Based on the highest selling original game for the Atari 2600, Yars’ Revenge, Yars Rising completely reimagines the 1982 classic. It takes the original formula and applies a 2D action metroidvania feel on top of it. Considering the original was a strategic but simple shooter, this revamp option may not have made the most obvious sense. But after playing through Yars Rising, it absolutely works in a new format.
Smashing the original into the latest trend, Yars Rising takes place in a futuristic, cyberpunky world. You play as Emi, who infiltrates Qotech HQ after hours to fulfil a mysterious request for her and her team. However, Emi may not be the greatest hacker, and is quickly sussed out by the hi-tech security team, but not before she begins to uncover something wholly unexpected. Now, in the middle of an alien invasion, she must traverse this world and put a stop to Qotech’s plans.
Emi also has a weird birthmark on her that appears to be shaped like a Yar from the original game. Is it really a birthmark?
There are two main elements to Yars Rising: firstly, there is the 2D metroidvania that takes place in and around the HQ of Qotech. Emi needs to find her way around these labyrinthine corridors, using her newly unlocked skills to open up new areas as she progresses. Those new abilities come from the second part of the game. Terminals are dotted throughout the world, with each one of these having playable minigames in the form of the original Yars’ Revenge. Complete with old-school graphics and sounds, there are more than a handful of these around the world that make the former part of Yars Rising feel like an extension to the original, as opposed to a complete spiritual successor.
And it isn’t just Yars’ Revenge or Yars: Recharged getting the fancy new upgrades. Many of the game’s bosses are based on other popular Atari games of that golden age. Black Widow and Missile Command are among those referenced. And see if you can work out where Qotech CEO Philip Ong got their name from.
Even the save point and name of the city are throwbacks to the history of Atari.
Now, if you’re old enough to remember the original, you’ll know it can be a bit of a tricky one. That hasn’t been lost in Yars Rising either. The difficulty of trying to destroy the Qotile is definitely still there, but there is a difficulty to traversing the world as well. Whoever designed this building needs to have a word with themselves, but for video game purposes, the number of traps and enemies can prove to be a challenge at times.
At times you will need to be stealthy to avoid the robotic guards. Getting caught by them is an instant fail and that section will need to be repeated. But there are numerous enemies to defeat also, using Emi’s arsenal variety to do so. Some enemies are tougher than others, but there isn’t anything that cannot be destroyed by a missile or three.
There is a world map to help you out, with ways that cannot yet be currently accessed conveniently marked. Once you start unlocking the augments, these areas will show up differently. It won’t be long before you can flutter up to higher places, jump up to those unreachable areas and even walk on water.
Any unlocked traditional Yars levels can be replayed at any time from the main menu, along with some additional ones too. There is no benefit to replaying these, but for the purists, it is nice to have them easily accessible too.
You can also unlock enhancements to suit your playstyle at terminals too. These come in the form of Tetris-esque blocks that you need to fit into a Yars shaped upgrade area.
The first one you unlock will show you the artist and song title of what is currently playing, and whilst it doesn’t make Emi any stronger, you’ll probably keep it slotted in throughout your journey. The soundtrack is a fantastic mix of J-pop sounds alongside some more chill beats. And as you progress, the songs almost always seem to fit what is going on onscreen.
Which makes the voicework even more annoying. Emi and her crew are those kinds of annoying youths that still think leetspeak is cool to use, but it honestly quickly becomes grating. Even when Emi is talking to herself, not only does it reduce the volume of the music, but it appears she isn’t talking that way to impress her comrades. Thankfully, her commentary can be turned off in the audio settings, and I would recommend doing so.
But, just as a heads-up, it feels like the pause menu and abilities buttons are the wrong way around. The pause button is the View button on the Xbox controller, and the abilities are fixed to the Menu button. It’s a minor gripe, but it is one I have fallen foul of many times.
Yars Rising takes the fundamentals of Yars’ Revenge and applies a lengthy metroidvania experience on top of it, creating a surprisingly fun game. The gameplay is varied enough to cover around ten hours without too much repetition. And there is plenty more fun in the menus after that, if you want to keep replaying the Yars minigame levels. Just maybe skip through the voice acting where possible.
Yars Rising is a Metroidvania Riff on the Classic Yars’ Revenge – https://www.thexboxhub.com/yars-rising-is-a-metroidvania-riff-on-the-classic-yars-revenge/
Yars Rising is available from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/yars-rising/9nm99mvp8qt9
