Rivals of Aether

96%
Game Brain Score Based on 50,188 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • music
Rivals of Aether Game Cover
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"Rivals of Aether" is an indie platform fighting game set in a world of classical elements. Choose your character and engage in competitive 1v1 or 2v2 matches, or play the story mode to uncover the mysteries of Aether with drop-in local co-op. With additional modes like Abyss and Tether, and intense training tools, this game offers amazing gameplay, fabulous visuals, and great music, but can be very grinding and buggy. "Rivals 2" is coming soon.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

96%
Audience ScoreBased on 50,188 reviews
gameplay1,602 positive mentions
grinding68 negative mentions
  • gameplay3,744 mentions

    The gameplay of *Rivals of Aether* is widely praised for its smooth mechanics, fast-paced action, and unique character abilities that encourage aggressive play. Many players appreciate the game's blend of familiar mechanics from *Super Smash Bros. Melee*—such as wavedashing and combo potential—while introducing new elements like parrying instead of shielding and the absence of ledge grabs, which enhances the offensive gameplay. The extensive tutorials and workshop support further enrich the experience, making it accessible for newcomers while offering depth for competitive players.

    • “Each character has very explored mechanics with depth.”
    • “There are good in-game tutorials that teach universal game mechanics and character-specific tutorials that unearth the deeper aspects of each fighter.”
    • “The game's mechanics are smooth like butter, and each character is designed perfectly to fit different play styles.”
    • “Gameplay is clunky and slow.”
    • “The game takes too long to get good at and just isn't fun because of how confusing the gameplay is at the start.”
    • “The mechanics are clunky and unresponsive, making it nearly impossible to execute any coherent strategies or enjoy fluid combat.”
  • story1,352 mentions

    The story mode in "Rivals of Aether" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it to be short and lacking depth. While some appreciate the effort put into the lore and character backstories, others criticize it for being a basic series of fights with minimal narrative connection. Overall, the story mode serves as a fun but ultimately underwhelming addition to the game, with many players preferring the competitive and modding aspects over the single-player experience.

    • “Story mode play is dope, you can tell they put time into the lore.”
    • “The story mode is pretty good, and abyss is even better.”
    • “The story mode allows you to learn a bit about each character's backstory before you fight in endless abyss mode.”
    • “The only downside is that the story mode feels a bit lackluster, but that is somewhat expected from these kinds of games.”
    • “The story mode is so bad that it's better to pretend that it doesn't exist.”
    • “The actual 'story' in story mode has nothing to do with the fights taking place, like, you'll see shadow orcane do something evil and then you'd think you would fight orcane, right?”
  • music1,130 mentions

    The music in "Rivals of Aether" is widely praised for its catchy, high-energy soundtrack, composed by flashygoodness, which enhances the game's vibrant pixel art and fast-paced gameplay. Many players highlight the music's nostalgic chiptune style, reminiscent of classic platformers, making it a standout feature that adds to the overall enjoyment of the game. While some reviews mention a desire for more variety in tracks, the consensus is that the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's charm and replayability.

    • “The music is absolutely breathtaking and the competitive scene is welcoming.”
    • “The soundtrack is pretty good, it's probably one of the best features of the game.”
    • “The music is amazing, one of the best soundtracks I've heard for a fighter in a while.”
    • “While not a big deal, the soundtrack is rather lackluster, which consists of only music and some generic fighting sounds.”
    • “The stages and the music are boring and repetitive; I played, what, 20 minutes, and no stage other than maybe 2 were visually interesting or had music that wasn't just a 15-second track looped.”
    • “My only problem with it is that the music is kind of bland.”
  • humor1,010 mentions

    The humor in this game is a standout feature, largely driven by its vibrant modding community that creates a plethora of absurd and hilarious characters, such as Ronald McDonald and various meme figures. Players consistently highlight the joy of engaging with these custom characters, leading to chaotic and laugh-out-loud moments during gameplay, especially in multiplayer settings. Overall, the combination of funny mods and entertaining mechanics makes for a uniquely enjoyable experience that resonates well with fans of comedic gaming.

    • “I bought this for workshop items and to go 'haha funny meme character' but it truly is an excellently crafted game.”
    • “This game made me laugh to the point of tears.”
    • “It's always funny playing with custom characters.”
    • “This game is beyond dead, and only kept relevant from the people who are already grandmasters at the game, or some poor soul who thought this could be a fun alternative to Smash Brothers when watching their favorite unfunny YouTuber showcase the incredible mod support this game has.”
    • “I'm not funny...”
    • “Epic, I committed genocide, I beat everyone up, let's gooooo, I'm unfunny tbh.”
  • graphics970 mentions

    The graphics of the game are predominantly praised for their charming pixel art style, which many players find appealing and nostalgic, reminiscent of classic 16-bit games. While some reviews mention that the pixelated visuals may feel outdated or simplistic, the overall consensus is that the graphics effectively complement the gameplay and enhance the experience, especially with the added benefit of mod support for customization. However, a few critiques highlight that the graphics may not meet the expectations of players seeking more modern visuals.

