Yars Rising
Release Date: Late 2024
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PS4, Switch, PC
Shantae maker Wayforward has teamed up with Atari to bring back Yars’ Revenge, a 1980s space shooter that was one of the best selling games on the Atari 2600. Yars Rising tries to build that out into a Mega Man Zero-style action platformer with hacking mini-games (the developers really didn’t want me to call them that) where you complete challenges modeled after the gameplay of the original. It’s a neat homage that I didn’t feel any particular attachment to, especially because the presentation of Yars Rising feels quite distinct from its ‘80s source material. It certainly doesn’t seem like a bad game but I’d need more time with it to have a sense of whether it’s more than just a competent exercise in brand revival. — Ethan
