Air Rivals

Air Rivals is a fast-paced, futuristic, air combat shooter. You will take control of one of four ships called Gears. Each Gear has distinct advantages and disadvantages which are posted below. You will decide to join one of two factions: Bygeniou City United (BCU) or the Arlington National Influence (ANI). BCU is powerful and stern with strong beliefs in unity, while ANI is a rebel force created to combat BCU’s rule.

You will primarily gain levels by killing NPCs, whether it be in a quest or not. The game contains many interconnected map areas. Each area has a unique atmosphere with NPCs, repair pads and warps. Areas close to a faction’s home base have low-level NPCs and minimal enemy faction activity. When you venture away from home base: the NPCs get stronger, the enemy presence increases, and the landscapes become more unique. You have the freedom to go almost anywhere you want, but be careful because members of the enemy faction will be able to attack you at any time. As stated before, the closer you stay to home base, the less chance you have of running into an enemy. You can also switch servers to try and avoid opposing players. You also aren’t limited to fighting NPCs and the Enemy Faction. A member of the same faction may challenge you to a 1 on 1 dogfight, you can either accept the challenge, or deny it.

Players can group together in Brigades (similar to clans or guilds). Friends can help you complete quests and work together in a faction battle. Faction battles pit ANI and BCU against each other for control of the map. Hundreds of players can group together in squadrons to do their part in defeating the enemy. A squadron of bombers may do an attack run on enemy A Gears while enemy I Gears try to prevent the bombers from reaching their targets.

    The Gears
  • I Gear – A fighter that excels against other air units with it’s high mobility and powerful weapons. However it lacks the strength and weapons to effectively fight ground units.
  • B Gear – A bomber that can destroy both air and ground units. B Gear doesn’t excel against a particular unit, but can hold its own against all units.
  • A Gear – A ground unit that has strong weapons and armor. It performs well against all other units, however it does not have the mobility to effectively chase air units.
  • M Gear – The support ship which repairs, buffs, and resupplies teammates. Not a strong unit by itself, but a valuable asset during team battles.

It is said that Air Rivals has more PvP, more events and a better economy. Where Ace Online is more single player, but easier to level up and attain items. I have never played Ace Online, but I did play Air Rivals. Air Rivals had events and large-scale wars all the time. Playing single player can get boring fast in this game, I recommend Air Rivals because large-scale PvP wars bring a lot of fun to the game. - RenegadeFerret 6/3/10

There are a number of premium items in Air Rivals that allow for faster leveling or better aesthetics. You can dress up your bullets to look like dragons, flowers, stars, or even peace symbols. Other items can boost the amount of in-game currency you get after each kill.