GAME REVIEW | "Yars Rising" An Invigorating Spin on Atari Classic
It’s hard to believe that Yars’ Revenge was released over 42 years ago! The fight between alien beings was a highlight of the Atari 2600 era, thanks to its unique levels and challenging difficulty. But these days, a game like Yars’ Revenge may be tough to gain someone’s attention. Fortunately, WayForward’s Yars Rising has not only found a way to modernize the Yars series, but also pay it the respect it deserves. Most importantly, it’s also hella fun!
Instead of a fixed shooter, Yars Rising is instead a Metroidvania-styled game. You take control of Emi “Yars” Kimura, a master hacker who is infiltrating the QoTech corporation. As you dig deeper into the mysterious company, you’ll discover terrible secrets that not even the higher-ups have any knowledge of. With the aid of new powers and her hacking skills, Yars must take down QoTech before the fate of the world is placed in their dangerous palms.
Via her hacking skills, Yars can access new weapons, new jumping skills, and even walk on water to take on enemies and bosses. These villains can range from your run-of-the-mill security guards to the alien bugs fans of the original game will remember fondly. Sometimes you can take them down with some combat, but other times you’ll need to sneak past them without grabbing their attention. Other things such as lasers and giant gaps will also hinder your goal of taking down QoTech, which is why players must unlock these new powers before they can conquer just about everything this game throws at them.
The thought of making a new title in the Yars series into a different genre may rub some folks the wrong way. However, not only does the Metroidvania style work for the kind of narrative Yars Rising is telling, but it also finds a way to shove the classic gameplay in the most wonderful of way. Whenever you must hack something to open an area or unlock a power, you’ll find yourself taking on a classic Yars’ Revenge level. These areas are not only challenging, but they’re also a wicked entertaining way of embracing the original game. (You can revisit these levels on the start menu if you need a break from the main game.)
WayForward has crafted the Yars world into a reimagined cyberpunk dystopia. It’s hard not to see some of the Blade Runner and Kung Fury homages scattered throughout the game, but it definitely fits well with the story. On top of that, the world and character visuals are simply marvelous to look at. This is a developer who has the knack of creating the perfect video game waifus (e.g. Shantae, River City Girls), and Yars herself fits in well with their past characters.
On top of that, the game itself controls beautifully. Using weapons, doing parkour jumps, and hacking are done with strong fluidity. Going back and forth between the modern and classic Yars game styles may feel different at first, but it won’t require you to quickly shift gears. Instead, it gives you plenty of time to prepare to hack away or take on enemies.
Speaking of enemies, WayForward went the extra mile to add more homages to Atari classics with whom Yars faces. From Centipede to Missile Commander, these enemies and bosses have their fair share of challenges that are tossed at Yars. There is the down side regarding the boss battles’ difficulty, as they can be brutally hard to the point of frustration. Outside of that, these fights are nonetheless exciting, requiring quick movements and skills to take them down.
Perhaps the strongest aspect of Yars Rising is its voice acting and soundtrack. Yars, her fellow hackers, and the enemies have a lot of personality that make them feel more third-dimensional, thanks to a script that delivers a surprising amount of laughs. The music that blares throughout the game is nothing short of perfect, with its mixture of synthwave, J-POP, jazz, and future funk blending seamlessly throughout the game’s entire runtime.
PROS:
- Fun level designs
- Great usage of classic gameplay
- One of this year’s best soundtracks
CONS:
- Some frustrating boss battles
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Yars Rising is how you revamp a classic! The level layouts, the powers, and the sights and sounds are simply a marvel to experience. WayForward once again demonstrates just how much love and care they place into an old franchise, as Yars Rising has enough new DNA to hopefully warrant future revisits to this beautifully dangerous world.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Jessica Simms of ĂśberStrategist, Inc. Reviewed on the PS5.
