SummaryTwelve original characters plus indie guests Shovel Knight and Ori and Sein battle it out in this pixel perfect platform fighter. Harness the power of the elements and unravel the mysterious conflicts of the planet Aether in Story Mode, band with friends to take on shadowy creatures in Abyss Mode, and bring your combat skills online to challenge ... Read More
Rated E +10for Everyone +10
Developer:Dan Fornace
Rivals of Aether: Definitive Edition
Released On:
Sep 24, 2020
Metascore
Available after 4 critic reviews
tbd
User score
Generally Favorable
7.9
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Available after 4 critic reviews
tbd
50% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
50% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Oct 4, 2020
80
Rivals of Aether is a deep and addictive platform fighter that borrows its base concepts from Super Smash Bros. and then runs off in its own direction, resulting in a surprisingly complex indie alternative to Nintendo's brawling behemoth. There's a fantastic roster of characters here each with their own special moves and unique abilities to dig into, every one of which is wonderfully animated in the game's crisp and clean 16-bit graphical style. Solo and local party play are well served with a bevvy of fun and flexible modes for up to four players and, if the developer can get the currently problematic online aspects of things in order, this all amounts to a game that can stand shoulder to shoulder with Smash or any other platform fighter we've played on Switch thus far.
Oct 4, 2020
70
Rivals of Aether is a furry fighting game with its own personality that will entertain us for hours as long as we can play with friends because, as it lacks crossplay, the online mode is empty and there is lag.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.9
86% Positive
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
7% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
7% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Mar 9, 2023
10
Amo esse jogo. Queria ver mais gente online pq o online roda super bem. Entrega tudo que eu esperava.
May 2, 2021
9
The best indie platform fighter ever made. The depth you can have during a fight make me realize (and understand) why Smash Ultimate is shunned by many pro players. The interesting gameplay "features" that make Melee awesome to play are here and easier to achieve in Rivals. Each character and each of its skills are different and have strong impact on a game. All of this make a game blazing fast and intense. The only "problem" is you need to find friends to play this. Fortunately, there is the main discord where you can find players easily. There were few annoying bugs at release time, but all of them has been fixed by now.
Jun 20, 2026
8
a really well balanced 2d platform fighter that you can always have fun playing with its diverse character roster that all play uniquely
Jun 14, 2026
8
The gameplay in Rivals is just so fluid and snappy. I've never had the feeling of "I didn't mean to do that." The parry system instead of direct shielding is a unique take on defense that I wholeheartedly welcome. The only downside to the game is the roster, which can not only be hard for new players to grasp due to their complexity, but makes the game only so fun for so long due to it's shallowness.
Apr 2, 2022
8
This game is great. I love how it's like smash bros but different and unique too. It's worth playing in handheld mode too. The game has unique mechanics like parrying instead of shielding and there's a no ledge grabbing either. The characters have different moves too than the smash characters although some moves are the same. The music is great too. The only thing I wish was that the adventure mode could've been less confusing and more engaging but other than that, it's a great game. Lastly, even though I've played the game on my brother's pc, I still wanted to get it on switch due to the handheld features and I could care less about mods but the tether ball mode is cool.
Nov 30, 2020
8
Rivals is an awesome platform fighting game that I honestly prefer over Smash Ultimate at this point. The characters and mechanics have a great deal of depth and variety while remaining intuitive, and the stages and music are also really great. There are some bugs to be ironed out, so I have to knock a few points off, but other than that this game is excellent. There are also the odd times where I have a little bit of trouble finding a match, but it doesn't happen often enough to be a dealbreaker. Overall, I would definitely recommend this game if you are at all into competitive Smash Bros.
