Yars Rising

{{Infobox video game

| title = Yars Rising

| image = Game-Page-Box-Art Yars-Rising-320x480.jpg

| developer = WayForward

| publisher = Atari

| platforms = Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Atari VCS

| released = {{vgrelease|WW|September 10, 2024}}

| director = James Montagna

| composer = Tommy Pedrini

| engine = Unity

| writer = Adam Tierney, James Montagna

}}

Yars Rising is a 2024 action-adventure video game developed by WayForward and published by Atari, Inc. for home consoles and computers.{{sfn|Cruz|2024}} It is part of the Yars series.{{sfn|Reynolds|2024}}

Gameplay

File:Yars Rising gameplay.jpg

Yars Rising has been described as a metroidvania genre with 2D exploration and labyrinthian level design.{{sfn|Cruz|2024}}{{sfn|Riccio|2024}} The player is expected to hack into terminals while progressing through the game, giving the player-character different abilities by altering her DNA.{{sfn|Reynolds|2024}}

Plot

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.{{sfn|Reynolds|2024}}{{sfn|Cruz|2024}}

Development and release

Yars Rising was announced at an Indie World Nintendo Direct on April 17, 2024.{{sfn|Nintendo|2024|ref=IndieWorld}} Its creator James Montagna said that the game was made to be "a little bit unconventional" for the Yars IP.{{sfn|Reynolds|2024}} He added that they were going for what he called "freeform stealth" in the gameplay, while the environment was based on retrofuturism.{{sfn|Marrujo|2024}} Howard Scott Warshaw was not involved in the development of Yars Rising.{{sfn|Reynolds|2024}}

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.{{sfn|Reynolds|2024}} The music too was designed to be parallel with the retrofuturistic game theme.{{sfn|Marrujo|2024}} 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.{{sfn|Reynolds|2024}}

Development was done by American studio WayForward, who are known for Shantae (2002) and River City Girls (2019).{{sfn|Reynolds|2024}}

It was released on September 10, 2024, with physical editions for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.{{sfn|Riccio|2024}}{{sfn|Tailby|2024}}{{sfn|Brian|2024}}

Reception

{{Video game reviews

| MC = ({{abbr|NS|Nintendo Switch}}) 75/100{{sfn|Metacritic|ref=Metacritic}}
({{abbr|XBXS|Xbox Series X and Series S}}) 70/100{{sfn|Metacritic|ref=Metacritic}}
({{abbr|PC|Personal Computer}}) 63/100{{sfn|Metacritic|ref=Metacritic}}
({{abbr|PS5|PlayStation 5}}) 59/100{{sfn|Metacritic|ref=Metacritic}}

}}

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.{{sfn|Metacritic|ref=Metacritic}} 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.{{sfn|Cruz|2024}}{{sfn|Riccio|2024}}{{sfn|Chatziioannou|2024}}

References

=Sources=

{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.com/en-ca/whatsnew/indie-games-burst-onto-nintendo-switch-promising-adventure-cozy-vibes-and-curious-cat-mischief/|publisher=Nintendo|title=Indie Games Burst Onto Nintendo Switch Promising Adventure, Cozy Vibes, and Curious Cat Mischief|date=April 17, 2024|access-date=June 26, 2024|ref=IndieWorld}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/yars-rising/|title=Yars Rising|work=Metacritic|publisher=Fandom, Inc.|access-date=November 25, 2024|ref=Metacritic}}
{{Cite web |author=Brian |date=May 24, 2024 |title=Yars Rising Confirmed for Physical Release on Switch, Pre-orders Open |url=https://nintendoeverything.com/yars-rising-confirmed-for-physical-release-on-switch-pre-orders-open/ |access-date=September 16, 2024 |website=Nintendo Everything}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/yars-rising-review/|work=PC Gamer|title=Yars Rising Review|last=Chatziioannou|first=Alexander|date=September 12, 2024|accessdate=September 15, 2024}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/rs-gaming/atari-yars-rising-review-1235097860/|work=Rolling Stone|title='Yars Rising' Reinvents Atari's Forgotten Hit|date=September 10, 2024|accessdate=September 15, 2024|last=Cruz|first=Christopher}}
{{Cite web |last=Reynolds |first=Ollie |date=June 3, 2024 |title=Feature: "This Isn't Just Yars, It's a Love Letter to Atari" - How WayForward is Breaking the Mould With 'Yars Rising' |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/features/this-isnt-just-yars-its-a-love-letter-to-atari-how-wayforward-is-breaking-the-mould-with-yars-rising |access-date=September 15, 2024 |website=NintendoLife}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/games/yars-rising-review/|work=Slant Magazine|title='Yars Rising' Review: A Side-Scrolling Metroidvania Divided Against Itself|date=September 10, 2024|accessdate=September 15, 2024|last=Riccio|first=Aaron}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/06/ataris-sci-fi-metroidvania-yars-rising-hacks-onto-ps5-ps4-in-september|last=Tailby|first=Stephen|date=June 19, 2024|accessdate=September 15, 2024|work=Push Square|title=Atari's Sci-Fi Metroidvania Yars Rising Hacks onto PS5, PS4 in September}}
{{Cite web |last=Marrujo |first=Robert |date=September 11, 2024 |title=Nintendojo Interview: Yars Rising Director James Montagna |url=https://www.nintendojo.com/features/interviews/nintendojo-interview-yars-rising-director-james-montagna |access-date=September 16, 2024 |website=Nintendojo |language=en-US}}