| Yars Rising | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | WayForward |
| Publisher(s) | Atari |
| Director(s) | James Montagna |
| Writer(s) | Adam Tierney, James Montagna |
| Composer(s) | Tommy Pedrini |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Atari VCS |
| Release |
|
| Mode(s) | |
Yars Rising is a 2024 action-adventure video game developed by WayForward and published by Atari, Inc. for home consoles and computers. [1] It is part of the Yars series. [2]
Yars Rising has been described as a metroidvania genre with 2D exploration and labyrinthian level design. [1] [3] The player is expected to hack into terminals while progressing through the game, giving the player-character different abilities by altering her DNA. [2]
Set in the year 2049, Yars Rising is about Emi Kimura, a young hacker who is hired to expose the dark workings of the shady QoTech corporation. [2] [1]
Yars Rising was announced at an Indie World Nintendo Direct on April 17, 2024. [4] Its creator James Montagna said that the game was made to be "a little bit unconventional" for the Yars IP. [2] He added that they were going for what he called "freeform stealth" in the gameplay, while the environment was based on retrofuturism. [5] Howard Scott Warshaw was not involved in the development of Yars Rising. [2]
The soundtrack of the game consists of music composed by a collaboration of twenty international artists, and includes vocal tracks in both English and Japanese. [2] The music too was designed to be parallel with the retrofuturistic game theme. [5] The team also worked on making the most out of the rumble feature of the Joy-Con, on the Nintendo Switch version of the game. [2]
Development was done by American studio WayForward, who are known for Shantae (2002) and River City Girls (2019). [2]
It was released on September 10, 2024, with physical editions for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. [3] [6] [7]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (NS) 75/100 [8] (XBXS) 70/100 [8] (PC) 63/100 [8] (PS5) 59/100 [8] |
Yars Rising received a "mixed or average" critical reception according to the review aggregation website Metacritic, and a "positive" reception for the Nintendo Switch version specifically. [8] Reviews by PC Gamer , Rolling Stone and Slant Magazine found the game's 2D platforming sequences weak with simple platforming, while commenting that the hacking sequences were the high points. [1] [3] [9]
Yars' Revenge is a 1982 fixed shooter video game developed by Howard Scott Warshaw and published by Atari, Inc. for the Atari Video Computer System. Set in the Razak solar system, it focuses on the conflict between the Yars, a fly-like humanoid alien race, and the Qotile, who have destroyed their habitable planets. The player controls a Yar tasked with destroying the Qotile's energy shield, and finishing off the enemy with the Zorlon cannon.
Owlboy is a platform-adventure video game created by Norwegian independent developer D-Pad Studio. The game is notable for its long development cycle, which began in 2007, and was released in November 2016.
The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human is a 2D metroidvania action-adventure video game. Developed by YCJY, the game was released for Microsoft Windows, OS X and Linux in January 2016. Ports for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, developed by Stage Clear Studios, were released in January 2018, followed by a Nintendo Switch port in January 2019.
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is an indie Metroidvania video game developed by rdein and published by Playism. The game was originally released on March 4, 2016, for Microsoft Windows. It is the fourth installment of the Momodora series that began in 2010 with Momodora I.
Elliot Quest is a side-scrolling action-adventure platform game by Mexican developer Ansimuz Games. It was released for Microsoft Windows in 2014, followed shortly by a Wii U port in 2015, and later to other platforms throughout 2017. It is similar to such games as Metroid, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.
Dandara is a 2D platformer and Metroidvania video game developed by Brazilian studio Long Hat House and published by Raw Fury in 2018.
Minoria is an indie Metroidvania game developed by Brazilian studio Bombservice and published by DANGEN Entertainment. It was released on August 27, 2019, for Windows, and on September 10, 2020, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. It is a spiritual sequel to the Momodora series with 2.5D graphics. It has a similar gothic horror tone as Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight and revolves around warrior nuns who are sent into the ruins of the Kingdom of Ramezia to free Princesses who were kidnapped by heretical witches. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who praised it for its combat mechanics and graphics, but criticized it for its "uneven" quality and short length.
Narita Boy is a 2021 action-adventure video game developed by Spanish team Studio Koba and published by Team17. The game is an action platformer that follows the titular Narita Boy as he tries to save the Digital Kingdom from the Stallions. The game was released on March 30, 2021 for Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and for Amazon Luna on April 29, 2021.
Souldiers is a 2022 Metroidvania video game with role-playing elements developed by Retro Forge and published by Dear Villagers. It released on 2 June 2022 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is a 2022 action role-playing game developed by Natsume Atari and published by 505 Games. Rising is the first game to be released in the Eiyuden Chronicle series, considered to be a spiritual successor to the Suikoden series.
Haiku the Robot is a 2022 Metroidvania video game developed and published by Estonian studio Mister Morris Games. It was released on 28 April 2022 for Windows and macOS, and for Nintendo Switch on 9 September 2022.
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is a 2022 video game compilation and interactive documentary developed by Digital Eclipse and published by Atari to commemorate the company's 50th anniversary. It is composed of newly shot interviews with former Atari employees, archival footage, emulated games from the company's catalog, and six new games inspired by various Atari games. It was released for Atari VCS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on November 11, 2022.
Animal Well is a Metroidvania video game developed by Billy Basso and published by Bigmode. The player controls a blob and explores a labyrinth filled with animals. The game was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Windows on May 9, 2024, and for Xbox Series X/S on October 17, 2024. It released to critical acclaim.
Alwa's Legacy is a Metroidvania video game developed by Elden Pixels and first released in 2020. After saving the land of Alwa in Elden Pixels' previous game, Alwa's Awakening, series protagonist Zoe attempts to return home to her original world.
Yars: Recharged is a twin-stick shooter developed by Vancouver-based company Adamvision Studios and published by Atari. It is a remake of Yars' Revenge, a 1982 Atari 2600 shooter. It was released on August 23, 2022, for Atari VCS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. Unlike the previous remake, Yar's Revenge, it stays significantly closer to the source material, with top-down neo-retro style graphics and its Yar protagonist being an anthropomorphic fly. The player must charge a meter that powers the Zorlon Cannon, the only thing that can penetrate the shields of the Qotile, while defeating other enemies and dodging the Qotile's devastating lasers. The game received positive critical reception, citing how it built upon the original game while maintaining its classic arcade feel. The game is part of the Atari Recharged remake series.
Curse of the Sea Rats is a Metroidvania indie game developed by Barcelona-based Petoons Studio and published by PQube. The game was released on April 6, 2023, for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. It received critical praise for its artwork, but technical issues and problems with game balance were cited as negatives.
Lost Ruins is a 2021 action survival metroidvania video game developed by Altari Games and published by DANGEN Entertainment.
Tetris Forever is a 2024 video game compilation and interactive documentary developed and published by Digital Eclipse. Released in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Tetris, the compilation includes over fifteen different versions of Tetris, including the new game Tetris Time Warp. It released for the Atari VCS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on November 12, 2024.
Old School Musical is a rhythm adventure game developed by La Moutarde and published by Playdius. It has pixel art visuals and a chiptune soundtrack, taking inspiration from classic 8-bit and 16-bit games. The story follows brothers Tib and Rob as they try to save the universe from glitches. Players must press buttons in time with the music according to the on-screen sequence to progress through each level. The game was released for Nintendo Switch and Windows on September 13, 2018. Old School Musical: Pocket Edition, a version including only the Chicken Republic gamemode, was released for iOS and Android in 2019.
