Ready for a blast from the past? Next week, WayForward will take the Atari classic Yars to new heights in Yars Rising – a Metroidvania game focused on invisibility.
Here’s what you can expect from the return of Yars, according to the game’s official website:
Run, jump, sneak and fight your way through a great mystery!
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 most iconic classic titles.In WayForward’s experienced hands, the Yars franchise becomes an expansive mystery solved through 2D platform action. Take control of young hacker Emi Kimura, who is hired by a mysterious patron to infiltrate the mysterious QoTech Corporation. Run, jump, sneak and fight your way through challenges as you slowly uncover a complex secret shrouded in intrigue.
Emi grows in power during her adventure, allowing her to retrace her steps and reach previously inaccessible and secret areas. Her growing hacking skills are key to solving stimulating mini-games that reference the innovative gameplay of the Atari 2600 title Yars’ Revenge.
The deeper into the QoTech facilities Emi goes, the more expansive the sci-fi mystery becomes. A motley crew of hacker allies help Emma discover her connection to a distant alien race and unlock powers she never imagined.
Yars Rising celebrates the Yars franchise in WayForward’s signature style of anime art, humor, retro game mechanics and storytelling virtuosity.
Features:
2D action platformer: Emi must jump, shoot and sneak past waves of robotic and alien enemies. Her hidden powers are revealed as the game progresses, giving her wild power-ups and biohacks that allow her to reach previously inaccessible areas. The expansive, interconnected map allows for hours of exploration
Sci-Fi Intrigue: A seemingly never-ending mystery takes Emi from drab office buildings to hidden underground labs and even to the farthest reaches of space as she uncovers the dark truth behind the QoTech Corporation and discovers her personal connection to an alien race.
Challenging Retro Minigames: A series of hacky minigames pay homage to the original Yars’ Revenge, which fans love for its top-down, fast-paced gameplay.
Stealth Traversal: Emi can’t always shoot or jump out of a crowd – tense sections of stealth gameplay force her to duck into the shadows to hide from relentless security guards.
Classic WayForward aesthetic: With fantastically rendered 3D environments and an ensemble of captivating characters, the WayForward team brings Emma’s story to life as only they can.
Play OG: Discover the first game in the Yarsa franchise by playing WayForward’s modern take on Yarsa’s Revenge, which you can access directly from the main menu.
Yars Rising will be available in digital and physical versions on Nintendo Switch on September 10. It’s priced at $29.99 / £24.99 and the digital version comes with approximately 4.4GB.
To build up the hype, Atari released a new story trailer ahead of release, which can be seen below along with a gameplay trailer from earlier in the year.
