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Retro gaming fans will be pleased to hear that Atari is bringing back one of its iconic franchises… sort of. Announced during the April Nintendo Indie Showcase, Yars Rising is an upcoming game for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox and PC. It’s a spinoff of classic Atari arcade-style game Yars’ Revenge, although it couldn’t be more different. Indeed, while the original game saw players control an insect-like creature, the new game stars a young hacker named Emi Kimura. Likewise, Yars’ Revenge is essentially a single-screen shooter (there’s more to it than that, but for the sake of brevity let’s leave it there), while Yars Rising is a 2D platform game with a Metroidvania twist. With the original Yars’ Revenge being one of my favourite Atari games (the Recharged version is also well worth checking out), I couldn’t help but feel a little sceptical about the new direction.
Fortunately, however, Yars Rising is being developed by WayForward Technologies, the team behind Shantae and River City Girls.
With such a solid track record, there’s definitely reason to be optimistic that Yars Rising will win fans over.
Launching at the end of 2024, Yars Rising tasks players with running, jumping, sneaking, and hacking their way through the headquarters of the shadowy Qotech corporation.
Described as an “expansive sci-fi mystery”, the game will open up as players discover new abilities. Like any good Metroidvania, players will be able to go back and explore previously inaccessible areas once they discover new skills.
This includes the ability to hack terminals, which is one area where Yars Rising should truly shine.
As you can kind of see from the trailer below, hacking mini-games feature similar gameplay to the original Yars’ Revenge.
In fact, according to Atari, players will be able to check out WayForward’s take on the original game from the main menu.
Atari explains more: “Emi grows in power throughout her adventure, allowing her to retrace her steps and reach previously inaccessible and secret areas. Her evolving hacking skills are critical to solving stimulating minigames that reference the innovative gameplay from the Atari 2600 title Yars’ Revenge.
“The deeper into the QoTech facilities Emi ventures, the more expansive the sci-fi mystery becomes. A colorful cast of hacker allies help Emi discover her connection to a distant alien race and unlock powers unlike anything she could have imagined.
“Yars Rising celebrates the Yars franchise in WayForward’s distinct style of anime art, humor, retro game mechanics and storytelling virtuosity.”
Other games announced during the Nintendo Indie Showcase include Steamworld Heist 2, which features turn-based combat alongside a brand new world map to explore.
Elsewhere, Nintendo unveiled indie games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, as well as Little Kitty, Big City, Sticky Business and Cat Quest 3.