Ciph’s Cabinet - Rivals of Aether II

Ciph’s Cabinet

Bi-Weekly Game Reviews

Christopher Curtis

I’ve been waiting for the day I get to talk about this game. One of my biggest gripes with modern gaming culture is the tolerance towards unfinished products and reliance on patches to alter games post-release, allegedly creating a “better experience”, whatever that means. Rivals of Aether II is the sole exception. Forced to release early and to focus on competitive appeal meant I couldn’t freely recommend it, but it has long since grown past that hurdle. Now, following its biggest update yet, I have no problems saying that you NEED to check this game out. 

Like most (good) fighting games, a colourful cast of characters await you and your friends to duke it out with. Instead of your karate guy who shoots fireballs or a high-speed teleporting ninja, however, there’s a lightsaber-wielding panther from the future and a lucha libre ant with magnetism powers, along with many other elemental animals. I know, that sounds really strange, but it results in such a diverse roster where no two fighters play remotely the same, from how each of them move to their character-defining unique mechanic. With a small roster of 10 at launch, it was quite hard to find anyone who really clicks with you—hell, I really struggled finding my main in this game until its official 1.0 release with Forsburn, a smoke-spawning hyena—but with that number growing to 16 and more fighters to come, there’s probably at least someone you can enjoy here, likely more as you warm up to the flow of the game. I’m not usually a fan of big-body or grappler style characters in fighting games, but the aforementioned ant, La Reina, is both of those things and managed to become a favourite of mine, a testament to how solid the cast’s design is. 

If you’ve never played a platform fighter, like Super Smash Bros., the premise is simple: instead of a health bar to deplete, you hit your opponent to increase their damage percentage. Once it’s high enough, launch them off the stage and into the blast zones for a K.O. There’s definitely a learning curve, especially if you’re more familiar with traditional fighters; here there’s a much bigger emphasis on movement and stage control, so knowing how to use both your character’s moveset and the stage’s layout to your advantage is key. Luckily, the game’s tutorials are accessible and bite-sized, teaching you the basics fast. To be honest, trial by fire is kind of the best way to learn in a game like this, anyway.

You don’t have to be a tryhard to enjoy Rivals II anymore, though. Recently, many new dedicated ‘casual’ stages with wacky layouts and devastating hazards have been added. Furthermore, the items in this game are just a joy to use; cheese that can extend your combos, the power drill for elaborate death traps, or the embodiment of chaos itself, the ‘gooplicator’. There’s immeasurable fun to be had when you just want to have a good time without the competitive pressure. 

Whether you’re out to prove yourself in tournament (shoutouts to the local Wellington Fighting Game Community), or simply looking for a good time with friends and flatmates, Rivals of Aether II easily ‘rivals’ its triple A competitors in both areas. With many more characters and features to come—incluing a story mode to keep building on the fascinating lore—I’m so glad I can finally recommend this game to everyone. 

Rivals of Aether II is available on PC.

Gameplay: 10/10

Writing: 8/10

Aesthetics: 7/10