Rivals of Aether

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Rivals of Aether
Rivals of Aether logo.png
Developer(s)Dan Fornace
Aether Studios
Designer(s)Dan Fornace
Programmer(s)
  • Trevor Youngblood
  • Ampersandbear
Artist(s)
  • Ellian
  • Alex Mcdonald
Composer(s)flashygoodness
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows
  • WW: March 28, 2017
Xbox One
  • WW: August 22, 2017
Nintendo Switch
  • WW: September 24, 2020
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Rivals of Aether is a fighting game created by Dan Fornace, and released for Microsoft Windows in March 2017, for Xbox One in August 2017, and for Nintendo Switch on September 24, 2020.[1] It received positive reception from critics, who commended its deep gameplay.

The game received two spin-off video games, a dating sim, Lovers of Aether, released on April 1, 2019 for PC,[2] and a deck-building game, Creatures of Aether, which was released for iOS and Android on September 28, 2020,[3] and for PC on August 2, 2021.[4] A spin-off comic series, Tales of Aether, was also released in 2021, detailing the backstory of the game. A third spin-off game, Dungeons of Aether, is in development and scheduled for a 2022 release, while a sequel using 3D graphics is also planned.[5]

Gameplay[]

Rivals of Aether is the spiritual sequel to Super Smash Land, a fan-made remake of Super Smash Bros., and therefore its gameplay mechanics are heavily based on the latter game.[6] Each character must try to knock the others out of a two-dimensional arena.[6] In addition to fighting game-style moves, characters can also use elemental-based attacks or passive abilities that also affect the stage.[7] This creates a meta game of not only attacking other players but also affecting the arena itself.[7] Gameplay in general favors offense more than defense compared to Smash Bros.; attacks can only be blocked by executing a timed "parry" rather than holding up a shield, and characters cannot safely grab edges when returning to the stage.

Characters[]

Each character aligns with a classical element that is central to their play style.[8] Zetterburn, Forsburn and Clairen represent fire; Orcane, Etalus and Ranno represent water; Wrastor, Absa and Elliana represent air; and Kragg, Maypul and Sylvanos represent earth. The game also contains the guest characters Ori and Sein from Ori and the Blind Forest, and Shovel Knight from his eponymous series.[9]

In Smash Bros., many characters possess only close-combat attacks, with most projectiles being very short-lived. By contrast, all Rivals characters have at least one move with a long-lasting effect on the stage itself, such as bubbles that trap enemies, ice that lets the user move quickly, or a water puddle that can either power up the user's attacks or act as a point for the user to teleport to. Some even create platforms that change the physical makeup of the stage. Cecilia D'Anastasio of Kotaku described Smash Bros. move sets as being more "reserved" compared to those of Rivals of Aether.[10]

On January 17, 2018, Maypul and Ranno received crossover skins based on the characters Ragnir and Wu Shang from Brawlhalla. The Definitive Edition release includes additional skins that transform the fighters into different characters. The development team has also released two characters via the Steam Workshop: the panda Guadua, and the April Fool's Day joke character Sandbert.

On April 1, 2021, it was announced that four popular fan-made characters from the Steam Workshop would be added to the game in late 2021 via a free update: Mollo, Hodan, Pomme, and Olympia.[11]

Story[]

The game's characters are anthropomorphic animals from different warring civilizations, who battle to stop a shadowy force from threatening the world.[7]

Development[]

A focus in the development of the game was making it faster and more combo-oriented than Super Smash Bros.[12] On August 22, 2017, Ori and Sein from Ori and the Blind Forest were released as downloadable content (DLC).[13] On October 17, 2017, Fornace released two more DLC characters, Ranno and Clairen. Likewise, on April 2, 2018, Fornace released another two DLC characters, Sylvanos and Elliana. On September 14, 2018, Shovel Knight was released as the second guest character and final playable character.[14] In 2019, the official Rivals of Aether Twitter account confirmed that the Steam workshop would be available for players to create their own characters and stages.[15] In January 2020, Rivals of Aether: Definitive Edition was reconfirmed as a complete version of the game containing all the DLC characters.[16] Later that year, on April 1, the full features of Definitive Edition were announced through an online presentation, confirming features like new unlockables and a new mode based around tetherball. Definitive Edition was ultimately released on September 24, 2020. On April 1, 2021, it was revealed that four of the original characters from Steam Workshop: Mollo, Hodan, Pomme, and Olympia, will be added in late 2021.

