Rivals of Aether 2 adds Slade, a pirate shark who shops and goes fishing

Rivals of Aether has long been the best Smash Bros.-like available on PC, and its sequel initially missed a fan favorite from the original: Shovel Knight. That character used to pound gems out of foes and spend them on upgrades mid-match. The new arrival, Slade, is a rakish pirate shark who slices enemies with a cutlass.

Like Shovel Knight, every hit draws out piles of currency he can spend on upgrades; the most expensive one shown lets him cheat death once, while another hooks onto opponents and draws them in. His slice-and-dice normals even give him a Link-like feel from Smash Bros., if that's your thing.

Between scraps he cycles through bombs, boomerangs, shurikens and other nonsense, which should make him perplexing to fight in skilled hands. The trailer also shows Slade reeling in a fish from off-screen, letting it flop into a treasure chest he left behind, and the fish then flying out to strike a downed opponent.

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