GamesAfter 42 years, one of Atari’s weirdest, best games is getting a cyberpunk, anime, Metroidvania sequelWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesAfter 42 years, one of Atari’s weirdest, best games is getting a cyberpunk, anime, Metroidvania sequelWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: WayForward)
Today’s Nintendo Indie World Showcase had a few surprises, and if you happen to be familiar with the Atari 2600 library, none of them were more surprising than the announcement of Yars Rising.
Yars Rising is a Metroidvania-style action platformer from WayForward, a storied studio with big experience in the genre thanks to titles like the excellent Shantae series. You play as a hacker named Emi who grows in power over the course of the game, “granting her wild augments and biohacks that let her reach previously inaccessible areas,” as the game’sSteam pagedetails.
Yars' Revenge will be playable within Yars Rising, and the new game will also feature “a series of hacking minigames” that “pay homage” to the classic. Either way, this remains one of the weirdest IP revivals I’ve ever seen - but given WayForward’s pedigree, I’m more than happy to see a new Metroidvania from the studio.
Back in 2022, Yars' Revenge creator Howard Scott Warshaw toldDualShockersthat a sequel was on the way, saying “I’m going to create a huge backstory that’s going to go on and cover what I call ‘The Yarnovers.'” There’s no mention of Warshaw in current press materials for Yars Rising, so it remains to be seen if this new game is the same one he had in mind.
Yars Rising is set to launch in 2024 across Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, PC, and yes, the Atari VCS.
The next mini Atari is a ‘70s computer you’ve probably never heard of, and I’m hyped.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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