Rivals of Aether Review. Enhanced Smash Fun

You can play this fighting game with up to four players, and all you need to do is choose a character, pick a stage, and then go ahead to whale on your rivals with glee.

Graphics: 4.5

One of the features I find to be incredible is the level of work on the display. Rivals boasts excellent pixel art hearkening back to the era of the 16-bit. Additionally, the chiptunes are not half bad either. Notably, each stage comes with the visual flair which befits its thumping. While the art may have been well done, it’s also true to argue that more can be offered.

Gameplay: 4.5

The game offers both online and offline matches for you to play against friends or other players randomly. It’s pretty much a fun experience and usually doesn’t have bad lags.  

One of the fundamental drawbacks in gameplay lies in the single-player. Apart from the incredible tutorial, the other real feature is the Story mode. With this, you can take each one of the characters then play their part in the lore of the game. Just like most other fighting adventures, this one begins with selecting a character, playing against computer opponents in one-on-one matches, and go all the way until you reach a boss level. Once you’ve defeated the boss, you’ll earn credits.

When done beating the game with each character, you’ll be left with not much to do. You can use the points you’ve earned when playing to unlock secret characters. However, beyond this, there will be really not much else. Considering its small roster, this translates into less single-player game time.

Controls: 4.5

The controls are quite easy to grasp. To make things much simpler, the game has a robust tutorial which offers the level of attention and care employed by the outstanding tutorials in Tekken and Street Fighter. If you’re playing for the first time, the tutorial is worth checking out. Super Smash veterans should also give it a look since it nicely brings out a couple of differences for you.

Replay Value: 4.0

Rivals of Aether has good replay value. It offers a leaderboard where you get to view how fast it will take you to complete the story mode of each character. This adds incentive for you to replay the game and make attempts at improving your stats within the shortest time possible. Moreover, it also comes with different modes which scratch the competitive itch that you may be having as you pick it up.

Conclusion

To sum it up, Rivals of Aether turns out to be one neat package. Gaming enthusiasts looking for a casual brawler or just a competitive fighting action with a solid netcode will definitely enjoy it. Moreover, the mechanics, presentation as well as smooth performance make it enjoyable regardless of your skill level. Generally, you’ll get value for your money, and you won’t mind investing additional hours into the wonderful gem.