In the fighting game genre, sometimes the key to success is carving out a unique niche, and Rivals of Aether managed to do so quite well. An indie game created in an attempt to reflect the gameplay of Super Smash Bros., Rivals of Aether captured the hearts of platform fighting fans worldwide and has continued to release updates into 2022.
While the game was working with a certain formula that made Rivals of Aether a perfect game for Smash Bros. Fans, it managed to reinvent the gameplay from that series. Instead of revolving around quick hits, grabs, and shielding, Rivals of Aether's gameplay is heavily combo-based and offense-oriented; with shielding replaced by a high-skill parrying ability and combo strings that can quickly lead to a death, the game is fast-paced and intense from minute one.
Though Rivals of Aether was a hidden gem in the fighting community, the game flourished among Smash players and fighting gamers who were interested in the platform genre. Year after year, the game has grown in popularity, with representation at in-person tournaments and online events increasing. Now, as the game continues to grow, Aether Studios has announced that Rivals 2, a sequel, is in the works and slated for a 2024 release.
This news marks the biggest news for the game/series since the Rivals of Aether Nintendo Switch announcement and secures what will hopefully be a strong future for both the game and the platform fighting community. Immediately, comments pointed towards the fact that the news was broken on April 1st, but the post has been confirmed to be accurate by Aether Studios. The post comes with a trailer that, while exciting, may be surprising and a little nerve-wracking for longstanding fans of the series.
For starters, the trailer immediately reveals the game will switch from its unique, pixelated art style to a more traditional 3-D art style that closely matches that of Smash games or Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. Then, Zetterburn and Ranno appear, both confirming them in the new title as well as showing off their new 3-D forms. The concerns arise soon after, however, when shields and ledges are both confirmed for the game. These could cause some unrest among longtime fans of Rivals of Aether due to their removal being a focal point of the game.
However, Dan Fornace and his team went above and beyond to ensure the first game could live up to expectations and satisfy players, going so far as to allow players to create their own characters, such as a tongue-in-cheek Rivals of Aether Nintendo Switch Joycon character. If the effort put into the first indie title is continued into the sequel, Rivals 2 is looking to be one of the premiere fighting games on the market upon release.
Rivals 2 is in development and is set to release in 2024.