Like a long dormant volcano, the Yars series has been bubbling away nicely for a couple of years. The great Yars: Recharged reminded everyone of the strategic precision gameplay involved, and again it evolves into something new with Yars Rising, out today on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, PC and the Atari VCS.

Taking the classic Yars’ Revenge gameplay, you play as Emi in Yars Rising. She is a hacker on a mission to infiltrate the suspicious Qotech HQ and find out what they’re up to. What she will discover will take her places far beyond she even thought existed.

It’s Yars, Jim, but not as we know it

Emi wanders through the corridors of the 2D Qotech HQ, unlocking new powers at terminals as she goes. These powers help her explore areas that were previously inaccessible, as well as bolstering her arsenal to help defeat everything else that has infiltrated. Bosses included.

But what exactly is on these terminals? Well, that’s where the Yars’ Revenge gameplay comes in. Each terminal has a Yars inspired minigame to best in order to unlock the terminal. There are absolutely loads of these dotted about, so there is no shortage of Yars fun to be had.

And, best of all, any that have been unlocked can be played again straight from the main menu. It even includes the original Yars’ Revenge in there too.

Does that mean it all works? Well, yes – check out our full review of Yars Rising on Xbox. 

Emi amping up

Emi may appear all sweet and innocent at first, but she can quickly become a walking, and very talkative, tank. As she progresses, she will unlock the abilities to walk on water, shoot missiles from her hands, destroy barriers and even sprout wings to fly for a short period. Does all this have something to do with the strange pixel looking birthmark on her wrist? Probably, but we don’t want to give too much away.

Yars Rising also features:

• 2D Platforming Action: Emi must jump, blast and sneak her way past waves of robotic and alien enemies. Her latent powers are revealed as the game progresses, granting her wild augments and biohacks that let her reach previously inaccessible areas. A sprawling, interconnected map allows for hours of exploration.
• Sci-Fi Intrigue: A seemingly bottomless mystery takes Emi from drab office buildings into hidden underground labs, and even to the farthest reaches of space as she uncovers the dark truth behind the QoTech corporation and discovers her own personal connection to an alien race.
• Challenging Retro Minigames: A series of hacking minigames pay homage to the original Yars’ Revenge, which fans love for its top-down, quick twitch gameplay.
• Stealth Traversal: Emi can’t always shoot or jump her way out of a jam – tense sections of stealth gameplay force her to duck into the shadows to hide from relentless security guards.
• Classic WayForward Aesthetics: With fantastically rendered 3D environments and an ensemble of captivating characters, the WayForward team brings Emi’s story to life as only they can.
• Play the OG: Discover the first game in the Yars franchise by playing WayForward’s modern take on Yars’ Revenge, accessible right from the main menu.

Buy now!

For a good mix of classic Yars gameplay and metroidvania exploration, Yars Rising is on the Xbox Store now priced at £24.99. It’s playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, fully optimised. 

You’ll also find Yars Rising on the stores of PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, PC and Atari VCS. 

And let us know in the comments if you’ll be playing this one for the modern elements or just to play the original Yars’ Revenge without dusting off the old Atari 2600.

Yars Rising Game Description

From the renowned development studio WayForward Technologies, Inc. (Shantae, River City Girls, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp) comes Yars Rising, a 2D action adventure exploration of one of Atari’s richest, and best known classic titles.

In WayForward’s experienced hands, the Yars franchise becomes an expansive mystery solved through 2D platforming action. Take control of the young hacker Emi Kimura, who is hired by a mysterious patron to infiltrate the shadowy QoTech corporation. Run, jump, sneak, and hack your way through challenges as you slowly unravel a complex secret shrouded in intrigue.

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.