Atari have announced Yars Rising, a spiritual sequel to 1982’s Yars’ Revenge, for release on PC and consoles in late 2024.
Yars Rising is a clear departure from its best-selling Atari 2600 predecessor, with the classic sci-fi shooter gameplay stepping aside for a modern metroidvania adventure, as teased in the announcement trailer below.
The announcement trailer sets the scene with the neon and rain soaked cityscape channeling serious Blade Runner energy.
WayForward Technologies, the studio behind 2019’s River City Girls and the upcoming Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution, are developing Yars Rising in collaboration with Atari. Players can run, jump, sneak and hack through challenges in what Atari are calling an “expansive sci-fi mystery”.
The new title also appears to include at least some nods to its Atari 2600 heritage, with one of the screenshots showing off a familiar looking mini-game based around the gameplay of Yars Revenge.
A Franchise Reimagined
The screenshots we were provided showcase Yars Rising’s metroidvania style, with protagonist, hacker Emi Kimura, sneaking around a shadowy Qotech Corporation and facing off against a giant boss. Atari promise an epic sci-fi journey that sees Emi uncovering her “inexplicable bond to a far-off alien race”. Perhaps those far-off aliens will be the titular Yar, who players controlled in the 2600 original.
Atari CEO Wade Rosen offered insight into the Atari’s partnership with Wayforward Technologies for Yars Rising by saying “Wayforward’s proven story-telling and world-building powers made them a perfect choice for reimagining one of Atari’s most enduring game franchises.”
I was fortunate to get a sneak peak of Yars Rising earlier this year during an Atari press event in London, and I’m personally intrigued to see if Atari and Wayforward Technologies can deliver a great modern-day metroidvania while also capturing the magic of Yars’ Revenge, 42 years after it debuted.
Wade Rosen seems to think the developers have it in them, revealing “I am confident that fans are going to enjoy this new, dynamic chapter in the Yars storyline.”
Yars Rising is set to arrive on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and the Epic Games Store later this year.
