Rivals of Aether Review
A More Meaningful, and more furry, Smash Clone-A Rivals of Aether Review
Many games have tried, and unceremoniously failed, to capture the majesty and movement of the Super Smash Brothers series. More specifically, what makes the second entry in the series, Super Smash Bros Melee, such a joy for competitive, skill based platform fighting. Some tend to dumb down the mechanics and create something less engaging, while others are so invested in making something akin to Melee that they lose their own identity in the process. Rivals is unequivocally itself, but retains much of the key features many crave from these high skill ceiling, movement based, platform fighters.
Inspired, But Varied
Yes, all the familiars to anyone who has previously played Smash Bros are all here, including but not limited to: percent based kill systems instead of health bars, wavedashing, teching, directional influence, and even more hidden techniques like moonwalking and ledge cancelling. Now I understand that to many casual fans these terms seem completely asinine, but rest assured they are the core pieces to what makes Smash so great in the first place. Rivals also captures the great sound design and hit effects of Smash, leaving every attack with a satisfying amount of stun and stretch. It's clear that a great deal of effort was put forth by the animators to truly replicate what makes Smash iconic.
Another thing this game does differently from Smash is that it incorporates an extensive tutorial. These tools help take a player with no experience and slowly show them the ropes of movement and attacks. This is even a feature that most modern fighting games fail to consider, aside from obvious examples like Guilty Gear and Skullgirls, and it is a great change of pace from the usual steep learning curve for more casual players when it comes to these games.
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| Tutorials range from basic mechanics all the way up to movement used by actual pro players |
Another thing of note is the wide character variety within Rivals. Each character contains nods back to Smash Bros, with some moves holding similar likeness and effects, but each houses their own set of entirely new mechanics and subsystems. Take Zetterburn for instance, whose moves and general speed call back to a mix between the Melee fan favorite fox and Brawl wolf. However, Zetterburn's moveset involves setting foes aflame to deal extra damage and to make his stronger attacks deal more knockback. By just adding a bit more, Rivals of Aether does so much to create unique experiences while not completely alienating previous Smash players.
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| The finalized cast contains 14 completely unique characters, two of which are cameos from popular indie games |
Fun With Friends And Alone
With a short story mode and a robust round based survival mode, playing alone other than basic training modes can provide some added enjoyment. The game is clearly based around competitive and casual multiplayer, so I cannot fault the aura of repetitiveness garnered from playing these two modes for extensive periods of time. I feel like they do just enough to provide something interesting to do on your own time.
As the game progressed through and out of early access back in 2015 (good lord I've been playing this since i first entered high school), a modicum of improvements and extra features have been added. In addition to the wave based abyss mode and story mode, a fleshed out ranked mode and online experience have been crafted to connect thousands of players around the world. Both are fitted with appropriate stage banning and counter picking features, a mainstay of competitive Smash Bros since the very beginning. This all lends itself to a severe sense of authenticity and respect to the competitive scene, as the developers also deliver consistent patches to further iron out game balance.
One feature released just recently for the Steam version of the game is an in depth workshop mode. A mode in which players can create their own custom character and stages, sparking a thriving modding community that adds so much to the core experience. This isn't a bare bones modding tool either, as the workshop boasts full use of code to allow for moves with extremely special effects, or just fun joke characters that ensure victory for even the most novice players. This addition is just great to sit back and have a less serious session with some friends after playing the heated core loop ad nauseum.
Verdict
Rivals of Aether isn't afraid to ramp up its mechanics to allow for high level competitive play, but it also isn't discrediting to the greater casual audience. With an extensive tutorial mode, single player options, and fun side modes, Rivals is sure to keep everyone engaged without turning down the precision. By adapting its own ideologies to the Smash Brothers formula, ROA comes out as a fresh take on some of the most replayable games of all time. Take notes, because THIS is how you make a smash-like game.
10/10-A Fruitful Love Letter To Smash Enthusiasts
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