    • “This game is a work of art; it's such a beautiful game with amazing graphics.”
    • “The pixel art style is perfectly fitting in this game.”
    • “The graphics are spectacular too, featuring phenomenal pixel art animations, stages, and character art, surely a very pretty sight to set your eyes on.”
    • “Moreover, the graphics and visual design of Rivals of Aether are downright appalling.”
    • “The pixelated art style, which was likely intended to evoke nostalgia, feels outdated and cheap.”
    • “Terrible default key mappings (y = jump?), awful graphics (what is this, 1985?), dlc characters extra, pathetic all around.”
  • character development278 mentions

    Character development in the game is highly praised for its creativity and uniqueness, with many reviewers highlighting the memorable and diverse character designs that contribute to distinct play styles. While some original characters received criticism for being less impressive, the overall roster is considered well-balanced and engaging, with a strong emphasis on character mechanics and aesthetics. The game's character design is often compared favorably to other platform fighters, particularly for its originality and depth, making it a standout feature that enhances the gameplay experience.

    • “The character designs are the best I've seen in a platform fighter, definitely even more than Smash.”
    • “This game features some of the best, most creative, and most unique character design in the platform fighting genre.”
    • “It's all good, the character designs are fantastic and they all feel like a dream, each with their own gimmicks and special, unique playstyle.”
    • “Very poor and lazy character design, hitboxes don't match animations, characters can't get on stage when their feet are over the ledge, projectile spam is broken or requires extremely high skill to get around, impossible to tell the animation for missed tech/hitstun, hitstun isn't consistent based on your knockback, sword character has terrible range compared to most of the cast and her 'tippers' are in the middle of the sword for half her moves.”
    • “Good idea in general but some really bad character design and an online experience that is either laggy or filled with players that will easily defeat you.”
    • “Currently, the devs have no plans for future characters, although they are open to suggestions on their website forums, which suggests that they simply don't have any more ideas for character designs.”
  • replayability158 mentions

    The game boasts exceptional replayability, primarily driven by its robust Steam Workshop support, which allows players to access an almost limitless array of characters, stages, and mods. Users highlight the fun and unique gameplay mechanics, alongside a well-balanced roster, making both the base game and modded content highly engaging. Overall, the combination of community-created content and the game's inherent design ensures a continually fresh and entertaining experience.

    • “The sheer amount of random things you can play as is astounding and makes the game endlessly replayable.”
    • “Honestly, the addition of the workshop alone makes this game worth $30 as it makes for near infinite replayability and fun.”
    • “All fighters in Rivals of Aether are incredibly unique with their own set of moves and abilities that create entirely unique play styles, and to top it all off, the steam workshop offers unlimited creativity and replayability with all the characters, stages, and other content from the player base.”
    • “Bots are too stupid to be worth fighting after a day or two, the single player is short-lived and has no real replay value; the endless mode is novel but not a game unto itself.”
    • “Terrible game, was okay in the beginning but has 0 replayability; honestly not worth playing for more than 4-5 hours.”
    • “As long as the modding scene doesn't die down, then it will have endless replayability.”
  • grinding116 mentions

    The game is heavily focused on grinding, requiring players to invest significant time in practice, training, and unlocking content, which can be both rewarding and tedious. Many players note that mastering the mechanics and improving skill levels demands a considerable commitment, often likening the experience to needing "a second life" for grinding. While some find the grind enjoyable and integral to the game's depth, others express frustration with the unlock system and the overall grindiness of character progression.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “A lot of grinding.”
    • “I've spent 100 times more hours grinding abyss mode and doing daily training mode sessions than actually playing online.”
    • “Be prepared to spend lots of hours practicing basic stuff and grinding out basic matchup knowledge while you get mopped, even more than most fighting games.”
    • “The unlock system, however, is a pretty big disappointment; the milestone system essentially just comes down to grinding, and I'm genuinely confused about who thought it'd be a good idea to have grinding in a fighting game.”
  • stability88 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with many users reporting frequent lags, freezes, and bugs, particularly when using workshop characters or during online play. While some players have noted improvements with recent updates and the rollback netcode, the overall experience remains marred by significant technical issues that detract from gameplay. Users recommend caution, especially for those playing on Linux or in multiplayer settings, until further patches address these stability concerns.

