Platform Reviewed: Xbox Series
Also on: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Steam
Price: $29.99
Here's a little history lesson for all you young 'uns. Back in the day when gaming was at its infancy, programmers didn't have enough resources to put full stories into their games. We're talking the Atari, Coleco and Intellivision era here. There was very little dialogue if any, and all effort was put into the gameplay. But if there were no in-game story development, how did we understand the motivations of our characters? Well, believe it or not, the video games of the olden times used to come with these things called "instruction manuals." And within these manuals you would find stories written to give you background information on the world you were about to explore. A crazy notion, right? But it's true!
Some developers even took it a step further. In the case of Yars Revenge for the Atari 2600, the game came with an actual mini comic book, which told the story of alien race the Yar, and their eternal battles against the Qotile. This helped fuel gamers' imaginations, and really fleshed out what would normally be a basic game. Pretty ingenious concept if you ask me. Building out this "Yarsiverse" so to speak helped the game's popularity, and Yars Revenge became one of the most successful games on the Atari 2600. This also spawned read-along books that came with records, and five additional games - including today's game review, Yars Rising.
Yars Rising tells the story of Emi Kimura, who works at a corporation by the name of Qotech. Secretly, though, she and her friends are hackers-for-hire. A mysterious party hires Emi and her friends to infiltrate Qotech's inner servers to hack their systems. This takes Emi on an adventure through the building - and a few other places - to solve the mystery of who hired her, what Qotech is up to, and how to escape with her life. I obviously won't spoil any of the story, but it is engaging and kept me wanting to see it till the end.
What really moved the story along and got me invested in the characters was the dialogue. Emi's interactions with her friends, enemies, and even herself are well-written and performed perfectly. Emi's personality shines throughout the entirety of the game's 10-hour adventure. She jokes around, makes funny observations, and even breaks the fourth wall as she calls out various video game tropes (she's not particularly fond of lasers). Every time a cut-scene initiated, i cracked a smile as I anticipated what Emi was going to say next. There's also subtle (and some not-so-subtle) references to several other Atari classic games.
As for the game itself, Yars Rising is a 2D side-scrolling Metroidvania game. Nothing out of the ordinary here; you'll be exploring a sprawling map, earning power-ups, and backtracking with your new powers to reach previously-unreachable areas. It's a pretty basic formula, but the developers at WayForward incorporated two new mechanics to freshen things up a bit. First - and most importantly - is Emi's hacking abilities. As you proceed through the game, you'll come across terminals that you can hack. These terminals can open doors, de-power lasers, and grant Emi some buffs (we'll get into that in a moment). This is where Yars Rising really embraces its retro roots. When Emi hacks a terminal, it kicks off a Yars Revenge mini-game. You'll be playing the original 1982 game, where you control a Yar as it nibbles away at a Qotile in order to power a cannon. Then you'll have to use the cannon to destroy the Qotile in order to successfully hack the terminal. Not every terminal is the same, though; some are pretty easy, while others are very challenging. In one instance I had to destroy a barrier protecting the Quotile, grab a dot to turn off another barrier, and only then could I attack the Qotile. All the while avoiding a missile that slowly pursued me. Once you successfully hack the terminal, you'll unlock the door or earn your buff.
The buffs you earn can be equipped in the main menu, but only a limited amount can be equipped at any time. These buffs can increase Emi's health, improve her firepower, and give her Yar special abilities to help make hacking easier. Those of you who grew up on the original Yars Revenge should feel right at home here, and you'll also find some creative versions of the classic game. Hacking can be fun, but it also can be very frustrating. The controls are very tight, but some of these mini-games are extremely difficult. You'll have to pay attention to the Qotile when it turns into a spiral, all the while avoiding missiles and even your own cannon; only one hit and you lose the mini-game. This shocks Emi and lessens her health, and you'll have to keep trying until you succeed. I think the developers were aware of how difficult the hacking session is, because if you fail about five times in a row, you are offered the option to make your Yar invincible. It hurts to say this as a seasoned gamer, but I chose this option twice out of frustration.
Controls are pretty tight and I had no issues. The map was useful and I didn't get lost very often. Graphics were cartoony, neon and bright. The animation lacked that WayForward flair and felt a little stiff, but was still serviceable. Boss battles were challenging and required you to memorize patterns. As far as Metroidvanias go, it was a good effort. The soundtrack, though, is top-notch. Unlike most games of this genre, the songs that play are actual titles by actual artists. The songs range in style but are mostly poppy, electric tunes complete with lyrics. What's even better is there's a buff you can equip that shows the artist and title in the corner of the screen when the song starts. Very nice touch! And once you're done with the game, you can unlock a harder mode, as well as 2600-style Yars Revenge challenges that you can take on individually - so there's plenty of replay value for the $29.99 price tag.
There are a few annoyances, though. The aforementioned frustrations with the hacking mini-game are one. Also, there's quite a few loading screens as you traverse the map. It's not a major delay, but it is noticeable. The game looks good, but Emi's movement can feel a bit stiff at times. Finally, one of Emi's friends, Refresh, has some of the most cringe dialogue I've heard in a game. Now, this could very well be done on purpose for laughs, but it gets worn out pretty quick.
Final Score: B
Yars Rising is a fun title on its own, but is even better as a love letter to the Atari classic. You have to appreciate the effort put in to researching the game's lore and expanding on it, and fans of the original will absolutely love it. Those of you who are new to this world will still find an enjoyable Metroidvania game with some fun dialogue and new elements to keep things interesting. Not only that, but the addition of classic challenges will continue to test your abilities (and patience). The price tag may cause some to pause, but if you complete everything there is to do (including two playthroughs), you're easily putting 30-ish hours into it. I would recommend picking up this title especially if you're a fan of the genre, and I hope to see more WayForward interpretations of classic Atari games. A Centipede turn-based RPG, anyone?
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