Reception[]

Rivals of Aether was positively received by critics. Nick Valdez of Destructoid scored the game 90/100, saying it is a fully fleshed out fighter that adds additional depth to the Super Smash Bros. formula.[7] Di Stefano Castelli of IGN Italia rated the game 81/100, saying that it lacks originality, but is a technically proficient remake appealing to hardcore players.[17] Alice O'Connor of Rock, Paper, Shotgun said that she enjoyed the game's character design, and that it was reminiscent of Pokémon.[6] Megan Farokhmanesh of Polygon called the game "beautiful" and "the indie answer to Super Smash Bros".[12]

Legacy[]

The game received multiple spin-offs, with the first being Lovers of Aether, a free promotional dating sim released on April Fools' Day 2019, which takes place in a parallel universe in which the game's anthropomorphic characters are all high school students in the same school, and the player is attempting to find a date for the school dance. Depending on their choices, the player can either be accepted or rejected by their chosen character. Sin Vega of Rock, Paper, Shotgun praised the game for making all the characters romanceable rather than limiting it to women, as in a bishōjo game, and giving them "more personality and charm" than a typical dating sim.[18]

Another spin-off, the deck-building game Creatures of Aether, was originally released on September 28, 2020, and later received a PC version on August 2, 2021. It was also positively received, with Harry Slater of Gamezebo awarding it 4/5 stars, and calling it surprisingly deep.[19]

Tales of Aether, a series of comics detailing the backstory of Clairen, one of the game's characters, were released throughout 2021. A third spin-off game, Dungeons of Aether, is planned for a 2022 release, and is a turn-based roguelike. An unnamed 3D fighting game sequel to Rivals of Aether was teased on April 1, 2021, as well as the formation of Aether Studios to oversee the series in the future.[5]

References[]

  1. ^ "Rivals of Aether". Nintendo Japan. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  2. ^ "Lovers of Aether". Metacritic. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  3. ^ "PvP Card Battler in the 'Rivals of Aether' Universe 'Creatures of Aether' Has a Confirmed Release Date with Pre-Orders Now Live". TouchArcade. September 15, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  4. ^ "Creatures of Aether". Metacritic. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  5. ^ a b Michael, Cale (2021-04-02). "Rivals of Aether Direct reveals new projects, updates, and launches Aether Studios". Dot Esports. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  6. ^ a b c "Rivals of Aether wavedashes to a full launch". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d "Review: Rivals of Aether". Destructoid. Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  8. ^ "Steam Fighting Game Takes Risks That Super Smash Bros Won't". Kotaku. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  9. ^ "Ori of Ori and the Blind Forest joins Smash Bros-style brawler Rivals of Aether". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  10. ^ "Rivals of Aether Makes The Smash Bros. Formula Feel New Again". Kotaku. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  11. ^ "Announcement of Steam Workshop characters to join Rivals of Aether".
  12. ^ a b "Rivals of Aether is like a beautiful, indie version of Super Smash Bros". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  13. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2019-05-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-09-27. Retrieved 2019-05-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ^ "Steam Workshop is coming to Rivals of Aether". Jack of All Controllers. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  16. ^ "Rivals Of Aether - Definitive Edition Arrives On Switch This Summer". Nintendo Life. 2020-01-28. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  17. ^ "Rivals of Aether - La Recensione". IGN Italia (in Italian). Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  18. ^ Vega, Sin (2019-05-10). "Unknown Pleasures: Wanderers Edition". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  19. ^ Slater, Harry (2020-09-29). "Creatures of Aether Review – A Smart Midcore Card Game". Gamezebo. Retrieved 2021-10-25.

External links[]

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