Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One
Genre: 2D Search Action, Metroidvania, Run-and-Gun, Retro

There are many ways to remake an 80s classic title: either make a graphically-superior version coating its old gameplay while adding in new mechanics and current-gen control schemes, or just straight-up create a brand-new kind of game that has some shades of the original in theme, tone, and some of its old gameplay in some shape or form.

Developer WayForward of Shantae and River City Girls fame opt for the second route in its latest title that’s a remake of an old 80s Atari shooter. I’m not sure who wanted a remake of Yars’ Revenge, but I’m glad WayForward is resurrecting it in a whole new light with its own style and way doing games under a new title: Yars Rising.

Black Hat Magic

Yars Rising is a 2D search action/Metroidvania game where you play as a model-cosplaying-as-a-programmer named Emi Kimura, as she’s given a high-paying job to infiltrate the QuoTech corporation. Not everything is what it seems, and pretty soon Emi and her pals get embroiled in an upcoming alien invasion that’s kept hidden by the corporation.

Being a hacker, Emi uses her phone to hijack and decrypt secrets of the company. These hacking minigames are a new kind of ballgame, or old depending on how you look at it. When our well-endowed geek hacks a terminal, she has to play an old-school 2D game where you either gather energy to summon a cannon and then aim and fire at the target, or blast enemies in the way. Or just collect a key from a series of pitfalls and narrow traps. These challenges are easy at first, but ramp up in difficulty as you progress through the game. The optional hacks where you can equip Emi with power-ups can get brutal depending on how far you are in the game. If you don’t like retro 2D one-hit-kill kind of minigames, you will hate all of Yars Rising’s hacking minigames (which you can turn Invincibility on so you can focus on the Metroidvania parts).

Speaking of power-ups, with hidden alien tech comes new powers for Emi to use and abuse. While she starts off weak and has to resort to sneaking around in a 2D field most of the time, like a Mark of the Ninja-lite, the game becomes a run-and-gun Mega Man title once she gets the bug/tech equivalent of a Mega Buster. With a pea-shooter in hand, a missile launcher in another, and a way to nibble green energy fields and also hop off walls Mega Man X-style, Yars Rising becomes a search action title with a bit of meat to it. Emi can also equip the aforementioned power-ups in the form of blocks that you can arrange on her Yars bug-shaped icon (like Tetris), so you can pile on a good amount of buffs like extra health, harder-hitting missiles, more air on your vertical air dashes, and more. Space gets limited as the better power-ups are 4 blocks long, so you have to get creative and swap them out depending on the situation.

Difficulty-wise, the game is very fair when handling Emi and her power-up phases in a search action title. The sneaking portions I mentioned earlier come and go, but don’t wear out their welcome and are forgiving with fail states; you just lose a small chunk of your health and start over from the sneaking section if you get spotted and hit. The platforming is standard but fun, mostly because you’ll be busy blasting cleaner robots and alien bugs as they harass you to no end. The level layout and design are solid and packed with appropriate pitfalls, traps, and secrets, with a helpful map that is easy on the eyes. And you get some decent boss fights from giant robots to flying alien commanders who summon missiles at you. While fun and challenging, I do want more boss fights out of Yars Rising especially given Emi’s full abilities open up the game for more challenges.

I should also bring up our main heroine and her other special ability: spouting out quips like the world is ending. And it really is in Yars Rising, to be fair! While I find her banter with her teammates and her quips and remarks kinda charming, it is basically WayForward pulling off “Marvel dialogue” style of writing, some of it self-aware in cringey ways and some of it falling flat. At the very least, they don’t undercut some of the game’s more emotional turns and you can always turn Emi Speak off in the options menu. You should thank WayForward for being considerate in this and also the hacking portions.

Not Without Bugs

WayForward’s handling of this Atari franchise following this new 2D search action direction has a lot of potential. With a little more tweaking and refining, the next game in the series could be a breakout hit. As it stands, Yars Rising is a solid take on a tried-and-true Metroidvania formula with slick controls and the occasional challenge.

I personally would tone down the difficulty of the minigames and the Emi-speak volume during combat and traversing, and ramp up the boss count. But otherwise Yars Rising is a very solid 7-hour+ entry in WayForward’s ever-growing catalogue of 2D action titles. And that game’s soundtrack is definitely on my to-play list for the remaining months just because it’s catchy as heck!

Pros

• Lovely aesthetics and vibe.
• Emi plays great and gets fun powers for the world.
• Lovely map to explore with tons of unlockables.
• Eclectic mix of 2D platforming, run-and-gun, and stealth.

Cons

• Hacking minigames can get insanely tough in second half.
• Main character is afflicted with Marvel/Joss Whedon-speak.
• Lots of loading screens that break the flow.

Final Score: 70/100

Review copy provided by publisher.