    • “The team is very open and keeps the game fairly balanced and mostly bug-free while listening to the community.”
    • “There are no glitches or frame-rate issues for me, and I have a crappy PC.”
    • “Runs great on crappy hardware.”
    • “Update (2022-05-03): I have downloaded so many workshop characters that the game now freezes and unfreezes at random, and spends most of its time frozen.”
    • “Its one of my favorite games, but the freezes for me and disconnects in the middle of the match really affect the experience and have made my rank go down.”
    • “Until there are updates to resolve many of the glitches in the game, I would not recommend this game.”
  • optimization62 mentions

    The game is generally well-optimized, allowing it to run smoothly even on lower-end hardware, making it accessible to a wide range of players. However, some users report performance issues, particularly with online play, where lag and connection problems can detract from the experience. Overall, while the game excels in technical performance and character design, network optimization remains an area needing improvement.

    • “Overall, it's greatly optimized.”
    • “Game is well optimized and feels smooth to play.”
    • “As for the workshop, it's amazing seeing what this community can do, and the workshop is so well optimized I have over 100 characters and my game only lags when I force it to.”
    • “Some weird quirks due to the uncommon game engine (most annoyingly, Windows not noticing you are playing a game and going to sleep in the middle of your combo), and some performance issues on lower-end hardware (hard to get 60fps on an iGPU).”
    • “Unfortunately, the network performance is still awful and oftentimes you'll be paired with players that are so laggy you have to play in slow motion.”
    • “Low ping matches have a different problem that can only be called stuttering. In a game that is dependent on strong hits, this stuttering will be the cause of many deaths.”
  • emotional46 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game resonates strongly with players, often evoking tears and deep feelings through its storytelling and character relationships. Many users highlight the game's ability to create heartfelt moments, with some even expressing that specific story elements made them cry. The combination of engaging narratives and a supportive community enhances the overall emotional experience, making it a memorable journey for players.

    • “Clairen makes me want to cry.”
    • “The story mode literally made me cry.”
    • “[i]Sorrow[/i] is a touching tune that can jerk tears from my eyes, and [i]Formless Onslaught[/i] lets me know that I'm in for the fight of my life when I start playing Abyss mode.”
  • atmosphere20 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its cohesive design, with each track perfectly complementing the stages and enhancing the competitive experience. Reviewers appreciate the unique blend of settings and characters, which creates an engaging magical-tech world, and highlight the exceptional stage design, spritework, and sound design that contribute to an immersive environment. Overall, the game is recommended for those seeking a serious, competitive atmosphere rather than casual play.

    • “The aether world does show promise; however, its setting, characters, and magical-tech atmosphere is one I find interesting, as different societies of different time periods clash together.”
    • “The music is phenomenal, giving each stage a unique atmosphere.”
    • “It's got that retro atmosphere to it, but it's fast and furious, which makes it fun to play and fun to watch.”
    • “I prefer this cohesiveness vs. all the random heroes from 20 different franchises thrown in the same arena, as that implementation really kills the atmosphere for me.”
    • “This game is designed to have a competitive atmosphere in mind, so if you're looking for goofs and gags, go and play Smash 4 with items on.”
    • “In short, this is not meant for the casual Smash community, but rather those who love the platform fighting genre, but want to be more involved in a competitive atmosphere.”
  • monetization20 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players labeling it a "cash grab" due to the high cost of characters and the prevalence of microtransactions. While the game offers creative content through the Steam workshop and avoids excessive ads, players feel that the paid characters lack depth and originality, detracting from the overall experience. The developer's admission of the game's financial motivations has further fueled dissatisfaction among the community.

    • “The monetization in this game is frustrating, especially when it feels like you can't compete without spending money.”
    • “While the game is enjoyable initially, the reliance on paid characters for competitive play can be disheartening.”
    • “It's disappointing to see that more than half of the characters are locked behind microtransactions in a fighting game.”
    • “The dev has also openly stated that this game was a cash grab and since it's dying he no longer plans to spend any time on it at all.”
    • “You'd expect the characters being so expensive to have some more thought and love put into them, but this all just seems like a pathetic cash grab.”
    • “This game is fun at first, but until you get online against players with paid characters, it becomes frustrating. I get that games have thousands of microtransactions, but come on, this is a fighting game with only four characters. More than half of the characters are microtransactions. The only character that would be acceptable for a microtransaction would be Ori, since it's from another game, but this is just dumb unless you have the money to waste and not buy a better game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

29hMedian play time
185hAverage play time
6-100hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 108 analyzed playthroughs

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