Rivals of Aether

Instead of dancing around the "is it a fighting game or not?" question plaguing Nintendo's major mascot title for years, Rivals of Aether goes full throttle into the genre and delivers an experience the platform fighting genre deserves.

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.

Rivals of Aether is a brand new indie fighter which is set in a world ravaged by war, with the forces of nature summoning the power of fire, wind, water and earth to fight back forces of darkness.

Rivals of Aether don't hide its inspirations, but the end result is a work capable of standing on its own merits. Fun and cohesive, the title of Dan Fornace and his team has the potential to entertain both the most competitive and more casual players who are only looking for an alternative to the Super Smash Bros. rounds.

Rivals of Aether: Definitive Edition is worth every penny for bringing new game modes, all DLCs and several important tweaks to the gameplay. Along with that, the Switch port is an excellent portable multiplayer - quality that is priceless.

Overall, the fighting system in Rivals of Aether is far better and tighter than any other indie platform fighter I’ve played.

Boasting a varied lineup of unique fighters, beautiful retro art, interesting stages, and an impressive amount of content, Rivals of Aether hits every mark hit sets out to hit. This is must-have for any brawler fans with deep, engaging combat that's easy to learn and hard as nails to master.

Lacking in fighters and originality, Rivals of Aether is a fine reimplementation of Smash Bros aimed at hardcore players.