Rivals of Aether II on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information

Rivals of Aether II is the sequel to the hit indie fighting game, Rivals of Aether. Play as both new and returning elemental fighters in the next generation of platform fighters.

Rivals of Aether II is a fighting, multiplayer and indie game developed by Aether Studios and published by Aether Studios and offbrand games.
Released on October 23rd 2024 is available in English only on Windows.

It has received 6,913 reviews of which 5,742 were positive and 1,171 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.1 out of 10. 😎

The game is currently priced at 24.99€ on Steam.


The Steam community has classified Rivals of Aether II into these genres:

Media & Screenshots

Get an in-depth look at Rivals of Aether II through various videos and screenshots.

System requirements

These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.

Windows
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Window 10+ 64 Bit
  • Processor: 3.0 GHz Dual core
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060, AMD Radeon RX 470, or better
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Storage: 20 GB available space

User reviews & Ratings

Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.

March 2025
I've been playing Rivals of Aether 2 and noticed the Steam reviews have become mixed. Curious, I checked why that might be the case. It mostly just seems to be a coincidence that it became mixed. A good amount of people left a negative review around the same time. Some of it is because the game deviated from Rivals 1 gameplay, but like....the first game isn't going anywhere. You can still buy it/play it without any issue. Do you know how many fighting games would love to have that luxury? A good number of the RoA1 crowd think RoA2 plays like Melee/Smash4/Ultimate now, but....no. Melee's gameplay is way more precise with way less emphasis on defense, Smash4 plays way slower, lacks movement options, and punishes unsafe aggression, and Ultimate feels like fencing....so aggression without the approach (if that makes sense). RoA2, to me, is a game that heavily revolves around counterplay. I never felt like I was in a situation where there was absolutely nothing I could have done to prevent a loss, albeit, that's because I'm actually aware of the game mechanics. A large amount of review also complained about how the game feels to beginners and this is a criticism I couldn't counter if I tried. As of right now, the game severely lacks tutorials and singleplayer modes to help you get better. This is being addressed, but it's gonna be a while. Right now there's some very basic tutorials and an arcade mode, but nothin too helpful. This wouldn't feel as bad if there were casual multiplayer things to do...but there isn't. People rarely play free-for-alls and that's the closest thing to a casual multiplayer mode the game has. Unless you have friends who have the game, you're outta luck. There also seems to be server issues. I haven't had problems myself, but depending on where you live, you might have problems. RoA2 uses server-based rollback with no peer-to-peer options as of now, so if you're super far from the servers they have, you might experience the lag problems I've seen other reviews complain about. It's something the devs are aware of and will likely address, but solving networking issues is a slow process and it might not be as important as finishing new characters on schedule. Speaking of that schedule, RoA2 is a live service game, probably one of the best. There's no slimey predatory practices here. No FOMO, no P2W, no money-hungry nonsense. All future characters will be free, the singleplayer modes will be free, and stages will be free. Which is great, but it also reveals that this game isn't necessarily "Feature Complete". Like I said earlier, there's barely any singleplayer modes/tutorials. However, RoA1 released in a very similar fashion. I'd argue it was even more scuffed than RoA2, so I'm not surprised. Yet, some reviews are very surprised. I'd blame communication for this one. I think some people expected the game to be completely done, but the team has a ton of work to do. It's work that they need money to get done while financially supporting their effort. It's why there's a live service model to begin with. Without support from the community this game's fate could end up like Rushdown Revolt (cool game btw). This is what baffles me about many of the reviews. They need the community's support. They can't address a lot of issues without that support. Why not encourage people to give it a try anyway? Their support would go towards improving the game anyway. Most of the negative reviews aren't complaining about the game heading in a bad direction. It's just not currently in a state that they would call very good, but they believe it will be very good as long as the devs keep working on it. ??? Isn't that positive? I don't get it. Look, if you believe in the game, give it support. If you like how the game plays and just need more features, give it support. If you never played the game and are new to the genre, I'd buy the first game unless you don't mind playing a game that's in active development. Give it support, or don't. Buy it if you believe they can deliver.
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Dec. 2024
Do you love super smash brothers, but none of your friends want to play with you because you stomp them into the dirt? Do you wish you could play against another person through the magic of the internet instead of being forced to physically be in the same room or through a garbage wifi connection with terrible net code? Do you know what a frame is? Do you like rocks? Do you like throwing them at people? This is the game for you.
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Nov. 2024
I'm bad but the game is good, GC controller makes this game feel like crack, even when loosing for 10 hours straight. will update review when i finally win a match.
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Oct. 2024
Yes. I don't see it replacing Smash games, but Rivals 2 does so much of what attracts people to them. If you enjoy the free movement and sandbox expression that "platform fighters" offer, I recommend trying this game. But for fellow Smash vets, here are the differences that I can recognize: ~ Melee ~ Rivals 2 has more forgiving technical execution and is generally floatier. Movement all around doesn't feel quite as tight as Melee. -Input buffer exists -L-Cancelling is replaced with hitfall. Instead of SHFFLing, you can fast fall immediately after landing an aerial. You'll have to re-train your muscle memory -Your controls are fully customizable and I encourage you to experiment with the L stick deadzone -All your moves autocancel, so your combo speed is dependent on learning to hitfall -Shields don't shrink, but they do break -Airdodge doesn't cause freefall state -Recoveries feel closer to Ultimate. Wall jumps out of special moves are a thing. Most stages have walls to jump off of like Yoshi's. As a Melee/P+ player, I think it's a net improvement in game flow. -Shield drop doesn't require you to mutilate your controller with notches -The developer isn't actively trying to kill your grassroots community ~ PM/P+ ~ Rivals 2 has more forgiving windows for tech execution. Precision movement on the ground seems harder to execute. -Standard B-reverse exists, but the double reverse for the fadeback does not -Honestly, nothing else yet and P+ players are GOATed so you probably already bought this game before reading the review -Everything from Melee too -No foreseeable Cease and Desist in the future ~ Ult ~ Rivals 2 is faster, heavier, and more technical - most comparable to Project +. If you have only played Smash 4 and Ultimate, you will have to practice this tech, but you won't have to un-learn as many habits from other Smash games. -Parry is it's own button and acts similar to shield break where your opponent goes into stun for a short time -Shields don't shrink, but they do break -Combos are more comparable to previous titles -Analog deadzones are customizable and I recommend you tinker with them -Ledgehogging mechanic exists -More walljumping in recovery process -The developer isn't releasing their 14th sword-based character while BLATANTLY ignoring Tall Purple Man ~ 64 ~ Is cool Shoutouts to Simpleflips.
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Oct. 2024
It's a fun platform fighter, however it lacks a proper tutorial as of right now. When I refer to "proper tutorial" i'm referring to an interactive space that tells you how to play the game, not video guides, so if you're not an experienced rivals 1 or melee player, it's generally going to be a hard time for you.
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Data sources

The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.

Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.

Last Updates
Steam data 14 April 2025 03:03
SteamSpy data 08 April 2025 14:17
Steam price 14 April 2025 04:49
Steam reviews 12 April 2025 14:07

If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Rivals of Aether II, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.

  • SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Rivals of Aether II
  • SteamCharts - Analysis of Rivals of Aether II concurrent players on Steam
  • ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Rivals of Aether II compatibility
Rivals of Aether II
8.1
5,742
1,171
Online players
994
Developer
Aether Studios
Publisher
Aether Studios, offbrand games
Release 23 Oct 2024
Platforms