Summary
The newly releasedRivals of the Aether 2is a direct successor that innovates on the hugely popular original indie title. There are better graphics, smoother gameplay, and more original characters in store for thisSuper Smash Bros-inspiredplatform fighter, and a lot of subsequent free updates with new characters have been promised by the developers. This game sets the bar for high-quality, unique, competitive gameplay in this format.
Like withmany fighting games, there’s a whole host of combos and gameplay mechanics that go into making this title so deep and fighting games with entrenched communities like this one have essentially let the mechanics develop like a second language to them, a whole slew of information communicated between players concerning skillset and playstyles based on how each character is behaving. If this sounds intimidating, that’s okay! Take a breath and start out small with these simpleRivals of Aether 2tips.
6Learn The Game With One Character
Getting A Grasp On One Fighter Will Help With The Others
Many fighting games have atruly massive rosterof fighters, which can make it overwhelming for players who want to pick a character to start off with.Rivals of Aether 2has a more manageable roster in this way, but each character is incredibly detailed and plays very differently from any of its roster mates.
Most characters in this game, even if they grow quite complicated mechanically by the time of competitive play, have enough simplicity that they make a fine entry-level fighter for someone learning the ropes. Take on AI Battles and casual fights with one character until you’ve learned them inside and out to really get a feel for this game’s style and not be overwhelmed by each fighter’s unique gimmicks.
5Use A Controller If Possible
It’s Much Easier To Get A Handle On This Game With Controllers
Fighting games can have someseriously intense combos, andRivals of Aether 2is no exception. This is a game that was made with competitive, fast-paced platform brawling in mind, and for those who want to hold their own against other players, a controller might be worth the investment on PC.
This will simply make it easier to understand the combos and how to access them once players have gotten stronger at the game, while also making it easier to assign combos to muscle memory.
4Be Thorough With Tutorials
Don’t Expect To Go Through Tutorials Just Once
Tutorials and training modes are a vitalcomponent of many fighting games, and inRivals of Aether 2, players can expect to undergo just as much training and skill development as they would for many other fighters. As mentioned above, this is a game designed around competitive play. The tutorial is not there to walk the players through some basic combos and then throw them a tea party, it encompasses many elements of fighting games that older titles left to be passed down as oral tradition by veterans.
This includes concepts like edge guarding and combo canceling that are baked into the game’s DNA. It might take a while to complete the entire tutorial, but when players do, they should go over it again once or twice for good measure.
3Understand Spacing
A Character’s Reach Is Vital information
Spacing is a vital metric to understand in almost any platform fighter. A character’s reach is essential information in competitive levels of play. If a player knows roughly the distance that any attack, be it a light strike or special move, can reach, they can catch an opponent off guard, cancel their special, or get the starts of a combo in without leaving an opening through movement or hesitation.
And make no mistake, among veterans of this title, the few seconds it takes for a character to move a couple of steps is all the opening players will need to work in their combo. Play around in AI battles and see the extent of your chosen character’s reach for all their strikes and specials.
2Understand New Specials
This Game Has Special Attacks Not Seen In Any Other Fighter
The ledge special, get up special, and pummel special are all entirely new special moves taking the stage inRivals of Aether 2, new not just to this series, but to the genre ofplatform fighters overall. This means that even veterans who cut their teeth onMeleewill be dealing with an entirely new paradigm of special moves in a character’s portfolio.
Ledge specials make edge guarding especially important, as hanging on to an edge is an opportunity to deal damage. Get up specials are excellent recovery tools across the board, and a talented player could mix pummel specials (a special attached to the grab attack) in the middle or at the end of their combos.
1Focus On Small Combos First
Master 2-3 Hit Combos Before Moving On
Combos are iconic in fighting games, in no small part due tothe techniques attached to themin each game’s mythos, but they can get out of hand very quickly inRivals of the Aether 2if players are on the wrong end of them.
Rather than trying to emulate the lightning-fast combos players might’ve seen more experienced people make, start off small and work on ingraining a combo of 2-3 moves into muscle memory. This is where the other tips, such as specializing in one character and using a controller, become even more useful.
