choose a counterpick stage of where they can play next, as long as the opponent hasn’t banned their choice of course.
In terms of the games actual gameplay, each and every character can certainly feel fun to play as or very annoying to fight against. Even though there are a few missing from the original game , which is of course a little disappointing. But at least any future characters will be coming to the game completely free. It won’t matter who you are playing, there’s a good chance that your opponent isn’t going to like playing against you. The game is heavy on the technical side trying to appease the more competitive side of platform fighter players with mechanics like the ever popular wavedashing.
You could lose yourself for hours just grinding out fun combos to run in the games online which runs incredibly smooth with amazing netcode. Its a game that will be easy to just pick up and play casually with your friends, but if you really want to get good at it there is a lot of learning that you will need to do.
Speaking on the casual side of things, don’t expect things like items or the more gimmicky stages you would find in Smash. You will not find them here, as it stands currently we are also without a proper storymode though that is planned to be added later. Outside of online its basically just playing with friends or testing yourself in the arcades hard mode with 1 life, the games online runs incredibly smooth so its what its designed for.
But if you were looking for a game with more casual things to do, as it stands this game hasn’t got too much to offer in that regard. Once things like storymode and the eagerly awaited return of steam workshop compatibility return, it will be easy to sink hours and hours into this game without even hoping online once.
Final Score
8/10 Great
Rivals Of Aether 2 offers an amazing and smooth gameplay experience and its future looks incredibly bright. Although with the game currently missing characters from the first game, though I don’t expect any crossover characters to return and missing gamemodes from the first game. This score is based on what we have now, not what we will get the future is bright for Rivals of Aether 2 for years to come.
Written By Dylan Setright
